Not to be confused with the feral flying rats that plague our cities, the Woodpigeon (Columba palumbus) is in my opinion one of the most underrated sources of delicious low fat protein going. The UK’s most common and largest pigeon, they’re a significant pest in the eyes of arable farmers, but they rarely grace the butchers counter, let alone the supermarket shelves. Cooked well, their delicate meat rivals the regal fillet of beef.
A shooting trip will often result in a significant haul, and this recipe adds shelf life in the form of the perfect travelling snack.
Ingredients
- Pigeon breasts (as many as you have)
- Soy sauce
- Ginger, minced
- Garlic, crushed
- Honey
Method
- Start by trimming every last bit of fat from the pigeon breasts, as this won’t dehydrate like the meat will.
- Slice the pigeon into strips about 8mm wide.
- Mix the soy, ginger, garlic and honey together so that you have enough to submerge your quantity of meat, balancing the flavour to your liking.
- Marinate for at least a couple of hours.
- Set your dehydrator (or oven) to 70°C (158° Fahrenheit).
- Lay the strips of marinated pigeon on the mesh trays making sure that they don’t touch each other and that air can circulate freely between them.
- Dehydrate for 4 – 5 hours until the jerky is sufficiently jerked.
Interestingly, the word “jerky” derives from the Quechua word ch’arki which means “dried, salted meat”.
Give it a go and let me know what you think.
Food Fit For Felix 