What's Your Favorite Squirrel Recipe?

Moog · Sep 12, 2020

I like to make a stir fry. After the meat is properly cleaned I put it in a pot of water mixed with Italian dressing, some soy sauce, garlic salt, and a splash of viniger. I then boil it for an hour and 15 min. Then I cut the meat off of the bones and cut up the meat into small pieces. Now I mix the boiled meat in with chopped onions and add more garlic salt and soy sauce and then I fry it. Since the meat has already been boiled I fry it lightly just enough to get that fryed taste.

Now the meat is ready and I mix it in with rice vegetables and scrambled eggs. At this point you can use your imagination and add what ever you want. Some people like mushrooms or bits of bacon. As I said you can just use your imagination to tailor the dish to your tastes.

I've been a squirrel hunter for a long time and have tried cooking them different ways and I've found this is the most enjoyable way for me to eat them.

nervoustrig · Sep 12, 2020

Pressure cooker with some spices or just a little crab boil until it’s so tender it falls off the bone. Strip the meat and spread it out into a shallow pan. Add 1/8” or so of chicken broth to the pan. Cover the top completely with bacon strips. Cook in the oven at 350F until the bacon has rendered its fat and fully cooked. Bask in the glory of the finest rodent meat you’ve ever put in your mouth.

cea1960 · Sep 13, 2020

First I par boil it until it falls off the bone. Then I use 2 forks to shred it and place it in a crockpot with Italian au jus. Cook on low for 1 hour. Lean Italian "beef" sandwiches.

qball · Sep 13, 2020

Pressure cooker with some spices or just a little crab boil until it’s so tender it falls off the bone. Strip the meat and spread it out into a shallow pan. Add 1/8” or so of chicken broth to the pan. Cover the top completely with bacon strips. Cook in the oven at 350F until the bacon has rendered its fat and fully cooked. Bask in the glory of the finest rodent meat you’ve ever put in your mouth.

this by no mean is to dis your recipe but I think I’ll just go straight to the covering the pan with bacon strips, saves a lot of effort and time.

Haganaga · Sep 13, 2020

Add 18-34 grains of lead and done!

Phildog59 · Sep 13, 2020

I like to put squirrel in the crockpot with potato carrots and an onion some cream of mushroom soup cook till done then place biscuits on to bake til done damn that sounds good

qball · Sep 13, 2020

CA squirrel season just started this weekend but thanks to the fires all the state and national panels are closed. I have never tried squirrel before and wife won’t let me try the ones from our back yard and was hoping to get some this weekend.

the main question I have is what does it taste like compared to chicken, pork or beef? Thanks.

Moog · Sep 13, 2020

It's hard to describe the taste. I'd say the texture is more like chicken than beef. Find a recipe that you think you would like best and give it a try.

ackc1234 · Sep 13, 2020

I like putting a couple into a crockpot with just salt, pepper, and maybe just a little chicken broth until the meat is falling off the bone. Remove squirrel and shred meat. Put back in pot with your favorite barbecue sauce. There you go pulled squirrel. I fed this to some friends who to this day think it was pork. You can also add a little extra flavor with some bacon or a couple slices of pig fat.

nervoustrig · Sep 13, 2020

this by no mean is to dis your recipe but I think I’ll just go straight to the covering the pan with bacon strips, saves a lot of effort and time.

Haha, not with the gray squirrels here in the southeast you won’t! Without the pressure cooker step, you’ll lose patience chewing it.

But yeah, if your squirrels aren’t made of shoe leather, go straight to the oven.

shoot44 · Sep 13, 2020

nervoustrig · Sep 13, 2020

Sounds familiar! Many years ago on a deep sea fishing trip, we caught an unusual fish and the captain proceeded to explain how best to prepare it. Exactly how to filet it, a detailed recipe for a marinade, letting it soak overnight in the fridge, instructions for cooking it on the grill involving placing it on a wood plank and cooking it until the meat turned white and flaky. Spent a solid 5 minutes going through it all. Then when it’s ready, he said, remove it from the grill and carefully slide it off into the garbage can and eat the board.

qball · Sep 13, 2020

this by no mean is to dis your recipe but I think I’ll just go straight to the covering the pan with bacon strips, saves a lot of effort and time.

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Haha, not with the gray squirrels here in the southeast you won’t! Without the pressure cooker step, you’ll lose patience chewing it.

But yeah, if your squirrels aren’t made of shoe leather, go straight to the oven.

LOL I meant to say just cover the pan with bacon, fry the bacon and eat the bacon.

General consensus seems to be pressure cooker or slow long cook is needed for squirrels. Everyone says they are tasty so I’m just curious on what they really taste like without too much seasoning. Granted deep fried and really spicy hot sauce makes everything taste good. Hahaha

isFun · Sep 13, 2020

Salt, pepper and cumins rub then dipped in flour, egg and panko breadcrumb. Lastly deep fry.

Newmember1958 · Sep 13, 2020

You guys are in my wheelhouse now,

I like squirrel and each one I shoot is consumed one way or another. I am going to share a few favorites. I label each one of it's age and treat it accordingly. My young ones are fried and those young ones the meat falls off the bone and there is no need to pressure or braise. Gravy is made from the pan drippings and that will go with mashed taters or biscuits. I hope these snap movies will attach. I am a also

a nut about collecting and restoring vintage cast iron

Newmember1958 · Sep 13, 2020

So when we get the older tougher ones one thing we do is braise them kind of like the crock pot thing except in the oven or stovetop. I frequent a site called Hunter angler gardener cook and this recipe was found there. Got to one of our favorites for sure. Many options for cooking game,

https://honest-food.net/braised-squirrel-aurora-recipe/ Be sure to navigate through this place. I have four of this guys cookbooks. It has really expanded my cooking possibilities,

Newmember1958 · Sep 13, 2020

How about another?

So have any of you pressure canned your squirrel ? Old ones for sure! Simply amazing. Each jar holds one broke down. All four legs and the rocking horse. Eat right out of the jar and be sure to drink the nutritious broth. I am not kidding about this. You can also make a squirrel salad to eat on a sandwich or lettuce wrap.

Newmember1958 · Sep 13, 2020

Ok just one more fun one and I will quit bothering you all. I was wanting to do this for sometime and finally did it. A whole young tiny gray spread eagle. Kept him flat with a bacon press. A nice snack! He was fried in goose fat. Yes I waterfowl hunt too. Save the fat skin and what fat I can get out of the body cavity of canada geese and render it. Waste not want not.