There are a lot of ways to cook a quail, but hunters and their hungry compadres have been flocking to poppers for a good reason—they’re easy, fast, and most importantly, oh-so-tasty. This recipe has a tinge of Mexican flair between the savory marinade and spicy touches.
Ingredients
Poppers
24 dove or quail breasts, removed from the bone
4 large jalapeño peppers (the straightest ones available), halved lengthwise and seeds removed, then sliced into matchstick-sized julienne strips
8–10 oz semi-hard or hard cheese, grated then formed into small football-shaped balls. We prefer handcrafted cheeses like a chipotle Gouda, but white cheddar, Monterey Jack or a Mexican queso will work.
8 slices of thin bacon, cut into thirds (yielding 24 pieces)
Multipurpose grill seasoning or Goode Company grill salt
Freshly minced cilantro for garnish (optional)
Basting Marinade
½ cup soy sauce
½ cup white wine (preferably an unoaked light white like Sauvignon Blanc)
¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
¼ cup freshly squeezed lime juice
¼ cup Lea & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce
2 tablespoons Tabasco sauce
¼ cup orange marmalade
1 cup oil (vegetable or canola)
1 ½ teaspoons grill seasoning
Recommended Tools
Long-handled tongs
Long-handled basting brush
Grill basket
There are a lot of ways to cook a quail, but hunters and their hungry compadres have been flocking to poppers for a good reason—they’re easy, fast, and most importantly, oh-so-tasty. This recipe has a tinge of Mexican flair between the savory marinade and spicy touches.
Build the Fire
Step 1
Using your favorite wood or charcoal, build a fire and let it burn down to white-ash coals. Push these coals to one side, making two zones—a hot zone on one side and a cooler zone on the other.
Assemble the Poppers
Step 2
Place a breast on top of a piece of foil and cover with plastic wrap. (You can use two pieces of plastic wrap, but we’ve found that the pieces tend to stick to one another. Another option is to use a ziplock bag.)
Step 3
Lightly pound the breast with a meat tenderizer to evenly flatten it, taking care not to tear it.
step 4
Sprinkle with multipurpose grill seasoning, Goode Company grill salt, or seasoning of your choice.
step 5
Repeat the process until all breasts have been flattened and seasoned.
step 6
- Place one jalapeño pepper piece on each seasoned breast, then add the cheese (sized to fit; if it’s too large, the melted cheese will leak out of the popper and onto the coals).
step 7
- Roll up with a bacon piece, slightly overlapping the ends. (Too much bacon prevents full rendering and the bacon won’t be crisp.) Secure with a toothpick. Repeat until all poppers have been prepared.
step 8
- For easy handling, place the poppers in an oiled grill basket.
Grill the Poppers
Step 9
Whisk all basting marinade ingredients together—starting with the wet ingredients and then slowly adding the oil. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary, then set aside, reserving ⅓ for finishing the poppers.
Step 10
- Place the poppers on the cool side of the grill to render the bacon and create some smoke. Continue to cook until the bacon begins to harden and darken to a medium brown, flipping occasionally and basting with the marinade.
Step 11
For a final crisp, move the poppers to the hot side of the grill to finish with a reverse sear.
Step 12
Remove from the grill. For a quick test to make sure the poppers are ready, use a knife to slice off a piece and check for preferred doneness.
serve
Drizzle the reserved marinade over the poppers and garnish with cilantro. Turn up the music, grab a cold beverage (or the rest of the wine bottle from the marinade), and let the feast begin!