breasting pigeons

[pete evans]

i have read several different ways to take the breasts off a pigeon. the most recent technique was to possition the bird on its back head towards you stand on wings close to the body and pull the legs, the poster of these instructions made it sound as though you would be left with a nice neat set of breasts or at the very least something that would enable you to get a nice neat set of breasts with little further effort.

now i must be doing something wrong as no matter if i yank the feet fast, apply the pressure gradually, pull towards me away from me etc etc etc the legs come away from the body.

anyone care to enlighten me with a good quick method

 

regards

 

pete

[Devilishdave]

as you are doing, you can partialy pluck the breasts first to make things easier or just draw your blade accross the brest just enough to cut the skin then just push back the skin from the breasts. Then run the blade down one side of the breast bone letting the blade do all the work. when you get to bone then turn the blade and try to contour the birds brest cavity then finaly make the relevent cuts to remove the breast from the bird. towards the birds head will be the larger part of the breast so be sure to get all of this meat.

 

Dave

[lurcherboy]

Check out M robsons/grenford way

[the pelt man]

i have read several different ways to take the breasts off a pigeon. the most recent technique was to possition the bird on its back head towards you stand on wings close to the body and pull the legs, the poster of these instructions made it sound as though you would be left with a nice neat set of breasts or at the very least something that would enable you to get a nice neat set of breasts with little further effort.

now i must be doing something wrong as no matter if i yank the feet fast, apply the pressure gradually, pull towards me away from me etc etc etc the legs come away from the body.

This method is for Pheasant and works very well.

Have tried on Pigeon but like you had the same result.

My Mate and i have come to the same conclusion that as Pheasant's run/walk a lot and Pigeons Fly a lot that the muscel strenght is in the opposite area's so get the opposite result.

So just pull a few feathers off peal back skin and cut breasts off.

Edited March 9, 2005 by the pelt man

[hill billy]

I used to cut the breats out however i found a new method break the wings (off if you like) semi pluck the breast now push your thumb into the from of the crop and under the breast now pull it towards the tail end of the bird and with enough luck it will snap then the whole breast comes off in your hand then i just cook it bone in all and the meet just slides of easy as that.

[Paul in North Lincs.]

I pluck the breast , and make a small insicion at the base of the breastplate, cut off the wings, Stick the thumb into the incision so thats its actually under the breast bone, and apply preasure, thus tearing the the whole breast off from the carcass, complete with bone. Wash off feathers and claret.............just the job!!!

 

Paul in North Lincs

[Shotgun-Sean]

Hi Pete

the pelt man is right this is the method for pheasant and it works really well.

as the other guys are saying, pluck a handfull of feathers from the breast area and just fillet the meat off.

[Teal]

The pheasant technique will also work on pigeons - very well in fact, leaving all the meat on the bone. There needs to be a slight modification to it though - using a knife -underneath the breast (no point cutting up the meat) insert the knife on both sides and run it up a little then do the pulling and it will all come away very well. Do it a few times and you will soon get a gauge of how much cutting you need to do on each side in order to weaken it enough to seperate it. It is my preferred method as it leaves the meat in a very presentable state.

[mack]

Easiest way to fillet I find is to make the small incision either side if the breast bone, pull the skin away, and then use good old thumbs to work the meat away from the bone. This can be done to remove just about all of the meat, working towards the head. Then all thats needed is a final cut to remove the breast from the shoulder/wing area.

 

Mack

[lurcherboy]

I used to cut the breats out however i found a new method break the wings (off if you like) semi pluck the breast now push your thumb into the from of the crop and under the breast now pull it towards the tail end of the bird and with enough luck it will snap then the whole breast comes off in your hand then i just cook it bone in all and the meet just slides of easy as that.

Dats the one!

[greeneddie]

I pluck the breast , and make a small insicion at the base of the breastplate, cut off the wings, Stick the thumb into the incision so thats its actually under the breast bone, and apply preasure, thus tearing the the whole breast off from the carcass, complete with bone. Wash off feathers and claret.............just the job!!!

 

Paul in North Lincs

I gave this a go following a recent successful days shooting. It is a great way of quickly preparing meat for the freezer and still gives the option of roasting on the bone or removing the meat from the bone for frying when the time comes for cooking.

 

Cheers for the advise Paul!

[plexer]

Anyone got pictures or links to pictures of the best way to breast a pigeon as that would help me and others I'm sure to see what it should look like.

 

Cheers.