These savory tacos are the perfect use for your sandhill crane legs. The earthy and flavorful homemade chile sauce turns tough legs into tender, succulent meat perfect for tacos. Topped with a zesty roasted salsa verde and wrapped in a warm corn tortilla, these tacos are a delicious culinary adventure!
Recipe Highlights
Amazing Flavor: The natural flavors of sandhill crane meat pair perfectly with a homemade chile sauce and salsa verde.
Unique Use: Many people prize sandhill cranes for the tender breast meat, but they often forget about the legs! The legs can be tough and hard to eat because they have a lot of connective tissue and silver skin. But they have a lot of meat on them and braising them turns them into tender deliciousness. If you're looking for a unique sandhill crane breast recipe, give sous vide cooking a try!
Freezer Friendly: Both the shredded meat and salsa verde freeze well. If you have a bunch of legs, you can make a big batch and freeze it for future recipes!
Ingredients
- Sandhill Crane Legs: Sandhill crane meat is interesting in that the breasts are more like red meat than the legs. In domestic birds, the legs are typically darker than the breasts. You can use any game bird legs for this recipe. But, sandhill cranes are large birds so the cooking time will vary depending on the size of the legs you use.
- Chile Sauce: Dried whole chiles provide a much deeper flavor than standard chili powder. This recipe uses a mix of cascabel chiles, pasilla chiles, and smoky morita chipotles. The combination of the three makes these tacos super flavorful with a very mild heat. You can use other varieties of chiles to change the flavor profile or use what you have available to you. For another great chile sauce for tacos, try these venison street tacos.
- Salsa Verde: This recipe has a homemade roasted salsa verde recipe. If you have a favorite recipe, you can use that too. Or if you're in a pinch, you can use store-bought salsa verde.
- Tortillas and Toppings: I prefer corn tortillas for tacos, but you can use your preferred tortilla. To let the flavor of the meat and salsa shine, I like to use simple toppings like diced onions and cilantro. But, you can add more elaborate toppings too like pickled red onions!
See recipe card for quantities.
Interesting Tidbit About Sandhill Crane Legs
Sandhill crane legs have a large network of tiny tendons and bones that are inedible. Many people don't like to eat them for this reason. But if you braise the meat like in this taco recipe, they are easy to remove and the meat is exceptionally delicious!
How to Make Sandhill Crane Leg Taco Meat
The chile sauce takes a little while to make, but the flavor is totally worth it! After the chile sauce is made, this is mostly a "set it and forget it" recipe.
- Step 1: Place chiles in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for 1.5 minutes or until chiles are soft and flexible. Remove stems and seeds from chiles.
- Step 2: Add chiles to the blender. Add remaining chile sauce ingredients to the blender. Blend until smooth. Set aside.
- Step 3: Season crane drumsticks all over with salt and pepper.
- Step 4: Heat lard or oil in a dutch oven over medium-high heat. Sear drumsticks on all sides possible until browned, about 3-4 minutes per side. Place seared drumsticks into the crock pot insert.
- Step 5: Add more lard to the dutch oven if there is not enough left to coat the bottom of the pan. Add in chile sauce. Stir frequently until fragrant and slightly browned, about 4-5 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Step 6: Add in stock and stir until combined.
- Step 7: Pour the liquid over the drumsticks in the crock pot. Make sure the drumsticks are fully submerged. Add more stock or water if necessary. Add bay leaves to the crock pot. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
- Step 8: The next morning, remove the crock pot insert from the fridge and place it in the crock pot. Cook on high for 2 hours, or until the liquid is simmering. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 4 hours, or until the meat is falling off the bones.
- Step 9: Remove the meat to a plate. Remove the bones and connective tissue and shred the meat. Sandhill crane drumsticks have a lot of tiny bones and tendons, so be thorough and remove all of them.
- Step 10: Strain the cooking liquid through a fine mesh strainer. Use a spoon to push as much of the chile sauce through the strainer as possible. Add the sauce and meat back to the crock pot and cook on low for 20 minutes, or until heated through.
Pro Tip
I only had 4 sandhill crane drumsticks to work with for this recipe. But, you can fit more in the crockpot to make the sauce go further. You can also use the whole leg (drumstick + thigh) instead of just the drumstick.
How to Make Roasted Salsa Verde
Salsa verde is a green salsa made with tomatillos. It is bright, fresh, and is the perfect topping for these tacos.
- Step 1: Preheat oven broiler on low. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Place peeled tomatillos, cut jalapenos, onion quarters, and garlic cloves (unpeeled) on the sheet pan.
- Step 2: Drizzle olive oil over the vegetables and use your hands to coat them.
- Step 3: Place the sheet pan in the oven, about 6-8 inches from the broiler. Broil for 15-20 minutes, or until the tops of the vegetables are lightly browned and blistered.
- Step 4: Let the vegetables cool until they are cool enough to handle. Roughly chop the vegetables and
- Step 5: Add the chopped vegetables to a blender. Pour the juice left on the sheet pan into the blender as well.
- Step 6: Add cilantro, lime juice, lime zest, and salt to the blender.
- Step 7: Pulse until the desired consistency is achieved.
- Step 8: Store in a glass jar in the fridge until ready to use. This recipe makes a little more than 2 cups of salsa so you can keep the extra to use for something else!
Serving Suggestions
I like to warm my tortillas by toasting them on my gas stove grates before serving. To each tortilla, add shredded meat and salsa verde. Top with diced onions and chopped cilantro. For an extra spicy boost, add some quick pickled jalapeños. Serve with lime wedges. Enjoy!
FAQ
Sandhill crane is a fantastic game meat. You can cook the breasts like you would cook a good steak and you can braise the legs to tenderize them. Both make excellent table fare!
Sandhill crane meat has a rich, dark flavor. It is similar to other game birds, but has more of a red meat flavor.
Sandhill cranes are large migratory birds that migrate mostly through the central flyway. Their breast meat is very dark in color, has little connective tissue, and is very tender. Wild game enthusiasts often compare the breast meat to ribeyes.
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Annie
📖 Recipe
Sandhill Crane Leg Tacos with Salsa Verde
Ingredients
Chile Sauce:
- 3 cascabel chiles
- 3 morita chipotle chiles
- 2 large pasilla chiles (more if they're small)
- 3 cloves garlic
- ½ large white onion, quartered
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoon honey
- ½ cup olive oil
Meat:
- 4 sandhill crane drumsticks, about 1.5 lb total (see note below about quantity)
- salt and black pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoon pork lard (or other cooking fat)
Other Marinade Ingredients:
- 3 bay leaves
- 3 cups stock (wild game, beef, etc.)
Salsa Verde:
Other Ingredients:
- 12 corn tortillas
- fresh cilantro, chopped, for serving
- diced white onion, chopped, for serving
- lime wedges, for serving
Instructions
Meat:
- Place chiles in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for 1.5 minutes or until chiles are soft and flexible. Remove stems and seeds from chiles. Add chiles to the blender. Add remaining chile sauce ingredients to the blender and blend until smooth. Set aside.
- Season crane drumsticks all over with salt and pepper. Heat lard or oil in a dutch oven over medium-high heat.
- Sear drumsticks on all sides possible until browned, about 3-4 minutes per side.
- Place seared drumsticks into the crock pot insert. Add more lard to the dutch oven if there is not enough left to coat the bottom of the pan. Add in chile sauce. Stir frequently until fragrant and slightly browned, about 4-5 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Add in stock and stir until combined. Pour the liquid over the drumsticks in the crock pot. Make sure the drumsticks are fully submerged. Add more stock or water if necessary. Add bay leaves to the crock pot. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
- The next morning, remove the crock pot insert from the fridge and place it in the crock pot. Cook on high for 2 hours, or until the liquid is simmering. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 4 hours, or until the meat is falling off the bones.
- Remove the meat to a plate. Remove the bones and connective tissue and shred the meat. Sandhill crane drumsticks have a lot of tiny bones and tendons, so be thorough and remove all of them.
- Strain the cooking liquid through a fine mesh strainer. Use a spoon to push as much of the chile sauce through the strainer as possible.
- Add the sauce and meat back to the crock pot and cook on low for 20 minutes, or until heated through.
Salsa Verde:
- Preheat oven broiler on low. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
- Peel tomatillos, remove cores, and cut in half lengthwise. Place tomatillos, cut side down, on the sheet pan.
- Cut the stems off the jalapenos. Cut in half lengthwise and remove the seeds and membrane. If you want a spicier salsa, you can leave the seeds and membrane.
- Cut the onion half into quarters. Place cut jalapenos, onion quarters, and garlic cloves (unpeeled) on the sheet pan.
- Drizzle olive oil over the vegetables and use your hands to coat them.
- Place the sheet pan in the oven, about 6-8 inches from the broiler. Broil for 15-20 minutes, or until the tops of the vegetables are lightly browned and blistered.
- Let the vegetables cool until they are cool enough to handle. Roughly chop the vegetables and add them to a blender. Pour the juice left on the sheet pan into the blender as well.
- Add cilantro, lime juice, lime zest, and salt to the blender. Pulse until the desired consistency is achieved.
- Store in a glass jar in the fridge until ready to use. This recipe makes a little more than 2 cups of salsa so you can keep the extra to use for something else!
Assembly:
- Warm tortillas. To each tortilla, add shredded meat and salsa verde. Top with diced onions and chopped cilantro. Serve with lime wedges. Enjoy!
Freezing Instructions:
- If you have meat leftover, it freezes well! Place meat with enough sauce to cover the meat in a freezer-zippered bag or vacuum bag. Squeeze the air out and freeze flat on a sheet pan. Freeze for up to 6 months. Thaw and reheat using the boil-in-bag method (if stored in a heat-safe bag) or reheat in a pan on the stove.
Notes
- I only had 4 sandhill crane drumsticks to work with for this recipe. But, you can fit more in the crockpot to make the sauce go further. You can also use the whole leg (drumstick + thigh) instead of just the drumstick.
- Dried whole chiles provide a much deeper flavor than standard chili powder. This recipe uses a mix of cascabel chiles, pasilla chiles, and smoky morita chipotles. The combination of the three makes these tacos super flavorful with a very mild heat. You can use other varieties of chiles to change the flavor profile or use what you have available to you.
- I like to have wild game stock on hand for braising but you can also use beef broth or beef stock if you don't have any on hand.
- Corn tortillas are my favorite for this style of tacos because the flavor and texture complement the meat well. But you can also use flour tortillas or your favorite taco shell.
- I like to use a Dutch oven to sear the meat and prepare the chile sauce all in one cooking vessel. But, you can also use a cast iron skillet or other large skillet.
- This recipe uses a crock pot to braise the meat. You can use another type of slow cooker or a Dutch oven. For faster cooking, you can use a pressure cooker like an Instant Pot.
Sylvia Arledge says
Sand hill cranes are protected here. I had no idea people ate them.
Annie Weisz says
Well they are delicious if you are able to harvest them legally!