Pheasant in Red Wine Sauce

Method

• 1
  Cut carrots, celeriac, and parsley root into approximately 1 cm cubes. Roughly chop the onions. Also cut the smoked bacon into 1 cm cubes. Cut the back bacon into sticks approximately 1x3 cm long and place them in the freezer for about 20 minutes.
• 2
  Using a narrow knife, cut small pockets into the meat and insert the frozen bacon sticks (lard). Season the pheasant pieces generously with salt and pepper all around.
• 3
  In a roasting pan, heat the clarified butter over medium heat and brown the meat until golden. Remove and set aside. In the same roasting pan, roast the root vegetables and bacon cubes, stirring frequently, until golden brown. Add onions, thyme, bay leaves, juniper berries, allspice, and peppercorns.
• 4
  Reduce the heat and continue roasting until the onions turn a dark golden color, stirring regularly. Stir in the tomato paste and roast for another 2 minutes. Add the sugar and caramelize, stirring.
• 5
  Return the pheasant pieces to the roasting pan, pour in the red wine, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and let the sauce simmer uncovered until it has reduced by about one-third of its volume.
• 6
  Add the beef stock, bring to a boil again, reduce the heat to a minimum, and simmer covered for about 1 hour until the meat is butter-tender.
• 7
  Remove the tender meat from the sauce and keep warm. Stir the roux into the sauce, mix well, and simmer over low heat for about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the cold, diced butter (mount) to thicken the sauce and give it a glossy finish. Do not boil the sauce further. Season with salt to taste. Return the meat to the sauce and warm briefly.
• 8
  Serving suggestion: Classic Austrian side dishes such as potato dumplings (Erdäpfelknödel), Schupfnudeln, Spätzle, or almond croquettes pair well with this. Red cabbage also harmonizes excellently with this game dish.