# Crane Cuisine



## CPAjeff (Dec 20, 2014)

Being inspired by one of Goob's old threads. I decided to eat some parts of the crane, that I wouldn't typically wouldn't have. . . liver, gizzard, heart and legs.

*Part 1*

The liver. I hate liver - no matter what it comes out of - I can't hardly choke it down. The same was true with the crane liver . . .

After removal, cleaning and letting it sit overnight in milk with a splash of vinegar, I cooked it up with red pearl onions and sauteed it all in some Sangria. The Sangria really gave everything a sweet taste, but the liver was still nasty.


----------



## CPAjeff (Dec 20, 2014)

*Part 2*

After the nasty crane liver, I decided to have one of the breasts. Once again, I let it sit overnight in milk with a splash of vinegar. Seasoned with Montreal Steak seasoning, cooked to the right internal temperature and letting it rest for five minutes - it lived up to the nickname, "Ribeye of the Sky."


----------



## CPAjeff (Dec 20, 2014)

*Part 3*

The legs. I've heard how crane legs could be better off suited to use as hammers, but that wasn't my experience. I boned out the legs, trimmed the meat, let sit overnight in milk and a splash of vinegar and set the slow cooker to low for 12 hours. The meat came out absolutely tender and tasted a lot like roast beef.


----------



## CPAjeff (Dec 20, 2014)

*Part 4*

The heart and gizzard. The gizzard was pretty interesting. After cleaning, I removed the yellow membrane, trimmed, and then removed the whitish membrane. Along with the heart, I let it sit in milk with a splash of vinegar for a couple days.

After slicing the gizzard and heart into thin strips the slices were dipped in egg, then flour, then egg again, and finally into crushed Ritz crackers. After a little time in the oil, and topped with a little spicy mustard, the crane nuggets were awesome!


----------



## CPAjeff (Dec 20, 2014)

*Part 5*

The final breast didn't disappoint! The breast was left to age in the back of the refrigerator since being removed from the milk and vinegar bath. The taste improved slightly, although it is hard to improve the taste of crane, since they are so good anyway ... the big difference I saw was in the tenderness. This breast could've been cut with a spoon.


----------



## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

I have found that liver from any bird is a acquired taste. While I enjoy beef, elk, and deer liver with the deer being the best I just cant enjoy any fowl liver. Chicken, duck, goose,or whatever I just don't like it.


----------



## johnnycake (Jul 19, 2011)

The only liver I can get into is foie gras. 

Love this thread though! Great job CPAJeff!


----------



## hunting777 (May 3, 2009)

Liver is like the devil, it can dress up anyway and it will always be bad. 
I just can't bring myself to eat it knowing the function of that organ. 
All the others look fantastic!


----------



## wagdog (Jan 6, 2009)

CPAjeff said:


> *Part 3*
> 
> The legs. I've heard how crane legs could be better off suited to use as hammers, but that wasn't my experience. I boned out the legs, trimmed the meat, let sit overnight in milk and a splash of vinegar and set the slow cooker to low for 12 hours. The meat came out absolutely tender and tasted a lot like roast beef.


Sounds like slow cooked crane legs would make excellent taco meat too...thanks for sharing.


----------



## elkunited (Aug 16, 2019)

I'm hungry for some crane now. Ribeye of the Sky is looking true in the pics.


----------



## hunting777 (May 3, 2009)

CPAjeff said:


> *Part 2*
> 
> After the nasty crane liver, I decided to have one of the breasts. Once again, I let it sit overnight in milk with a splash of vinegar. Seasoned with Montreal Steak seasoning, cooked to the right internal temperature and letting it rest for five minutes - it lived up to the nickname, "Ribeye of the Sky."


So I have to ask, I have never tasted Crane before. Does it have a unique taste? I have heard it called "ribeye of the sky" many times. Does it have a beef-like flavor and texture?


----------



## CPAjeff (Dec 20, 2014)

hunting777 said:


> So I have to ask, I have never tasted Crane before. Does it have a unique taste? I have heard it called "ribeye of the sky" many times. Does it have a beef-like flavor and texture?


Good question!

In my limited experience:

Liver tastes like roadkill that has been dead for a week and sat in 110 degree weather. Actually, I think the roadkill, under said conditions, would taste better than liver.

Breasts taste somewhat like beef and Montreal Steak Seasoning. 

Legs have a stronger pheasant-like taste.

Heart and gizzard have a similar flavor to the legs.

Overall, crane is FANTASTIC! It seems to resemble beef in the texture for sure.


----------



## ReadyToHunt (Jan 31, 2019)

I really loved this post and looking over all the recipes you cooked up!


----------



## CPAjeff (Dec 20, 2014)

ReadyToHunt said:


> I really loved this post and looking over all the recipes you cooked up!


Thanks!

I have one final breast to throw on the grill - it's aging in the refrigerator right now . . . I'll cook it up in the next couple of days and post the results.


----------



## Kwalk3 (Jun 21, 2012)

Nicely done! I also struggle with liver, whether big game or upland. I made pâté with some pheasant livers that was good, but I don’t care for it in general.

That gizzard and heart looks tasty!

Looking forward to the completion....


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## CPAjeff (Dec 20, 2014)

I cooked up the final crane breast last night and I really wish cranes would yield the same amount of meat as that from a moose! 

Thanks for following along!


----------



## taxidermist (Sep 11, 2007)

Jeff, that looks great and thanks for sharing! I guess I'll have to begin applying for a tag. Just hope I draw before I'm to old to throw up a shotgun. 


How many points does one need to draw?


----------



## CPAjeff (Dec 20, 2014)

taxidermist said:


> How many points does one need to draw?


In 2019, no tags were drawn by people who had fewer than two points. For most of the units, it took three points to guarantee a tag. I shot this one in Rich County and had six points.


----------



## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

*I love crane liver*



CPAjeff said:


> Being inspired by one of Goob's old threads. I decided to eat some parts of the crane, that I wouldn't typically wouldn't have. . . liver, gizzard, heart and legs.
> 
> *Part 1*
> 
> ...


I love crane liver. The only exception would be liver fvrom cranes that were feeding heavily on grasshoppers in hay fields.


----------



## CPAjeff (Dec 20, 2014)

Goob - I should’ve given you the liver from the crane as a thank you for letting me borrow the decoys.


----------



## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

CPAjeff said:


> Goob - I should've given you the liver from the crane as a thank you for letting me borrow the decoys.


You're welcome.

Yeah, I love crane liver. I've got a lot of Wyoming cranes and only had bad crane liver one time...from a crane living on grasshoppers. As a matter of fact most all that crane tasted like chewing tobacco.

.


----------

