Wild Game Recipes: Cooking Doves

Shooting & eating doves is my first true love when it comes to hunting. As with most of us I started out making dove poppers. They were great to eat and often times so full of bacon & spicy jalapeno that you really couldn’t taste much of the dove breast. When you begin eating wild game you start to understand the different in meat quality and flavor and over time most people end up enjoying the taste of something wild over something processed. I still love making poppers but have also expanded out to a few other great ways to cook up those little rockets that you never seem to have enough of when your friends stop by. Below are a few of my favorite ways to prepare dove and a new one from Hank Shaw over at Hunter – Angler – Gardner – Cook for dove enchiladas I’d like to try:

Traditional Texas bacon-wrapped jalapeno dove poppers – Recipe: Texas Monthly

15 whole plucked dove breasts

garlic salt

black pepper

1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese

15 jalapeño slices, each slice halved (fresh or canned)

2 packages regular-sliced bacon, cut in half

With a paring knife, separate breasts from breastbones to make 30 lobes. Sprinkle very lightly with garlic salt and pepper. Take a breast lobe, some cream cheese, and a jalapeño slice and wrap in bacon. Secure with a toothpick. Grill over mesquite, oak, or charcoal for 3 to 5 minutes, then turn and continue grilling until bacon is crisp. Serves 8 to 10.

Tim Love’s Grilled Dove Breasts With Badass Rub – Recipe: Field & Stream

Skinless dove breasts

Badass Rub

Peanut oil

all-purpose Badass Rub

1⁄2 cup guajillo chile powder

1⁄2 cup kosher salt

1⁄4 cup cumin, ground

2 Tbsp. rosemary, chopped

2 Tbsp. thyme leaves, chopped

1⁄4 cup plus 2 Tbsp. coarsely

ground black pepper

2 Tbsp. garlic powder

2 Tbsp. brown sugar

Directions

1. Make the rub: Combine all the ingredients and mix well.

2. Brush the dove breasts with peanut oil. Generously rub them with Badass Rub.

3. Place the meat on the grill, with a high fire, for 1 1⁄2 minutes per side.

Hoisin Glazed Quail (or Dove!) – Recipe: Broken Arrow Ranch

Ingredients

8-12 whole doves

2 tablespoons olive oil

Salt and ground black pepper to taste, about 1 teaspoon each

For Hoisin Glaze:

3 tablespoons hoisin sauce

1 teaspoon ginger, grated

1 garlic clove, minced

1 teaspoon soy sauce

1 teaspoon rice vinegar

1/2 teaspoon sesame oil

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Preheat the grill to medium-hot. Season birds with oil, salt and pepper. In a small bowl, mix the glaze ingredients.

Grill quail/dove starting breast down for 5-6 minutes. To get good grill marks start the quail/dove at an angle to the grill grates then rotate 90 degrees halfway through cooking. Flip the quail/dove. Brush or spoon the glaze on each bird and grill another 5 minutes. When done the breast will be plump and firm to the touch.

Serve with additional glaze drizzled over the top or on the side for dipping.