Pigeon Meat Delicacy

It's not an exaggeration to say that most Americans hate feral pigeons; in fact, this disdain against these city birds is not exclusive to the Americans, there are many other places in the world where a lot of people consider pigeons are pests that need to be controlled and eradicated. However, it is also this popular opinion against these birds that makes most people unaware that there is a growing market for pigeon meat. Many farmers have already made good money by selling pigeons that they catch within their lands; some of these meats have even found their way into the racks of large grocery stores. Ironically, cooked pigeon meat is loved as much as live birds are hated.

The pigeon meat market actually started as a by-product of the efforts of the governments to deal with pigeon infestation. Among these efforts include the proper disposal and processing of their excrement called guano. Because of its high organic content, guano is actually very good when used as a fertilizer. Apart from their droppings, the government has also exerted efforts on reducing pigeon population in the cities. Since the goal is to reduce their population, the government has allowed massive pigeon hunting whether for leisure or out of pure disdain. Eventually, some people started to hunt pigeons for their meat.

(c) inquisitiverobin.com

The introduction of pigeon meat to the public has done two real good things to various communities: 1. it has offered the people an alternative source for protein and 2. It has encouraged them to hunt down pigeons for money (thus reducing their population more quickly). This is a very good compromise considering that government agencies, private companies and even homeowners spend a good deal of money on pigeon control alone. If all these cash is added up, it can reach up to a couple of billions of dollars each year, an amount too large that it could have been used for some other purposes and achieve great things. Well, the only issue about encouraged massive pigeon hunting is that it might actually threaten pigeon species and push them to extinction. Of course, this is not very apparent now but with improper supervision, it might just happen.

Thus, it is important for the state to set strict rules about pigeon hunting. It should be emphasized that only feral pigeons which commonly come in a flock of a hundred or so can be killed for their meat; all the other species are still protected by the law. This should be made clear because most of the other pigeon species do not cause as much trouble as the feral pigeons. For example, it is the latter that perch and roost on buildings in the metropolis thus if this is the problem faced by the owner of the property, killing the non-pest pigeon species will not solve the problem, instead it will only cause problems in the biodiversity of the planet granting that the pigeon killed belongs to a specie that is not abundant anymore.

The Bird, the Plate and the Table

(c) hungerhunger.blogspot.com

Believe it or not, when pigeons are served on restaurant tables, they can cost up to $10 for each serving. The meat of this bird is also very flexible when it comes to the kinds of dishes that can be cooked using it. For example, it can be used in soups and in majority of the "meat-based" recipes that we know. Pigeons are dressed pretty much the same with how chickens are dressed. Their heads and a good portion of their limbs are simply cut off; of course, that's after all the feathers of the bird has been removed as well as its internal organs.

Most restaurants serve pigeon cutlets because many people are uncomfortable about being served with a recipe that includes meat which resembles a pigeon. Like what has been already established, many people can't help it but be hostile to the birds and although they might love the meat of these birds, they might prefer not to taste it because of a pre-moulded idea that they will be eating "pests". Well, apart from this concern, there's nothing else that seems wrong or bad about pigeon meat. As children, we might have some fond memories on feeding pigeons in parks or in going to pigeon-inspired parks and resorts. But as we start growing we realize that pigeons can cause as much damage as a horrible typhoon can do, at least in a relative sense. And now as adults, we can start gathering fond memories again, this time of delicious pigeon meat served on porcelain plates.

Here's one pigeon-based recipe that you might want to try at home the next time that you caught or killed a pigeon. It's called the Pigeon Stew and with the following ingredients you will be able to cook a dish that can feed 4 to 6 people (depending on their appetite).

(c) herbal.recipes.webs-sg.com

 Ingredients:

6 Oven-ready Pigeons (should be dressed with giblets kept)
6 ounces melted butter
6 bacon slices (should be fatty)
2 ounces Brandy
1 thinly-sliced Truffle (drained)
4 ounces Button mushrooms (drained and cooked well)



For the sauce:

8 ounces Chicken stock
8 ounces white wine (dry)
1 ounce butter
1 ounce flour
1 garni (a whole Bouquet is better)
1 onion (minced)
1 small-sized carrot (chopped)
Salt and pepper

Directions for cooking:

1. To add flavour to the meat itself, rub salt and pepper on every surface of the pigeon which you can reach. Roast all 6 meats in a preheated oven (about 180 degree Celsius); don't forget to add a spoon of butter into the roasting pan you are using. To enhance the flavour of the meat, place bacon over each of the bird's breasts. Cooking time should be around 40 minutes.

2. You will have to remove the skin of the birds after they are roasted. The skin contains too much oil that it can compromise the taste of the stew that you are cooking. Well, on top of that, bird skin is also very high is cholesterol and removing it will be very healthy for you.

3. Slice each skinned pigeon meat and arranges all the slices in a casserole. Add the other ingredients (mushroom, brandy and truffle).

4. To make the sauce simply mix all the ingredients listed above. Simmer the sauce until about 25% of the sauce has already evaporated into thin air. Use salt and pepper to adjust the taste.

5. Finally, you are not ready to pour out the sauce into the casserole. Serve hot.

Pigeon cooking at its best ;-)