Is it possible to eat pigeons: the benefits and harms of meat, how to choose and cook

Doves are a well-known species of birds. They can be seen in nature, found in cities, some poultry farmers breed them in the household. These are small beautiful birds that are grown as ornamental. Consider whether it is possible to eat pigeon meat, how useful and harmful pigeon meat is, and how to learn how to choose the right bird carcass and cook it at home.

Can a pigeon get infected?

There are a number of infectious diseases that can theoretically infect humans from pigeons. These are ornithosis, trichomoniasis, and also campylobacteriosis. Cases of ornithosis are recorded mainly in winter.It is transmitted by inhalation of dust contaminated with pathogens. Symptoms appear after 1-3 weeks. Ornithosis can occur in acute and chronic form. The host can become infected with trichomoniasis while caring for a bird through infected inventory. In the pigeons themselves, the disease does not cause symptoms.

To reduce the likelihood of infection transmission from sick pigeons, you need to follow the rules of care - clean the house more often, disinfect the room and utensils.

Can I eat pigeons?

Pigeon meat is edible and nutritious. Despite the fact that this is a medium-sized bird, there are meat pigeon breeds that are bred for meat. Let's consider whether domestic, urban and wild pigeons can be eaten.

Urban

Eating pigeons living in urban areas next to people is undesirable. There is a high risk of contracting some kind of infectious disease. Infections are common in the urban pigeon population because the birds eat waste and drink dirty water.

Wild

Wild pigeons are considered to be less prone to disease. They can be eaten, but careful heat treatment of meat is necessary.

Homemade

Doves grown at home, cared for and fed with safe feed can be eaten. Breeds have been bred, recipes have been developed according to which you can cook delicious pigeon meat. Birds of ordinary breeds weigh, on average, 200-300 g, meat - already 600-900 g (maximum - 1.2 kg). Young birds with soft meat are eaten.

The benefits and harms of pigeon meat for the human body

Dietary pigeon meat. Nutrition 100 g - 294 kcal. The composition includes valuable proteins, fats, vitamin substances, mineral elements (especially iron).Pigeon meat has a positive effect on the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, normalizes blood pressure, helps maintain he althy skin, hair and nails, and improves blood composition. It does not give a feeling of heaviness in the stomach, it is recommended for patients with tuberculosis.

Due to its dietary properties, it can be consumed even by those who are overweight. The meat is tasty, sweetish, it can be combined not only with traditional vegetables and mushrooms, but also with sweet and sour fruits and berries. Meat can harm only when overeating.

How to choose, butcher and cook birds

When choosing a pigeon carcass, you need to pay attention to its freshness. The smell of pigeon meat is similar to chicken, but the color is different - it is red, the skin is dark. The time of cooking or frying should be such that the meat is well cooked or fried, but it is undesirable to process it for a long time, because after that it becomes hard and dry.You can bake the carcass or grill it.

The classic pigeon recipe is a combination of meat with potatoes and vegetables. Excellent dishes are obtained by adding mushrooms, green peas or sauces from berries and fruits to the carcass.

Cutting a pigeon carcass is carried out as follows: cut the stomach and take out the giblets. You can eat the liver, heart, kidneys and lungs. Then cut the sternum, divide the pigeon into 2 parts. Cut off the legs and wings. Divide the remaining pieces into 2 more parts.

Recipe for pigeon meat soup (good for the digestive tract):

200g meat;
1 pc. onions and carrots;
3 potatoes;
50g vegetable oil;
spices, s alt;
2 liters of water.

Boil water, put meat in it, cook until cooked. Put potato cubes, fried onions and carrots. When the vegetables are almost cooked, add s alt and seasonings. Boil for 5 minutes, put finely chopped greens and remove from heat.

Recipe for pigeon kebab: marinate the carcasses in a solution of wine vinegar (take 2 parts of water and 1 part of vinegar). Keep in the marinade for 12 hours. Then cut into pieces, grate with spices (a mixture of peppers, onion, garlic, bay leaf). Withstand 1 hour. Put the marinated pieces on skewers and bake over coals. The baking time depends on the age of the pigeons - the young ones are baked faster, which takes 15-20 minutes, the old ones need to be kept over heat for 40-50 minutes.

Recipe for pigeons with a side dish of potatoes: fry whole carcasses in vegetable or butter over low heat to form a crust, but not until ready. Then stuff the carcasses with slices of onion and pepper, put a bay leaf and a little butter. Grate the carcasses of pigeons with s alt, put potato slices on a baking sheet, and pigeons on top and send to the oven. Cooking time in the oven - 1 hour.

Recipe for cooking pigeon stew: prepare pigeon carcasses and a mass of pieces of smoked lard, pickles, lemon peel, dill and parsley. Lubricate the walls of a thick saucepan with cream butter, put a little mixture on the bottom. Then lay a layer of pigeon meat, put the rest of the mixture on top. Put on a low fire to stew. If water evaporates, add broth.

The stewed pigeons are eaten hot, with the mixture that was baked as a garnish.

Pigeon meat is tasty, he althy and nutritious.It's easy to prepare. There are no contraindications to its use, it can be eaten by people of all ages, children, the elderly and the sick. In terms of quality, pigeon meat approaches chicken meat, and many consider the taste of pigeon meat to be better than that of chickens. If you start growing pigeons on your farm, you can provide yourself and your family with fresh products throughout the year.