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Thread: pan fry squirrel or shoe leather?

  1. #21
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    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.

  2. #22
    Boolit Grand Master

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    Pressure cook for a few minutes and then roll in some flour and pan fry. It's good eatin! But yes, better if prepped a few minutes in the pressure cooker.
    KE4GWE - - - - - - Colt 1860, it just feels right.

  3. #23
    Boolit Master Moleman-'s Avatar
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    Last place we used to live had a BBQ place that would sell a gallon of their sauce for $20. We'd slather them up that that and let them sit overnite, then slowly cook them on the charcoal grill adding more sauce. That or my wifes uncle pressure cooks or boils them, then takes the meat off and then breads and fries them. His fried squirrel is the best I've had. Reminds me I need to thin out the tree rats where we deer hunt.

  4. #24
    Boolit Master Hannibal's Avatar
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    You cook any piece of meat too **** long it's gonna be like chewin' on an old boot.

  5. #25
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    Quote Originally Posted by starmac View Post
    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.
    Yup, I lived in a foster home when I was a kid and with some eastern European immigrants (old folks). They made fish soup. I liked it until the eyes of the fish floated up in my bowl. Nope...no more fish soup for me.
    However, I really believe that when cooked right it is hard to beat squirrel meat.

  6. #26
    Boolit Buddy GEOMETRIC's Avatar
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    My aunt didn't eat the eyes but she did eat the brains & make a little doll out of the head. When I was a teen, there was a black guy that lived across the marsh. We called him old Sam but he was only 35 when he died. He wasn't big but he was incredibly strong. He could pick the front end of Pops F-150 pickup clear off the ground. He lived in the creek catching shrimp & fish in a cast net. He would boil salt water catfish & whatever else he could catch in a pot in his fireplace until the meat would fall off the bones. He gutted them but left shin, head & eyes on the fish. He then pored rice in the pot & ate everything, bones & all, when the rice was done.

  7. #27
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    So glad I saw this thread. Use to hunt and eat lots of squirrel many years ago... Then, work and life limited my access to the woods other than deer and turkey season. Saw a ton a squirrels while sitting in my deer stands last week. This thread got me hungry again, not just for squirrel meat, but also hunting them! Gonna dust off my old 22 now.

  8. #28
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    Got a half dozen big fox squirrels this fall, not many hunt them anymore around here so the population has recovered. Fat corn fed squirrel was pretty dang tender!

  9. #29
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    Cast iron skillet,
    fill with water
    Bring to a boil
    Put the quartered squirrels in
    Place on a vented cover
    Boil the water off
    and add butter to skillet
    and brown the critters
    Let us know how this turns out for you
    Mike
    NRA Benefactor 2004 USAF RET 1971-95

  10. #30
    Boolit Buddy paraord's Avatar
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    Mrs. Paraord makes takes the quarters and any other meat chunks off the carcass, dips them in egg, then flour, then fry up in a cast iron pan with oh a half inch of oil or so in it? Ill pay more attention to the process next time instead of the end result! Hopefully I can get home soon enough tonight to get out and do a little small game hunting in the next few days.
    Ill try anything once, twice if I forgot

  11. #31
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    You've got it Mary,there are some folks that just don't know.We have a few fox squirrels but mostly cat or grey squirrels.Either are tasty table fare when cooked correctly.
    Are my kids/grandkids more important than "o"'s kids, to me they are,darn tooting they are!!! They deserve the same armed protection afforded "o"'s kids.
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  12. #32
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    As a kid, long,long time ago, we would get hens and roosters that could be pretty tough. About the same as squirrels and rabbits. My mom and dad had lived in Lake Charles, La. before WWII, and my mom had learned some French dishes over there. One was Fricassee. You can do it with any tough meat. Fry up the meat pieces, set aside and make a good, dark roux and add mirepoix (Cajun Trinity of equal amounts of onion, bell peppers and celery). You can saute the mirepoix if you like. Use whatever spices you like. I use garlic, rosemary and thyme.
    Add the fried meat and push to the rear of the stove over a low fire, just enough to simmer it. Let it cook for a couple of hours, and it is a fall off the bone meal. You can serve it over mashed potatoes, noodles, or rice, if you like or eat it without the starches. Also, you can take a big rabbit or a couple of squirrels (3 if small) and dredge in flour, salt & pepper, fry them and then put it all in a pressure cooker--meat and drippings. Add a can of chopped tomatoes, about 1-1/2 cups mirepoix, couple of tsp of garlic powder or some fresh garlic, tsp of rosemary and tsp of thyme, and a tomato can and a half of water. Pressure cook at 15 lb for 20-30 minutes, and again, a fall off the bone meal.
    One of my father's favorite statements: "If I say a chicken dips snuff, look under his wing for the snuffbox" How I was raised, who I am.

  13. #33
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    Sort your squirrels - smallest will be young tender ones. Quarter them. Salt, pepper, dredge in flour. Fry all ( tender and tough ones)as you would chicken, until it's golden brown.
    Eat the tender pieces immediately, before anyone else can scarf them up. Throw the tough pieces into a pressure cooker, barely cover them with water and pressure cook them for 20 minutes. They'll come out tender enough to slurp the meat off the bones.

    Daughter is home on leave, we just finished cleaning several she shot this afternoon. Looks like most of these are going to be "stewing squirrels"

  14. #34
    Boolit Buddy
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    I usually quarter an pressure cook my limb chickens an when done I debone it an freeze it. Then when I want limb chicken an gravey I will set a bag out the night before to thaw then in the morning will roll the pieces in flour an salt and pepper an pan fry till golden brown

  15. #35
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    Pressure cooker with rice.

  16. #36
    Boolit Master Walkingwolf's Avatar
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    Growing up we always browned them then threw them in pasta sauce for a couple hours. Meat is tender, and falling off the bone.

  17. #37
    Boolit Master 40-82 hiker's Avatar
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    As mentioned already, parboil and then fry (but don't fry too long).

    Or, better yet, make squirrel and dumplings! My absolute favorite way to eat squirrels when I lived back east.

  18. #38
    Boolit Buddy Pigboat's Avatar
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    My Dad used to soak them overnight in a salt water brine, rinse them good and pan fry. As said before, over cooking is sure to turn them into tough pieces of leather.

    We used to have them when Mom wasn't home because, bless her heart, she was of the opinion that everything had to be cooked until there was no juices left to run out.

  19. #39
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    I like squirrel. I have baked it (not a big fan), crock potted it (Good eating) and BBQed it up with sauce on the grill. Just like a chicken BBQ. I want to get out there now and get a bunch and do up some Brunswick stew.
    You can miss fast & you can miss a lot, but only hits count.

  20. #40
    Boolit Buddy RGrosz's Avatar
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    When I was young along the Little Sioux River, I used to hunt them all the time. Still did till I got caught up in trying to make my 1st wife happy. Mom always cooked them for us till I was married. Then I started fixing them. I'd just cut them in 5 pieces and fry them in a good hot cast iron skillet with some oil for a while. Then reduce the heat and fry them a while longer slow with some water in the pan. Oh I forgot to tell you I'd roll them in flour. When they were almost done, I'd make some flour gravy. Since my first wife left me, and I met my final wife, she isn't so keen on eating them, and we moved to where they don't run near as numerous. Miss the Hunting of them and sometimes wish we had more around so I would fry me up another batch.
    Rob

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