The Sandhill Crane is often referred to as the “Ribeye in the Sky” due to its supposedly delicious tasting meat. We’ve managed to secure a couple of breasts to put this claim to the test. In this edition of Grillmaster Tips, we’ve partnered with our friend Kirk, also known as Instagram’s @the_grill_revealer, to find out if the Sandhill Crane lives up to its lofty title.
Setting up your Big Green Egg or Kamado grill
To start, fire up your charcoal quickly using a JJGeorge Grill Torch and level it off at around 300 degrees. Give the meat a light smoky flavor by adding a couple of soaked hickory chunks to the charcoal. If you’re not using a Kamado grill, install your plate setter or any other method of indirect heat. It’s also a good time to soak your cedar planks in water if you haven’t done so already.
Prep
Before cooking, soak the crane breasts for 24-48 hours in a mixture of half vinegar and half water to draw out the blood. After soaking, rinse the meat off and dry it with a paper towel. We have two one-pound Crane breasts, and we’ll be using the same cooking method for both. However, we’ll season and present them differently to see which pairs best with the Sandhill Crane meat.
Chimichurri Sandhill Crane Breast:
For the first breast, cover it in extra virgin olive oil and generously apply Spiceology’s Moss rub all over. This all-purpose herb rub has a delightful chimichurri flavor. While the crane is cooking, we’ll be making a homemade chimichurri sauce (recipe below) to serve as a topping.
Chimichurri Sauce Recipe:
- 1/2 cup of finely chopped fresh Italian parsley
- 1/2 cup of olive oil
- 2 tablespoons of white wine vinegar
- Salt and pepper to taste
Combine all the ingredients, stir well, and set it aside.
Tennessee Smoke Sandhill Crane Breast with Truff Sauce:
For the second breast, coat it in olive oil and generously apply Spiceology’s Tennessee Smoke rub. No further preparation is required as we’ll be topping this crane breast with Truff – a truffle-infused hot sauce that will give it a spicy and smoky flavor.
Cooking the Meat
With your Big Green Egg stable at a temperature close to 300 degrees, it’s time to cook the meat. Place the seasoned crane breasts on your soaked cedar planks and put them on the grill. Cook indirectly for 30-45 minutes until the internal temperature reaches 120-125 degrees. Once cooked, remove the crane from the grill and let it rest for 10 to 15 minutes. This allows the juices to redistribute throughout the meat, resulting in a moist, tender, and delicious dish.
Slice and Serve
Now that your Sandhill Crane is perfectly cooked, it’s time to slice it up, apply our sauces, and see how it tastes. We sliced our crane breast against the grain and applied the chimichurri sauce to the breast seasoned with the herb-based rub. We did the same for the Tennessee Smoke rubbed breast, but this time, we drizzled it with Truff sauce.
The Verdict
So, does the Sandhill Crane live up to its nickname, “The Ribeye in the Sky”? We have to admit, we were skeptical at first, thinking that the crane meat would taste similar to a large duck or goose breast. But boy, were we wrong! It is tender, juicy, and absolutely delicious! Although it’s leaner than a ribeye steak, the texture resembles that of a well-cooked filet mignon. Both versions of our dish were great, but the consensus voted in favor of the Chimichurri breast as the chimichurri sauce paired better with the flavor of the meat compared to the Truff sauce. As far as wild game goes, we give Sandhill Crane a solid 10 out of 10. It truly is as good as it gets when cooking waterfowl.
Thanks for reading, and as always, let us know how we’re doing or what you’d like us to cook next in the comments below. Happy grilling!
- Team JJGeorge
