Red Squirells ????

[choclabmom]

Hello, I am new to the forum, was wondering if anyone ever cooks Red Squirrels. We live in WI and hava a ton of them and they are into everything. I would love to put them to good use in my ole cookin pot. Any suggestions.

[myarmor]

My prefrence, through them in the Crock Pot. Does wonder on them as well as Rabbit's.

[Bookman]

I once sampled some red squirrels that a good cook had stewed. They were absolutely the worst tasting game meat I've ever attempted to eat. Horrible.

I would rather have eaten the crock pot.

FYI these were reds from a pine forest in northern N.H. I think a red's diet contributes to the meat's taste; grain-eating barn squirrels might taste better.

[troy2000]

Sadly, I've never eaten a squirrel, and it's illegal to hunt them all across the south end of California for some reason. But I'm betting that fricasseeing them like a chicken or rabbit would work.

[Bravo]

I've taken plenty, but never eaten them. I've heard that they're not great eating (something along the lines of cook them in a crock-pot with a brick wrapped in tinfoil, then done, throw the meat out and eat the brick).

It's too bad, because you can hunt them all year round in Maine, and there are lots of them.

[cowboyup1991]

I think that the best way to eat them is in gravy.

Also the crock pot

[troy2000]

Originally Posted by cowboyup1991

I think that the best way to eat them is in gravy.
Also the crock pot

That's what I grew up calling fricassee, cowboyup. Cut up a critter and brown it, then add water, beer or stock and simmer it with onion, celery and carrots, garlic, and whatever seasonings you like (sage, oregano and bay for chicken and rabbit). Take the meat out, and either strain out the veggies or mash them, then cook the liquid down until it starts getting thick. Slow-brown a roux out of some flour and the skimmed fat or some butter, stir it into the simmering liquid, and when it starts thickening add half-half until you get the consistency of gravy you like. Put the meat back in, and while it's reheating add salt, pepper and some lemon juice.

Serve it with biscuits, home-mashed potatoes, corn on the cob or carrots cooked with brown sugar and a little ginger and black pepper, and finish off with sweet-potato pie.

[SwedeSteve]

Yum Troy! I grew up in SoCal shooting grey squirrels, cottontails, and quail with my Savage M24. Sorry you can't enjoy the same. The best squirrel hunting I ever enjoyed was in GA for Fox squirrels! Fricasseed squirrel done all day in a crockpot is the way to go!

[troy2000]

I could've been a little more specific on the gravy, I guess. You cook the liquids down until they're about half the amount of gravy you want. For the roux, you cook about 2 tablespoons of flour and two tablespoons of butter and/or skimmed fat for each 1/2 cup of the liquids. That way, when you roughly double it with the half and half, it'll come out the right consistency.

I usually do the roux cajun-style; I cook it very slowly for a long time until it's nut-brown. But you don't have to, and most people don't. If you want a whiter gravy, you just need to stir it around in a small pan over low or medium heat for about five minutes, to get rid of the starchy taste of the flour.

[SwedeSteve]

P-Nut Butter brown roux = done just right! How about Squirrel Etouffe Troy?

[killer]

I need clarification.

I live next door (Minnesota) to you choclabmom and it may be Minnesota slang but when you say "red squirrel" do you mean the large cousin to the gray squirrel? We in Minnesota also call it a "fox squirrel" and it is prized among squirrel hunters due to the larger size. Or do you mean that chattery little thing also referred to as a "pine
squirrel." People in Minnesota sometimes call both squirrels the same.

And do you guys really eat the pine squirrel shown below?

Sorry...pictures are links provided back to "Flickr" per their rules:

on Flickr - Photo Sharing! - Fox Squirrel
buck mt 5-07x 194(1) on Flickr - Photo Sharing! - Red Squirrel

[troy2000]

Originally Posted by SwedeSteve

P-Nut Butter brown roux = done just right! How about Squirrel Etouffe Troy?

Dunno bout dat, Steve. Ain't neva caught no squirrel what be swimmin...

Don't you need seafood in an etoufee? Otherwise it's just gumbo? You're right on the peanut-butter color of the roux, though, when you're using butter. I should've said, "light nut color." If you try to get it any darker, you'll burn it and make it bitter. I think real cajuns call that a blonde roux. For a real dark roux, you need oil instead.

[Momoney567]

If you don't like the way your squirrel tastes you're not cooking it right because any squirrel is good if you know how to cook em.
Most people make a sauce with them, put em in gumbo, barbecue em, or put em in the crock pot like everybody already said.

[Big Dog]

Here in the Deep South, we have the basic Grey Squirrel, his cousing the White Squirrel (NOT albino!) and the big Fox Squirrel. The little Red Squirrel (aka 'pine squirrel') isn't seen hereabouts. I've read they tend to taste of pine.
Our squirrels are very good eating - sort of a semi-dark meat! Either cooked in gravy or chicken-fried - both are great!

[SwedeSteve]

Troy- The fat doesn't matter, but it's easier to get a dark roux from oil as it has a higher smoking point. Etouffee means "smothered". Originally a crayfish and vegetable dish. L' a' etouffee was any meat and vegetable "smothered" in a roux and slow cooked. Shoot, I'd eat a smothered, slow cooked phone book!

[CHEF MIKE]

Wow, sounds like ya'll fellas know how to cook! Around here we call that little red a "mountain boomer" or as some old folks know it as "fariydiddle" it's main pourpose is to castrate male greys and reds in order for it to survive! Here they taste just fine but are so small that it takes a few for a good stew. They will tear a hole in the screen of the cabin and eat your Doritos or anything else!

[troy2000]

Originally Posted by SwedeSteve

Troy- The fat doesn't matter, but it's easier to get a dark roux from oil as it has a higher smoking point. Etouffee means "smothered". Originally a crayfish and vegetable dish. L' a' etouffee was any meat and vegetable "smothered" in a roux and slow cooked. Shoot, I'd eat a smothered, slow cooked phone book!

I think I have eaten a smothered, slow-cooked phone book, at the last fancy French restaurant a gal boondoggled me into eating at. Or at least it could've been, for all the texture and flavor under the sauce...

[petemi]

On our place, red squirrels are a pest and we shoot them on sight to encourage grays (and their black morph) and fox squirrels which are rare here. I've never tried eating them because I've always heard they were nasty. But, this discussion makes me wonder, why would they be piney tasting? The only thing in the conifers they eat, that I know of, are the pine nuts in the cones. The ones you buy in the store, pignoli, are mildly sweet and buttery. They eat a lot of spruce seeds here, and perhaps the spruce nuts are nasty.....I don't know. Any clues?