4 tablespoons of vegetable oil, divided into 2 tablespoon portions
1 one pound onion, sliced thin
1 teaspoon sugar
1 ½ pound of weel trimmed pheasant, cut into bite size cubes
1-cup heavy, dark beer (don’t drink the rest in the bottle you may need it later)
2 teaspoons dried thyme
2 teaspoons dried rosemary
1 bay leaf
1-teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
3 tablespoons flour

Dry pheasant cubes with paper towel to remove as much moisture as possible.  Sauté’ onion on medium heat in 2 tablespoons oil in large, heavy skillet until tender and golden, while stirring time to time.  Add sugar.  Continue cooking, stirring continuously until the sugar begins to turn the onion brown, 3 to 5 minutes.  Remove skillet from heat; scrape every bit of onion out onto plate to reserve, and then return skillet to stove.
Raise heat to high and brown pheasant in rest of oil, stirring continuously.  Add the meat a handful at a time-don’t rush it, because the skillet must remain very hot.  Once a handful begins to brown, gradually add another handful.  Keep stirring.
When meat cubes are brown on all sides, reduce heat, transfer meat, scraping out all the flavorful particles from the bottom of the skillet into a heavy cooking pot.  Toss in the onion, add splash of the beer, and blend it all together.  Then stir in thyme, rosemary, bay leaf, salt and pepper.  Sprinkle flour over surface and stir into liquid.  Continue to stir in the rest of the beer slowly.  Bring meat to a slow boil, reduce heat to lowest setting, cover pot, and simmer for 1 ½ hours so liquid just barely bubbles.  Stir occasionally and add a little more beer should the sauce boil down too much.  Taste pheasant, and if not fully tender, cook a little longer.
Serve over potatoes, noodles, or mixture of white and wild rice.  This dish improves after standing for a day, and it freezes well.  Will serve four to five people.