The News Outside

Since squirrel season is here and my youngest thinks we need to go every weekend, my freezer is filling up with squirrels. So after this mornings hunt I put 2 of the 3 squirrels in the crock pot to start the squirrel stew he wanted me to make when we started hunting last weekend. I have always just fried everyone I have shot so this was something new for me. I have made stews before but not with these little dudes.

I decided I would use the crock pot to cook them up nice and tender so the meat would fall off the bones. Season salt and garlic powder and six hours later all is well(and very good as is). I deboned them and put them right back in the crock pot with all the juice. I added onion, carrots and spuds, just covered it all with water and put it in the fridge for tomorrow.

I will put it back on the heat in the morning and add a few things when I get home after work(corn starch to thicken) and see what I end up with. The wife thinks I should add a brown gravy mix, it will thicken it plus add some more wanted favor and color(I couldn’t even get her to even try the squirrel meat so why is she even worried about how it taste is beyond me, she’s not even going to try it)

On a good note I couldn’t keep my 10 year old out of it while I was deboning the meat, he wants me to just cook some in the crock pot and eat it as is.

If this turns out like I hope it will I know what I’m making for deer camp this year, big ol pot of it!

That sounds great.  I haven’t had good squirrel in forever.  We used to always pressure cook and then bread and fry.  You way sounds better.  My kids have been out of town and I am waiting to hunt until they get back.  Will be trying this.

That stew sounds pretty darned tasty. I fry the young ones, and boil those tough old ones. I de-bone the meat and make squirrel and dumplings. Same recipe as chicken and dumplings only made with a bunch of squirrel meat. The boys at deer camp can’t get enough!

I prefry, then in a crockpot with some taters and onion soup mix…..Its good eatin!!!!

I may go this week end, been awhile since I had the squirrel and dumplins and it sounds pretty darn good. I do like the way I fry mine though. Season up some flour, coat it, soak in buttermilk and re-flour it. In a old cast iron skillet I get the (lard) yes I still use it hot. While frying I put the lid on the skillet and fry slow just turning the meat over once before putting the lid back on and I don’t remove the lid till the squirrel is about done so it can brown. Some fried taters from the garden, some biscuits, store bought I am to lazy to make my own, and some homemade gravy. MMMMMMMMMMM-GOOD

My stew turned out pretty good. Next time I won’t chop the meat up any, it all just kind of shreded which is not a bad deal, just no chunks of meat is all. The favor was great but I did add (2) brown gravy mixes. Next time I will put everything together and then debone the meat. But it all turned out really good and I will be making it again.

This one is good for even the old tough bushy tails. I take the cast iron skillet and use lard to fry….regardless of the age of the squirrel. Coat in seasoned flour (salt and pepper, with a dusting of onion and garlic powder added to the flour) then fry until you get a good browning on both sides…nearly, but not quite done. Then place the squirrel quarters and saddles in a 9 x13 baking dish, and pour a mixture of two cans cream of chicken soup and two cans of heavy cream amongst the squirrel….but leave the top of the meat barely showing. Then take a sweet onion and slice thin. Cover everything in the dish with a layer of sweet onion. Cover with aluminum foil put on the top rack and bake at 325 for 45 minutes…then reduce heat to 250 for another hour and 30 minutes. Remove the foil and drizzle with butter…just enough to make the onions brown up nicely. Turn the heat up to around 450, while on the top rack and cook just long enough to get it nice and brown. Watch it closely, like a loaf of garlic bread. Serve over white rice….delicious!

i like this jambalaya recipe, especially if the squirrels are older and tough. i also modified the recipe taken from an old pjs article that i think had lampe’s name on it.
i substitute a quart of home-canned tomatoes w/the juice for 1 1/2 cups water and add okra. i mean, how can you make jambalaya without tomatoes and okra???

SQUIRREL JAMBALAYA
1 squirrel (i make it 2)
salt & pepper
3 TB of oil
2 large onions
3 celery stalks
1 clove garlic
1/4 bell pepper (i use the whole pepper)
4 TB parsley (i use 2)
2 cups uncooked rice
1 quart tomatoes w/juice
2 TB salt
package of okra (use fresh if ya got it)
Cut squirrel into pieces and salt and pepper. Saute in oil until brown; remove from skillet. Chop and saute onion, pepper, celery, parsley and garlic in oil until wilted. Put squirrel back in skillet, cover and cook on low about 20 minutes or until squirrel is tender. Add rice, tomatoes, sliced okra and salt, stir, then simmer slowly 30 minutes or until rice is cooked. (check after 15-20 minutes and if the rice has soaked up all the juice, add a little more tomato juice or water.)
Forgot to add ... the recipe doesnt call for it, but i add Louisiana Cajun Seasoning or Zatarains Creole Seasoning to taste.

In our deer camp in November we now have a tradition of at least one good squirrel feed. I save 6 or 7 squirrels from my September huntin by freezin an this is how I do it for the 5 or 6 hunters in camp.

I have a huge cast iron skillet about a #14 with a cover. It’ll hold 6 or 7 squirrels easily. I flour and brown the pieces in oil, sometimes with bacon grease. After the meat is good and brown I add a little water, put the cover on and put in the oven at about 350* for about 40-45 minutes. The meat will be fallin off the bones. It could be cooked on top of the stove but the oven offers a more surround heat.

Its nice…!
Thanx for sharing this recipe bcoz i was looking for it…

Really appreciate this post. It’s hard to sort the good from the bad sometimes, but I think you’ve nailed it!