January 25, 2022

Smoked Alabama White BBQ Pheasant

Sam Kohler

Brining any game bird makes it moist and tender. Smoking your pheasant with just the right seasonings and coating with Alabama White BBQ sauce makes this pheasant a flavorful, finger-licking fare.

Ingredients

Brown Ale Brine

4 cups water
2 bottles of Lazy Magnolia Southern Pecan Ale
1/2 cup kosher salt
1/2 cup light brown sugar
4 sprigs thyme
6 cloves garlic
3 Tbsp. Whole Black Peppercorn
2 Fresno chilis, halved
4-6 cups of ice

Pheasant Rub

Alabama White BBQ Sauce

4 Cups of Mayo (Duke's preferably)
1/2 Cup Apple Cider Vinegar
1 1/2 Tbsp. White Sugar
1 1/2 Tbsp. Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice
2-4 Tsp. Horseradish
Killer Hogs The BBQ Seasoning

Other Ingredients

1-2 Sticks of Butter
2-4 Gamekeeper Butchery Whole Pheasant, Spatchcocked

Alabama BBQ Pheasant

Instructions

Begin by combining the Brine ingredients in a large stock pot and adding the thawed pheasant to the pot. Let the pheasant brine in the pot for 4-6 hours ideally, but you can let it marinade up to 8 hours.
Remove the pheasants from the brine and pat them dry with paper towel and then properly cover them with seasoning, you want to create a nice coating of seasoning on the pheasants for the best results.
Set your smoker to 275-300 degrees Fahrenheit with Hickory pellets and once up to temperature place the birds on the smoker. You want to cook the pheasants until they reach an internal temperature of 145 degrees Fahrenheit, which takes about 1 1/2 hours.
Combine all ingredients for the Alabama BBQ Sauce in a large bowl, and add horseradish and BBQ Seasoning to your flavor and spice liking. (You can use any of your favorite BBQ seasonings for this sauce and make it your own!)
Once the pheasants have reached proper internal temperature, remove them and let the cool for 5 minutes.
Dip the birds in the sauce while they still are warm, and once they are fully coated, set them on a tray and let the sauce caramelize with the natural heat of the pheasant for 10 minutes.
After the sauce has become slightly translucent after 10 minutes cut it up and enjoy!

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