Stuffed Bandera Quail with Pepper Glaze

Name: Stuffed Bandera Quail with Pepper Glaze
Yield: serves 8
Ingredients: Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper; 8 semi-boneless quail (back, breast, and thigh bones removed); 2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, each cut crosswise into four equal slices; 4 fresh jalapeño chiles, stemmed, seeded, and sliced lengthwise into strips; 2 to 4 sweet-hot pickled jalapeños, or use homemade (see page 254); 8 strips thick-cut applewood-smoked bacon; 2 cups jalapeño pepper jelly

December 14, 2011

Stuffed quail sizzling on the grill is a common sight at many a West Texas barbecue. A lot of my friends use a shotgun to bag their quail, but I snag mine on the Internet from The Diamond H Ranch in Bandera, Texas (www.texasgourmetquail.com), where they raise the birds and process them, too. They come vacuum-packed and ready for cooking, with the back, breast, and thigh bones removed. All I have to do is stuff them with a spicy chile-cheese mixture, wrap them up with a piece of bacon, and then put ’em on the grill. I finish them off with a jalapeño jelly glaze just before serving. In all, a mighty nice dinner treat to share with friends.

Recipe notes

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