Cooking squirrel question

[Coldwater Charters]

I haven't ever fixed squirrel that was edible. When I was in high school my mom would do it or grandmother. Anyway,, seems they pressure cooked them then rolled them in flour and fried them,,,excellent is what I remember. Well,,,I shot 3 tonight with my youngest daughter and wife with me. I would like to cook it similar but don't have a pressure cooker. Last time I tried it,,,you needed a chain saw to cut it and a parhana's mouth to chew it. I would like it fried or even finished baked. Any suggestions???

[FIJI]

"slow, moist cooking = tender "whatever"

pressure cookers are nice and quick, but any recipe for the crock pot will work too. If anything, err on the side of cooking too long (unlike frying/baking etc).


You can finish in the crock pot or finish up by frying like you remember.
Mmmmmmmmmmm
:cool:

[trout]

yep try browning them and then the crock pot.

[outsider]

What Trout said .
Or boil it off the bone and make stir fry, YUM!

[YPSIFLY]

I have never cooked squirrel, but I know that a moist, wet heat will soften tough meat. You could probably brown the meat and then bake it in a shallow pan, with an inch or a little less of water seasoned with your favorite herbs and spices.

Also, if I were using a crock pot for this, I would brown the meat first because that sears it and helps to lock in moisture and flavor.

Good luck.

[chromium]

Originally posted by YPSIFLY
but I know that a moist, wet heat will soften tough meat.

Thanks Ypsi. At my age, that's good to know! :D :eek:

[Shoeman]

OMG :eek:

[Thunderhead]

Squirrel is our favorite.

The secret is in the heat. 225 degrees tops, just so the grease is barely bubbling. DO NOT BOIL ! There is no need. This is one of the biggest mistakes made. There is no fat to boil off, and par broiling only takes away from the taste. The meat will be extrememy tender if you watch the heat and cook them slowly.
Takes about 45 minutes to cook. The meat will fall off the bone. Absoloutly outstanding !!
The reason for tough wild game is that guys try to cook it too fast and way too hot.

Cleaning is also VERY important. For the shotgun users, every bb hole represents a chunk of hair and blood. The hole must be sliced and the hair etc.. removed. Quarter and then I then soak them in salt water for about an hour to get rid of any blood.
Rinse good.

Roll in flour and fry

[Shoeman]

I take my bushytails, quarter them, salt, pepper and paprika them, coat them in flower, sear the meat in either butter or olive oil. Then I add some stewed tomatos, shrooms, peppers and season to taste. Add some water and simmer until the meat is soft. Served on a bed of rice or with egg noodles.

[Coldwater Charters]

I'm really looking forward to tryin one of these ole rat's. Maybe tomorrow.

[Hunter333]

What about in chili? I like to add some to my game chili: rabbit, venison,goose if I ever get one, etc. I have always precooked it but like others have said, it can be chewy. Do I need to cook it at all or can I just put it in the chili raw? Maybe steam it for a little bit first? Thanks for the suggestions!

[Bangbang]

Cut Squirrels in pieces and brown in olive oil using a large soup pan. Remove and set aside. Brown pieces of Italian Sausage(or Smoked Sausage with a large Chopped Red Onion(about 5-10 minutes). Now add 2 cups of Chicken Broth...salt and pepper and squirrel pieces. Bring to boil and cover. Cook for about 25 minutes. Then add several quartered red potatoes with another cup of chicken stock. Cover and simmer for another 25 minutes. Oh...I forgot the forty cloves of garlic. (optional)LOL put the garlic in when you put the squirrel meat in.

[TAZ]

A simple but excellent way to cook squirrel:

Clean, quarter and soak overnght in a mixture of 1 cup of white vinegar to 1 gal. of water and add 1/4 cup of salt.
Rinse and layer quarters in a baking dish.

Mix together:1 can each of cream of mushroom and cream of celery and sliced mushooms. Add garlic salt and lemon pepper to taste and stir together. Pour mixture over quarters and bake covered at 300 degrees for about 1 1/2 to 2 hrs.

Make some mashed potatoes(not instant. yuk) and corn and enjoy!
The juice from the squirrels can be used as gravy for the potatoes.

The meat will absolutely fall off the bone with this recipe. It can also be used for rabbits or done in a crockpot instead of the oven.

Some tips:

Leave some space in the baking dish as the soups will thin and expand. I also place a cookie sheet under the dish just in case it boils over.

Another nice treat is to add fresh fall button mushrooms to the mix instead of canned ones. In my area they come up at the same time squirrel season is under way. (Usually around mid to late September depending on the weather. They didn't show this year until mid Oct.)

Pickin' and shootin'

TAZ

[Randy Kidd]

This works well for Squirrels, Rabbits and I have even used it for Muskrat.

Cut up into either quarters or individual pieces like legs, back.
Dip pieces into a mixture of eggs with just a touch of Jack Daniels whiskey, about a quarter shot. Roll pieces in flour spiced with Mc Cormicks Montreal Steak Seasoning to taste. Place in large skillet with one half inch of oil, brown quickly on both sides ( less than a minute) Remove meat and drain. Place meat in a single layer in a roasting pan. Pour Creamed sweet corn over meat use enough to compleatly cover meat, put cover onto pan. Place in a 325 degree oven and bake covered for about one hour, due to different sizes of meat, cooking times may vary, meat is done when it is fork tender.

[BarryPatch]

Squirrel needs to be cooked very quickly or very slowly. Stewing or braising is the easy way. It just takes time. To cook fast enough the meat must be taken off the bone. Skewer and grill quickly over a high flame (makes great satay with peanut sauce mmm....) or stir-fry.