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1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Wash the pheasant quickly under cold running water and pat it thoroughly dry inside and out with paper towels.
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2. Rub the inside of the bird with the salt and a few grindings of pepper and place the ground beef in the cavity. Close the opening by lacing it with skewers or sewing it with heavy white thread.
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3. Fasten the neck skin to the back of the pheasant with a skewer, and, using a pastry brush, coat the skin of the bird evenly with the 2 tablespoons of softened butter.
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4. Drape the bacon slices side by side over the breast and wrap them around the bird, pressing the slices snugly against the body to keep them in place.
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5. Place the pheasant, breast side up, on a rack in a shallow roasting pan just large enough to hold the bird comfortably. Roast undisturbed in the middle of the oven for 20 minutes, then increase the oven heat to 400°F.
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6. Remove and discard the bacon slices. Using a pastry brush, baste the pheasant with 2 tablespoons of melted butter and roast it for about 20 minutes longer, basting generously every 5 minutes or so with a few tablespoons of the remaining melted butter.
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7. To test whether the bird is done, pierce the thigh with the tip of a small, sharp knife. The juice should spurt out a clear yellow; if it is still pink, roast the pheasant for another 5 to 10 minutes.
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8. Transfer the pheasant to a heated platter and let it rest for 10 minutes for easier carving. Discard the ground beef, which is used to keep the bird moist during the cooking and is not intended as a stuffing.
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9. The "Roast pheasant" is traditionally served with bread sauce and game chips, and may be decorated with bunches of watercress and its own tail feathers before serving.
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