Simple Split Reed Sandhill Steaks
Corey Mulhair at SPLIT REED
Simple Sandhill Crane Steaks
Sometimes, if not all the time, it’s best to keep things simple. The phrase ‘keep it simple’ applies to many things; in this case, the cooking of wild game. It can be a tough ask for some when working with waterfowl in the kitchen. Many folks seem to either love or merely tolerate the taste of wild duck and goose. Those who only tolerate often need severe doses of seasonings. I haven’t met anyone, however, who has eaten Sandhill Crane and not been impressed by the quality; at least relative to duck or goose.
Sandhill Cranes are a very huntable species of waterfowl that make for spectacular table-fare. You’ve undoubtedly heard these birds referred to as ‘Ribeye of the Sky’, and for good reason. Though to be transparent, I grew up on the West Coast and we referred to Specklebelly/White-fronted geese as the ‘Ribeye of the Sky’, and to continue with the transparency, Specks are pretty great meat birds as well.
Sandhill cranes weigh on average between 7 and 11 pounds with wingspans averaging 5-6 feet. and can be found from Canada down to Texas. They’re fun birds to hunt and look like lawn chairs falling off a roof when you fold ‘em up over the decoys. Let’s get to the recipe (don’t worry there really isn’t much to it).
North Dakota, Sandhill Cranes over a small slough landing in a sunflower stubble field.
Sandhill Cranes are a waterfowl species which can be field hunted like ducks or geese. Birds flock together into large groups in Summer and migrate South through Fall and Winter. They respond well to decoying and calling, and the best hunting is in fields birds have been using and feeding in.
A hunt a couple years back that produced a couple cranes for the table.
Keeping it simple is easy with crane. A little salt and pepper and some high heat- you’re good to go. Cook to medium and enjoy with anything you would pair with a steak.
SANDHILL CRANE STEAKS
Crane can be enjoyed with skin on or skinless. Either pluck the front of your bird and remove skin-on breasts or simply breast out the carcass. For this recipe I pulled out a whole plucked bird, and my last crane in the freezer (something I intend to remedy this Fall).
*Legs can be used and enjoyed but do require a more time and effort consuming process. Drop a comment if you’re interested in learning more about Sandhill Crane legs and thighs
Never-mind the legs/thighs on the photo above; they look funny but with a little work and some slow cooking they’re a whole lot like turkey legs. But they aren’t the focus of this article. The breasts are great for one adult each and taste like a mixture of duck, bacon and beef ribeye.
I had initially intended to smoke this bird or rub it down with seasoning and low roast it in the oven. Instead, I broke the bird down into two breasts and two leg/thigh combos. For this Sandhill Crane Steak, you only need the breasts.
Once you’ve broken the crane down, season the breasts. I seasoned both breasts the same; one skinless and one skin-on. The skin on breast was cooked over direct heat (mesquite bbq coals) and the skinless breast was cooked sous-vide then finished on cast iron.
Crane has a flavor that we aren’t interested in masking but adding a bit of salt and pepper adds a few flavors that we as humans tend to enjoy. Season as you would a steak!
When you’re ready to cook, put the meat over low coals and bring to a medium done-ness. Waterfowl doesn’t benefit by cooking any longer.
It’s as simple as that. Now, slice and enjoy the money shot. See examples below.
I prefer to eat crane like a steak, with a couple sides it’s a hell of a meal. You can slice thin and make sandwiches or add to a salad if you want, but however you eat it, you’re going to enjoy it!
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