Spicy Brown Sugar Quail Stuffed with Cheese Grits and Wrapped in Bacon

Quail are so small that they can dry out on the grill, especially if you’re using wild quail, which have well-exercised muscles and less fat than farmed quail. To keep the birds moist, we marinate them in a buttermilk marinade and wrap them in bacon before grilling. The bacon fat melts into the bird, lending both flavor and moisture. The stuffing helps to plump up the birds so they can hold their original shape when grilled. It also fills out the meal.