Eating older quail?

[RuffTuffCreampuff]

We have some older quail, born last fall....that we want to replace with some younger birds. We don't want to cull all of them, just enough to make room for "new blood".

So my question is, is there a point when quail become to old to eat? Or can you just cook them the way one would do an older bird? DH made the point, that they ones people hunt in the wild, don't have a way of knowing how old they are...but I remember my grandmother smothering them in gravy, and simmering for awhile.

If age makes a major difference, what are the different ways one can fix or prepare the older ones?

Thanks in advance,

Pam

 

[cawooduck]

You cant go wrong with a crock pot!! If they were born last fall, they should be just fine cooking them any way you want!!

If you want, take the quail breasts/legs and put them in the crock pot with a can of mushroom soup and a 1/2 can of water. I really think people who raise quail for eating should invest in a smoker, if you dont like the smoked taste of meat, then atleast the smoker would slow cook on low heat and you can fill the pan with water to keep the meat moist, but who doesnt like the smoked flavor and the smell that will wake up the neighbors because they are drowning in their own saliva!!!

 

[monarc23]

Quote:
the pictures alone had me

-ing

 

[saddina]

I'd go with coq au vin, it's what we did with "retired' birds growing up.

Foodnetwork.com has some rocking recipies for it.

 

[RuffTuffCreampuff]

Quote:
A smoker is on the want list, we love smoked meat...

Thanks for your feedback and recipe!

Pam

 

[RuffTuffCreampuff]

Quote:
Good ideal, I wouldn't have thought about coq au vin for quail....I always envision an old roosters..lol. I need to start thinking outside the box.

Old roosters are good for gumbo too, wonder how quail would taste in gumbo...hmmm worth a try...

Thanks...Pam

 

[Steve_of_sandspoultry]

The ones we just cooked on the grill were about 8 + months old - they were all our old breeders. They were tender as could be. We just cooked them hot and fast over direct heat - 3 minutes per side, it wasn't long at all.

Steve in NC

 

[kingmt]

So how old are they when they become tough?

 

[Boyd]

if ya'll worried about em being too tough to eat, send them my way. I'll give you a fair and impartial opinion

 

[Steve_of_sandspoultry]

Quote:
It's all in how you cook them - I've never eaten a tough one.

Steve