Gun Dog Forum

I was given a recipe, featured on American Gun Dog that uses chukar. Since I've never eaten chukar before I don't know if it's a dark meat or white meat. I ask because I want to use my woodcock instead of chukar in the recipe and since woodcock is dark meat I was hoping it would be decent substitute.

Yes

It would be a fine substitute but, chukar is a light colored or white meat. Forest grouse are "darker" and Sage grouse are dark like venison.

chukar is a light to white meat

color of the meat on birds for a general rule the more the a bird flys the darker the meat will get Geese before the migration have lighter colored meat then when they get to where they are going

kninebirddog wrote:chukar is a light to white meat

color of the meat on birds for a general rule the more the a bird flys the darker the meat will get Geese before the migration have lighter colored meat then when they get to where they are going

The color of any meat is determined by how much the muscle is used. The more it is used the darker it will be because of the amount of blood that is needed in a strong muscle. Domestic birds that don't fly have white breasts but the legs and thighs will be darker. Wild birds are dark breasted.

The more a muscle is used the more blood it needs to feed it and the result is darker tissue. Pigeons and doves are almost black, pheasants and other upland birds will have a slightly dark breast and darker legs, while domesticated chickens and turkeys have the white breast and darker legs. Don't know if you have noticed but our domesticated birds have lighter legs and thighs than they used to due to confinement and being slaughtered younger than in times past.

Ezzy

Seeing as how I like any gamebird but my wife and daughter are a little more picky , here is their breakdown as to good (white meat birds) and uky(dark meat) birds.

White -pheasant, chukar, ruff & blue grouse.
Dark: -dove, sage & sharptail grouse, hun, duck and goose.

I classify the Chukar as "Yummy".
Love them on the grill in sauce.

Pepper

Well I tried the recipe and it was not good with woodcock. It was the chukar croquettes with curry dipping sauce recipe and the woodcock meat did not go with the fresh herbs. The dogs loved it though.