LINDSEY BARTOSH
Guest Contributor
I don’t know if anyone else struggles with making fried sandwiches at home, but I sure do. The batter either seems too thick or too thin. The protein is either tough or raw. The end result is either soggy or burnt, not light and crispy. I have spent quite a lot of time working in the kitchen and I think—and it may be hopeful thinking!—I may have finally figured it out.
When I was just buying chicken at the store, I wasn’t too invested in the process or the product. But since I began using my own harvested wild game, I want to use my meat in the best ways possible. I have researched and tested a few more kitchen tactics and think they have improved my fried sandwich game.
First: giving your upland game harvest a pickle juice bath adds not only a tangy flavor to the meat, but also tenderizes and increases juic- iness. For this Nashville Hot Chukar Sandwich, I soaked the breasts in pickle juice for two hours before breading and lightly frying them in bear fat. Soaking can last between an hour and 12 hours, but don’t go much beyond that. The brine does not add a “pickle” flavor, but gives the meat a slightly salty-vinegar flavor that pairs beautifully with the heat from the peppers.
Then, to kick the heat up a notch, I used Santa Fe peppers from my garden in the breading. I dehydrated the peppers and used a coffee bean grinder to create homemade powder, but this recipe is equally delicious with cayenne pepper. The heat can also be altered by the type of hot sauce used in the hot honey sauce. Tabasco or Cholula is a great starting place, but any sauce will do in this recipe.
For the batter, I did a double-dip process. I first coated the breasts in a light dusting of flour to help the egg grab on. Then I dipped in the egg, and finally in the breading. Repeat the entire process to make sure the breasts are fully coated in a nice thick crust.
When deep frying, it is important to bring the oil up to heat and not to over-crowd the pan. I heat a layer of oil about an inch deep in a cast-iron pan until the oil started to lightly smoke. If the oil is billowing smoke, it is too hot. Also, you don’t want to put more than two breasts into the hot oil at a time, as crowding can drop the heat of the oil and result in a soggy sandwich.
This chukar sandwich is tangy, spicy, and just a little bit sweet. It’s the perfect dish to cook up after a day in the field. The batter and top- pings would work great with other wild game as well, such as pheasant or grouse, and also, of course, chicken. Enjoy!
Lindsey Bartosh is an eighth-generation Moab girl who loves hiking, hunting, fishing, cooking, writing, photography and working on her website: www.huntingandcooking.com
NASHVILLE HOT CHUKAR SANDWICH
Cook Time: 7 Minutes
Inactive Time: 2 hours and 30 minutes Servings: 4
INGREDIENTS
- 4 chukar breasts, skin removed and cleaned
- Juice from 28 oz jar of pickles: dill or bread and butter works
- 1 cup flour
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning
- 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup panko bread crumbs
- 1 tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1⁄4 cup high heat oil such as avocado, vegetable, or bear fat
- 1⁄4 cup honey
- 2 tablespoons hot sauce of choice: tabasco, sriracha, etc.
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 4 buns
- Bread and butter pickles
- Shredded cabbage
- Condiments of choice: ketchup, mayonnaise, hot sauce, mustard
INSTRUCTIONS
• Place chukar breasts in a medium size bowl. Add enough pickle juice to com- pletely cover the breasts. Refrigerate for at least two hours but not more than twelve.
• Prep the breading station with three medium-size bowls. Mix flour, tablespoon of salt, Cajun seasoning, and cayenne pepper in first bowl. In the second bowl, beat the two eggs. Mix together the panko breadcrumbs and tablespoon of crushed red pepper flakes in the third bowl.
• To bread the chukar breasts, drain the pickle juice from the bowl and pat the breasts with paper towels to dry. For each breast, first coat with the flour mix- ture in the first bowl, next dip in the egg bowl. Then, return to the flour mixture bowl and be sure to fully coat the chukar breast this time. Dip into the egg again and finally finish with a coating of the panko bread crumb mixture.
• Preheat a quarter cup of cooking oil in a cast iron pan or other non-stick pan over medium-high heat. I used bear fat for my cooking oil, but any high heat oil, such as avocado, canola, or vegetable, will work for this recipe.
• Add the chukar breasts to the hot pan and cook for three to four minutes per side. The panko bread should be browned. If the breading is burning too quickly, reduce the heat to medium.
• Mix the honey, your hot sauce of choice, and crushed red pepper flakes in a small bowl.
• To plate the Nashville Hot Chukar Sandwich, add your condiments of choice to the bun, top with a crispy fried chukar breast, add bread and butter pickles, a little shredded cabbage, and finally drizzle with a healthy spoonful of the hot honey sauce. Enjoy!
