In the Kitchen: Ben's orange brined pheasant

B has been doing a great job as an ecotarian, refraining from eating any meat that isn't local. And in this case, our pheasant was extremely local and a product of his Thanksgiving hunting trip.

This is probably one of my favorite dinners he has ever made. The brine made each bite succulent and utterly divine. B served it with rosemary roasted red potatoes and sauteed onions, which was a perfect pairing.

Here is his method of preparation:

2 small pheasants
1 1/2 gal water
1 cup  kosher salt
1 can orange juice concentrate
1 lemon, sliced
1 orange, sliced
5 cloves garlic, chopped
3 sprigs fresh thyme
1/4 cup fresh cracked pepper
3 tbs butter, melted
3 tbs maple syrup

Combine all ingredients EXCEPT for the pheasants into a large stock pot. Bring to a boil. Once brine has reached a boil take off the heat and let cool completely. Put your pheasants into the pot ribcage down and leave for 2 days rotating periodically. Once you are ready to prepare your pheasant to cook, rinse the birds off completely and pat dry.

To roast: Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Roast pheasant with potatoes, onions and olive oil for 15 minutes. Remove from oven, reduce heat to 325 degrees. Baste with 3 tbs melted butter 3 tbs maple syrup. Return pheasant to oven for 30-35 minutes or until an internal temperature of 155 degrees.