Gutting and eviscerating: it’s not the prettiest business, but it’s a necessary step toward the chewy, gamey goodness of a freshly grilled pheasant. Besides, hunting ain’t for hemophobes. Prepping a freshly killed bird is significantly more complicated than pointing and shooting, however, which is why you’d be wise to follow in the footsteps of Bryce Shuman, head chef at Betony, a Michelin Star-rated New York eatery and purveyor of seasonal game dishes. His accolades come from his work in the kitchen, but like any self-respecting chef, he’s no stranger to the bloodier business behind menu items like his grilled pheasant and offal tart. Here’s a step-by-step guide to cleaning, eviscerating and aging your bird, straight from the man himself.

Cleaning
1 “First, you have to pluck them. Some people will blanche them in a big pot of boiling water to help take out the feathers, to make it easier, but I don’t think that’s good for the quality of the meat. You need to go in there with just your hands and some gloves. Take each quill, one by one — take the time. Be gentle, but firm. You don’t wanna tear the skin, that’s very important. They’re very beautiful birds; if you’re just tearing away at the feathers, you’ll tear the skin. Enjoy the process. If you’re hunting for your own food, you should enjoy this part.
“If you’re having trouble with some of them, skip them and go back with pliers if you have to. But again, be careful; don’t just yank and tear at it.”
2 “To remove the birdshot, look for little bruises around the skin. That’s where the skin is punctured. If you see a purple bruise, it’s generally because that’s where the shot hit it; so you want to examine that area. Go in there with needle-nosed pliers and remove the shot; be careful not to upset the skin. But you wanna take that shot out; you don’t wanna break a tooth.”
3 “With a boning knife, carefully remove the bone from the upper thigh (the equivalent of where the femur would be), disconnecting it from the back and then from the shin. Do the same with the other leg, then remove the back of the bird entirely. [Ed note: This refers to the backbone, from the shoulder line down.] Cut the wings at the elbow and the feet. You’ll wanna save all these to cook the sauce.”