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Pheasant breast fillets
Grilled Pheasant Breast Salad with Pears, Blue Cheese and Red Wine Vinaigrette
Rosemary and garlic marinated pheasant breasts grilled, sliced and served warm over greens with ripe pears and crumbled blue cheese.
- Serves
- 4
- Hands-on
- 25 min
- Total
- 1 hr 3 min
- Skill
- Some experience
Cooks on: Grill or stovetop · Lunch, Dinner
Ingredients
- 1½ lbPheasant breast fillets, about 4 breast halves, pounded to an even ¾ inch
- 2 clovesGarlic, minced
- 1Shallot, minced
- 1¼ tspSalt, divided
- ½ tspBlack pepper, ground
- 7 tbsp olive oil, divided
- 3 tbsp red wine vinegar, divided
- 1 tsp dried rosemary, crumbled
- 1 tsp honey
- 8 cups mixed salad greens
- 2 ripe pears, cored and thinly sliced
- 3 oz blue cheese, crumbled
You'll need
- Instant-read thermometer
- Grill or Stovetop + Large skillet, ideally cast iron
Contains
Dairy.
Method
- Whisk 2 tbsp of the olive oil with 1 tbsp of the red wine vinegar, the garlic, rosemary and ¾ tsp of the salt. Coat the pheasant, cover, and refrigerate 30 minutes.
- For the vinaigrette, whisk the remaining 5 tbsp olive oil with the remaining 2 tbsp red wine vinegar, the honey, shallot, the remaining ½ tsp salt and the pepper.
- Heat the grill to medium-high (about 425°F) and oil the grates, or heat the skillet over medium-high heat on the stove.
- Lift the pheasant from the marinade, let the excess drip off, and discard the marinade. Grill without moving 3 to 4 minutes, until well marked and releasing, then turn and grill 2 to 4 minutes more, until an instant-read thermometer reads 165°F in the thickest part. Take each breast off as it gets there; minutes are only a guide.
- Rest the breasts 5 minutes, then slice them thin across the grain and spoon 1 tbsp of the vinaigrette over the warm slices so they soak it up.
- Toss the salad greens with most of the remaining vinaigrette and divide among plates. Top with the pears, the warm pheasant and the blue cheese, and drizzle with the last of the vinaigrette.
When it's done: 165°F
The federal chart lists poultry at 165°F, and Kansas State University Extension says to fully cook game birds to at least 165°F. Check the thickest part with an instant-read thermometer.
If it goes wrong
- Sticking to the grate
- Clean and oil the grates well and leave the breasts alone until they release on their own.
- Outside charred before 165°F inside
- Move the breasts to the cooler side of the grill and close the lid to finish.
- Dry slices
- Pound the breasts evenly before marinating, and pull them right at 165°F.
- Salad tastes flat
- Pears and greens need salt too. Taste a dressed leaf and add a pinch of salt or a few drops of vinegar to the vinaigrette.
Leftovers. Marinate in the refrigerator. Serve right away; refrigerate leftover pheasant within 2 hours and eat it cold or reheat to 165°F.