[izbnso]

Does anybody have any squirrel recipes? Yes I’m serious and no I don’t plan on eating it.

[LaurieH]

When I was a kid, my granddaddy used to shoot squirrels sometimes. Grandmama would fry them just like chicken, and cover them with gravy. We loved them!

[jbd]

I believe you can literally prepare squirrel as you would chicken in any recipe.

Also I believe the original Burgoo recipe called for squirrel and other small game type animals.

[MikeLM]

Squirrels were a staple of the frontier diet It was a proud boast of the Kentuckey Riflemen that they always shot the squirrel in the eye, so as not to mess up the meat. The British Redcoats found out what they were talking about.

It's been a long time since I nailed a squirrel, but my aunt fried up a couple of my long-ago bag (I had to clean 'em), and she made a thick pan gravy, and they were really fine.

It's a cliche to say they tasted like chicken, and as I remember they didn't, very much. They were a little more gamey. They were, after all, finished on nuts. It works for Smithfield hams.

Mike

[Mezzaluna]

When I was a kid, our sitter and her husband stayed with us while our parents were out of town. One night he brought in some squirrel. His wife soaked it in milk, breaded them, pan-fried them and we ate them up!

Good thing Mom had given up keeping the kitchen kosher.....

[KYHeirloomer]

I've got dozens of recipes, Isbnso. Squirrel is one of my favorite game meats. But I'm confused. If you're not going to eat it, why should I bother typing them out. More info, please.

>It was a proud boast of the Kentuckey Riflemen that they always shot the squirrel in the eye,......<

Actually, Mike, Kentucky sharpshooters always claimed to have barked their squirrels. That is, they shot a filet of bark out from under the rodent, so it was killed in the fall. No meat was wasted that way.

Now then, if you don't believe that tale, I can take you to an exact spot where one of them bit the dust after being barked and show it to you.

Barking aside, most gunners in the Middle Ground body shot squirrels because squirrel head stew was a much loved delicacy. It fell into disfavor a few years back, due to a disease that affected squirrel brains. But in rural Kentucky it's still considered a great treat.

[MikeLM]

Mezz' said

"Good thing Mom had given up keeping the kitchen kosher....."

What, squirrels got cloven hoofs?

I'm pretty sure they don't qualify as shellfish...

Mike

[LaurieH]

Originally Posted by MikeLM

Mezz' said

"Good thing Mom had given up keeping the kitchen kosher....."

What, squirrels got cloven hoofs?

I'm pretty sure they don't qualify as shellfish...

Mike

But they were soaked in milk. Milk & meat together = not kosher.

[boar_d_laze]

Originally Posted by MikeLM

Mezz' said

"Good thing Mom had given up keeping the kitchen kosher....."

What, squirrels got cloven hoofs?

I'm pretty sure they don't qualify as shellfish...

Mike

ON EDIT: I have no idea of why I answered typing as Elmer Fudd. The misapprehension deserves an answer. Split ("cloven") hooves aren't forbidden, they're actually required. For a land animal (beast of the field) to be kosher it must be a ruminant (cud chewer) with split hooves. Cows, deer, sheep, yes. Camels chew cud but no hooves, no. Pigs split hooves but no cud, no. Rodents, including squirrel, neither -- definitely no.

Heheheheh.
BDL

[izbnso]

Originally Posted by KYHeirloomer

But I'm confused. If you're not going to eat it, why should I bother typing them out. More info, please.

In a nutshell: research.
A few questions for you KY: Do tomatoes compliment squirrel meat? Could I develop a chicken recipe using tomatoes and have it be one that squirrel could be substituted for the chicken and it still be a good squirrel recipe? And why are the rascally rodents chewing up my tomato vines? Not the fruit, the vines.

[MaryB]

Any chicken recipe will work for squirrel. Tomato goes well and seems to tame the gamy flavor some. Stews are good using beef stock too.

[izbnso]

How many squirrels would it take to make up for one chicken, rough estimate?

[jbd]

Probably three to four squirrels

[MikeLM]

As all of you can see, my grounding in kosher rules is pretty weak.

What would you expect from a Lutheran?

Mike

[boar_d_laze]

Originally Posted by MikeLM

What would you expect from a Lutheran?

Pastrami on white, with mayo, lettuce and tomato.

BDL