Squirrel Population Increasing.

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The Squirrel population is increasing and my buddy OREO (house/ outside hunter cat) is not doing a good job. I need to break out the Volquartsen 17HMR out and start making some appetizers. I figure if I get at least a dozen of the Greys or four of the Monkey/Fox squirrels I can make a good plate of appetizers to go along with a half dozen of Frogs legs (with a salad) for dinner.
Anyone have a "Special" recipe for Squirrel? I have several, but looking for something with more seasoning/broth/gravy-NOT real SPICY!. Jill doesn't like "HOT, but I do so I have to make a compromise.

Thanks
Len & Jill
 
Quarter them up. Dredge in flour. Pan fry and remove once browned. Add a little flour and make a gravy with the drippings left in the frying pan. Once your gravy is good, put fried quarters back in and let them simmer on lowest heat for a little bit. Serve over fresh biscuits.
 
Something we used to do with old, tough, squirrels. Fry them as you usually would. Then put a cake rack in an oven roaster. Mix wine and water 50:50 use enough to fill the space under, but not Touch the cake rack in the roaster. Put the fried squirrel on the cake rack and use a lid. Bake on 300 until fall off the bone tender. Usually an hour or so. We've done that with uncubed chicken fried deer also. wine adds a unique taste and is very tender.
 
Quarter, wrap in bacon, and throw on the grill. Cook low and slow for about an hour then slather with your favorite bbq sauce and cook another 10 minutes or so and remove from the grill. If they are still too tough, wrap in foil and bake in the oven at 300 until falling apart. Guaranteed it won't taste like squirrel. It will taste like bacon slathered in bbq sauce.
 
I love fried squirrel but it always seems tough. An old man told my uncle and I to simmer them in chicken broth for a bit before we fry, sure enough they were much more tender. I wish I could provide more info on how we done it but the wild Turkey had a hold on me.
 
Plowboy85 said:
I love fried squirrel but it always seems tough. An old man told my uncle and I to simmer them in chicken broth for a bit before we fry, sure enough they were much more tender. I wish I could provide more info on how we done it but the wild Turkey had a hold on me.
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Try this for old squirrels. The young ones fry no problem. First soak them overnight in salt water. then rinse, flour, and pan fry. Don't worry about getting them done, just browned. Then get a covered roaster and put a raised rack inside. I use the one my wife cools cookies on. Scrape and put the pan drippings in the roaster. Add a 50/50 mix of red wine and water. Do not let the liquid touch the squirrels or run dry. Bake them on 300 until tender. They will be fall off the bone tender. Make gravy out of the liquid. This will also work on Big Game you want to fry without running through a cuber first. All this being said, We usually just boil them in chicken broth and water until they are very tender, then debone and make squirrel and dumplings. My family likes dumplings and none of us like chicken. We don't fry much anymore except duck.
BTW The boiling in chicken broth is a very good idea for any squirrel that is in piney woods. When they have been eating pine cones instead of acorns they taste like pine nuts if you don't.
 
Muddyboots said:
So is thread revival due to that "vicious" attack on poor Len?
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Not really. I was just trying to help plowboy make the darn things edible. They aren't real high on the list to begin with, but they are a great way to introduce kids to hunting and you have to do something with them.......
 
Haha! I was just poking Len as part of the thread. I hunted squirrels a ton growing up and have tons of recipes. I will scan a bunch for posting. They are not bad if you follow some simple steps. Skin and clean Immediately after killing them is huge improvement in taste plus 1,000x easier to skin when still warm. As kid, an old timer told me to do that PLUS wrap each one in wax paper to keep them clean in vest. He would bring wax paper already cut to size for each squirrel to make sure he could do it fast. He was a squirrel 5 Star chef! He killed squirrels with an old pump Montgomery Ward .22 and head shot them to insure he got most meat he could. I think back at what he looked like and every parent today would have heart attack if their kid was seen with him! Just a kind older gent that didn't have much to his name and shared old outdoor knowledge.
 
Slice up an onion
quarter up the squirrels
place in crock pot
Add some water a bit more than covering the bottom of the pot
add a packet of Onion Soup mix
add seasoning as desired
wait wait wait until falling off the bone
serve over rice and….ENJOY.
 
Muddyboots said:
Haha! I was just poking Len as part of the thread. I hunted squirrels a ton growing up and have tons of recipes. I will scan a bunch for posting. They are not bad if you follow some simple steps. Skin and clean Immediately after killing them is huge improvement in taste plus 1,000x easier to skin when still warm. As kid, an old timer told me to do that PLUS wrap each one in wax paper to keep them clean in vest. He would bring wax paper already cut to size for each squirrel to make sure he could do it fast. He was a squirrel 5 Star chef! He killed squirrels with an old pump Montgomery Ward .22 and head shot them to insure he got most meat he could. I think back at what he looked like and every parent today would have heart attack if their kid was seen with him! Just a kind older gent that didn't have much to his name and shared old outdoor knowledge.
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My old hunting Buddy's wife used to get so mad at me for shooting squirrels in the head. She claimed I was ruining her favorite part. I disagree and don't really like the heads on the table. So I not only continued to head shoot them, I did it to every one we might possibly eat at his house..... Nutcrackers should be used on nuts, not squirrels. IMO
 
Orange Dust said:
My old hunting Buddy's wife used to get so mad at me for shooting squirrels in the head. She claimed I was ruining her favorite part. I disagree and don't really like the heads on the table. So I not only continued to head shoot them, I did it to every one we might possibly eat at his house..... Nutcrackers should be used on nuts, not squirrels. IMO
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As a kid, my grandmother always cooked them with the heads…doves too.
 
Muddyboots said:
Haha! I was just poking Len as part of the thread. I hunted squirrels a ton growing up and have tons of recipes. I will scan a bunch for posting. They are not bad if you follow some simple steps. Skin and clean Immediately after killing them is huge improvement in taste plus 1,000x easier to skin when still warm. As kid, an old timer told me to do that PLUS wrap each one in wax paper to keep them clean in vest. He would bring wax paper already cut to size for each squirrel to make sure he could do it fast. He was a squirrel 5 Star chef! He killed squirrels with an old pump Montgomery Ward .22 and head shot them to insure he got most meat he could. I think back at what he looked like and every parent today would have heart attack if their kid was seen with him! Just a kind older gent that didn't have much to his name and shared old outdoor knowledge.
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Muddy is giving good advise for Any game. The sooner you can get it down to the meat, and get the meat cooled, the better it will be at the table. This is a LAW if you want people to not just eat, but enjoy the fruits of your labors.
 

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