Sous Vide  Sandhill Crane

Servings: 2 Prep Time: 5 minutes Cook Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

Sous vide sandhill crane breast, cooked to perfection, ensures a perfectly tender and juicy texture. Drizzled with a luxurious port wine reduction, the dish gains an elegant sweetness and depth, with the port's fruity notes perfectly complementing the meat's robust flavor.

Ingredients: – sandhill crane breast – salt and black pepper – fresh thyme – garlic – butter – pork lard (or other cooking fat) – shallots – port wine – wild game stock (or beef stock)

Step 1: Preheat the sous vide machine to 120°F. This might seem a little low, but the meat will finish cooking during the searing process.

Step 2: Season the crane breast all over with salt and black pepper.

Step 3: Place thyme sprigs, garlic, and butter in the vacuum bag then place the crane breast on top of the other ingredients.

Step 4: Seal the bag with a vacuum sealer. At this point, the bag can be refrigerated for up to 24 hours before cooking.

Step 5: Place the sous vide bag in the preheated water bath and cook for 1 hour. When the meat has about 5 minutes left in the water bath, preheat a cast iron pan over medium-high heat. Watch it carefully so it doesn't start smoking.

Step 6: Remove the bag from the water bath. Cut the bag open with scissors and remove the meat. Remove the thyme and garlic. Pat the meat dry with paper towels. Re-season with salt and pepper if it looks like it has lost the seasoning.

Step 7: Once the pan is really hot, add the lard and let it melt. Immediately add the crane breast, presentation side down. Cook for 1-2 minutes or until the outside is golden brown.

Step 8: Flip and cook an additional 1-2 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 125-130°F for medium-rare.

Step 9: Remove the breast from the pan and let the meat rest for 10 minutes before slicing. Slice the meat into ½" slices.

Drizzle with port wine reduction (recipe below). Enjoy!

Loved this recipe? Subscribe to Peak to Plate's email list at the link below for wild game recipes and more!