I haven't lived where I could get a mess of squirrel for YEARS.
That said, I do not know the whole process, but my wife fried them in batter ans smothered them in gravy, viddles just don't get any better.
I used to hunt in deep East Texas and Louisiana and some of them guys would almost fight you if you cut the heads off, they liked the brains and cheek meat, me I never liked something looking at me while I was cooking it.
Squirrel and dumplins was some good eatin too.