Sous Vide Sharp-Tail (or Pheasant) with Portobello-Port Sauce

4 breasts from pheasant
¼ teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon paprika
¾ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon black pepper
¾ salt
4 strips bacon, cut into small pieces
1 tablespoon olive oil
l½ cups chopped white onion
l shallot, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon dried tarragon, or 3 sprigs of fresh tarragon
1 large or 2 medium portobello mushrooms, sliced
½ tablespoons red currant jelly
1½ cups beef stock
¾ cup port wine

Rinse and dry breasts, season with pepper, garlic powder, paprika and salt. Vacuum pack or seal in Ziplock freezer bag, removing as much air as possible. Heat sous vide to 145°F. Immerse pheasant in bath for 60 minutes.

For sauce, brown bacon pieces in a large skillet. Remove and drain on paper towel. Drain all but 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat from the skillet and sauté onion and shallot on medium heat until onion is translucent. Add the garlic, mushrooms, and tarragon; sauté for 5 minutes. Next add the jelly, stock, and port to the skillet, stirring to combine and loosen any brown bits in the pan. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes. To thicken sauce, make a paste of 2 tablespoons flour mixed with a little water; add several tablespoons of the heated sauce to the flour-paste, stir to combine so that there are no lumps; blend flour mixture into the sauce.

After one hour (or so), remove pheasant from its bath. Heat skillet on high and sear the pheasant quickly on both sides—Remember you want the inside of the breast still rare. Serve breasts over wild rice mixture or grits, add bacon, and pour sauce over top.

Note: sous vide is perfect for preparing wild game prone to being dry and overcooked. It is very forgiving. Once meat reaches and cooks at 145°F, it essentially will not overcook, so cook for a minimum of 50 minutes, but can extend to 70-80 minutes.