Meat – Is rare pheasant safe

food-safetymeat

I'm planning to cook pheasant breast this evening and want to know if I can have it rare, as I would with duck breast.

I know most government food agencies err on the side of caution (cook until all moisture has gone), but are there risks in eating this meat rare, as there are with chicken or pork for example?

Thanks for your insight!

Best Answer

Generally speaking you can serve pheasant a little pink, but not as rare as you can duck. This is more a textural thing than a safety thing though, I believe. Pheasant is quite lean so cooking it completely makes it very dry. Cooking any meat anything less than well done is technically 'risky'; you have to weigh the risk with having an enjoyable meal.

Incidentally, pork is generally considered safe to serve a little 'blushed' these days, provided it's from a reputable source.