Ingredients
Pheasant Kiev with Cilantro Lime butter
4 whole Pheasant Breast ( Skin Removed )
2 Eggs
1 cup(s) All-purpose flour
2 cup(s) Panko Breadcrumbs
1/2 tsp Chili Lime Seasoning
Salt and Pepper
Cilantro Lime Butter
1 stick(s) Butter, Room Tempature
Juice from half of Lime
Zest from Half of Lime
4 tbsp Finely chopped Cilantro
Salsa Verde
5 whole Tomatillos
2 whole Jalapenos
2 clove(s) Garlic
1/2 Sweet Onion
1 Juice from one Lime
1 bunch Cilantro
Salt
Mexican Rice
1 cup(s) White Rice
8 oz Tomato Sauce
2 cup(s) Pheasant Stock
1/2 tbsp Red Pepper Flakes
1 tbsp Vegetable Oil
3 Links of Chorizo
1/2 White Onion
Queso White Cheese dip
4 tbsp Salted Butter
1/4 cup(s) All-purpose flour
2 cup(s) Milk, room tempature
4 oz Velveeta white queso
1/2 tsp Cayenne pepper
Moscow mule
1 tbsp Lime Juice
5-6 Ice Cubes
2 oz Vodka
Ginger Beer
Lime Slices
Jalapeno Slices
Cilantro
Instructions
Step #1 - Let's start this recipe by making the Cilantro Lime Butter. You should have one stick of butter that you've allowed to reach room temperature. Take a piece of parchment paper and lay it out on the counter. Place butter in the center of parchment paper. Zest half the Lime over top of the butter, then squeeze out the juice from that half of the lime over top of the butter. Sprinkle with chopped cilantro, then smash everything together with a fork, incorporating all the ingredient together. Roll it up, into a log type shape, then place it in the freeze to firm up for about an hour.
Step #2 - Take pheasant breast and remove any skin that might still be attached. On a cutting board, cover the breast with plastic wrap, then pound flat with a cooking mallet, about 1/8 inch thick or so should be fine. Don't over pound it, as it can cause the meat to break apart and you don't want that. Just work it into flat, roundish shape as much as you can.
Step #3 - Now take your firmed-up Cilantro Lime butter and cut off about half a tablespoon from the end of your log. Place it in the center of the pheasant breast. Fold the edge of the pheasant over top of the butter, forming a ball type shape. Tuck in all the edges and overlap as much of the meat as possible.
Step #4 - Tear off some more plastic wrap and place the rounded breast meat in the center. Pull the edges of the plastic wrap up, then grab the loose wrap behind the breast meat and twist it up tight, until the meat seems like it's about to burst out. This will help seal off any loose gaps you might have. You want to make sure that everything looks as closed off as possible. You don't want the butter to be able to find its way out, once it starts to cook.
Step #5 - Once your satisfied with it, place it in a shallow pan. Repeat for all pheasant breast, then place your pan in the freeze for an hour to set.
Step #6 - While the pheasant is in the freezer, we can make the Salsa Verde, the longer it can sit around in the fridge, the thicker it will get. Take 5 tomatillos and remove the stems and husk, then rinse them clean along with two Jalapenos.
Step #7 - Set the broiler on the oven to high. Place the tomatillos and jalapenos on a baking sheet, then place in the oven, on a middle rack and broil for 5 to 10 minutes, until they start to blacken. You may want to flip them halfway through to get a more even roast. Alternately, you can place on the grill and cook until they start to char.
Step #8 - Place 1/2 of a white onion, two garlic cloves, roasted tomatillos and Jalapenos in food processor and pulse a few times. Squeeze in the juice from one lime, a few springs of Cilantro and salt, then pulse a few more times. Taste and add additional salt and / or seasoning as needed.
Step #9 - Remove salsa to bowl and place in the refrigerator to thicken.
Step #10 - Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large skillet or Dutch Oven, heat vegetable oil to 350 degrees. Setup your dredge station in close proximity to your Dutch oven. You'll need three bowls. One to hold all-purpose flour and a dash of salt, one for 2 beaten eggs and a third one for 2 cups of panko breadcrumbs mixed with 1/2 teaspoon of chili lime seasoning.
Step #11 - Remove the pheasant from the freezer, remove any plastic wrap if you left it on. Dredge each breast through the flour, then egg and then seasoned panko breading, making sure to coat evenly during each step.
Step #12 - Drop in the skillet and cook for about 5 minutes, turning often, or until they start to turn golden brown on all sides, then transfer to baking sheet.
Step #13 - Place baking sheet in oven and cook for 15 minutes. You can test the internal temperature, should be around 165. Let rest before serving.
Step #14 - While baking pheasant, you can start the Mexican rice and White Queso. Add vegetable oil and red pepper flakes to saucepan, set to medium heat. Cook the red pepper flakes for a minute or two, allowing them to release their oils.
Step #15 - Add one cup of rice, cook an additional minute.
Step #16 - Add 2 cups of pheasant stock and tomato sauce. Bring to a boil, reduce to simmer, cover and cook for twenty minutes. Fluff rice with fork with done.
Step #17 - For White Queso, melt 4 tablespoons of butter in saucepan. Once melted add 1/4 cup all-purpose flour. Stirring, cooking on medium low heat for two minutes.
Step #18 - Add 2 cups of warm milk, stirring continuously until sauce starts to thicken. Add 4 oz of Velveeta white queso and 1/2 teaspoon for cayenne pepper.
Step #19 - To garnish the rice, cook some chorizo and white onions in a skillet. If the chorizo you purchased were links, be sure to remove the casing.
Step #20 - For Moscow mule. Squeeze juice from half a lime in the bottom of the Moscow Mule mug. Add 5 to 6 cubes of ice, then 2 ounces of vodka. Top if off with ginger beer. Garnish with a slice of lime, three slices of jalapeno and cilantro.
Step #21 - To serve, spread a spoonful of Salsa Verde down on the plate and place one of the pheasants on top of that. Add a few spoonfuls of rice to the side, top with Chorizo, onions and white cheese sauce. Serve with Mexican inspired Moscow Mule.
