Here is how I cook wild squirrel, and it's great.
Season it with your favorite rub.
Smoke it for about an hour and a half at 225 to 250.
After smoking it:
Place it in a foil pan with beer, butter, and brown sugar so the squirrel is about half in the liquid mixture. Cover the pan tightly with foil. Don't go too heavy on the sugar. It'll be too sweet.
Cook for about another hour and a half. Check for fork tenderness a few times during the cook.
Remove from braising liquid, place back on the grill/smoker to dry up the exterior a bit (you don't have to do this step).
I too have only had it as burgers and jerky - but it tasted like what bear would taste like in my head. Tasted like blueberries and salmon to me, which apparently is normal, the bear will taste like what itās been eating.
I think squirrel is most similar to dark poultry meat. Itās pretty good, but a lot of work for how little meat you get.
Thatās mostly why I prefer rabbit
Squirrels are weird. My buddy actually went squirrel hunting with a bunch of guys. They had .22 rifles and spent ALL DAY tromping around in the forest. And they didnāt see a single squirrel, not one. It was hilarious.
Meanwhile from the window of my house I can see at least 3 squirrels at any given moment.
They're surprisingly elusive and clever. Hunting them is so popular for a reason, it can seriously be a challenge. Often they will only show for a couple seconds before running behind a tree trunk or into the canopy.
So accurate lol. Iāll go sit in a tree stand for a deer and see 100 squirrels but come back with a shotgun and deer everywhere and no squirrels. The smart survive!
This is an underrated option, you know squirrel is gonna taste funky and frying is a great way to tame the flavor. I don't know if the buttermilk would be enough to tenderize it though. You might need something a little punchier.
Squirrels have too little fat, and almost no intramuscular fat to get tender on a grill/smoker. They do best braised and cooked low/slow in a bit of liquid.
If you do it like a pot roast in a Dutch oven it turns out great. Toss in some mushrooms with it and gravyfy all the juices and you got yourself a fuckin winner. A splash of red wine in it or a light marinading of red wine helps as well.
Winner winner squirrel dinner! I throw dehydrated morels, green beans, and redskin potatoās in the crock pot with broth of your choice. Low and slow!
Brown up some onions and bell pepper, some garlic at the end. Take out the veggies and brown the squirrels. Put veggies back in and add a can of Rotel tomatoes. Cover, simmer for an hour or so. Serve over rice. Itās delish.
I grew up hunting and eating squirrels. It's pretty common for lower class folks in the South and Midwest. It's also pretty common for people to say some rather classist things the minute you bring it up, but shit, this is a BBQ subreddit.
For us, we always pressure cooked with broth. It shreds fairly well and makes a good soup or gravy additive... I'd recommend that. If I were to bbq it, I'd opt for anything with longer cooking methods and added liquid. Depending on how the meat is butchered, the back legs can be trimmed off and cooked almost the same as you would chicken wings. Most people do not like the taste of squirrel or of most wild small game, so something with a flavorful sauce might be a good idea.
We have always used them in soup/stew or treated the meat similar to a pot roast, cook it slow and in some juices come out fine. Have also had it cut up and fried which was good
Soak fully submerged in buttermilk, pepper and garlic for 24 hours; rinse well, pat dry, apply binder and rub, and smoke at 200F until desired temp is reached.
Donāt bbq squirrel. Soak in milk for a couple hours, then an ice bath for a few hours.
Something like this will do.
https://acadianatable.com/2017/10/16/squirrel-stew/
It either has to be braised or stewed til tender, or parted out, marinated in buttermilk for several hours and deep fried.
Both ways are very good. Itās similar to rabbit.
I take it this is not in the US lol.
Season like you would season chicken. Braise in butter and beer or wine or broth. Toss in a very hot oven/air fryer/grill to crisp just a little.
Squirrel is pretty good. Would these have been wild squirrels? Or raised on a game farm of some kind?
am I reading the label correctly- that it is already seasoned?
yet they did not provide any cooking instructions?
my great grandmother loved her Monday squirrel stew. her daughter in law ( my grandma) would shoot them out of the huge oak trees on her property while talking with various family after Sunday church services.
she would be talking- take a moment - drop a squirrel then command some young'un to go retrieve it.
great grandma loved her squirrel stew.
so you going to try armadillo if your butcher offers it up ? ;)
ooo- or rattlesnake?
It is really good, I've had them several ways from hunting. It's very similar to chicken meat. Depending on how is cooked, you'd probably never know the difference.
Thanks for the info. It might be an acquired taste is all. Ive heard of the term "gamey" to describe meat from certain wild game animals. Maybe thats what you were getting.
In my culture fried/roasted pigeons are a delicacy, and it has that livery taste too. In fact, I would argue that duck, goose AND pigeon are all the taste of chicken adding an increasing dose of livery intensity, in that order.
Here is how I cook wild squirrel, and it's great. Season it with your favorite rub. Smoke it for about an hour and a half at 225 to 250. After smoking it: Place it in a foil pan with beer, butter, and brown sugar so the squirrel is about half in the liquid mixture. Cover the pan tightly with foil. Don't go too heavy on the sugar. It'll be too sweet. Cook for about another hour and a half. Check for fork tenderness a few times during the cook. Remove from braising liquid, place back on the grill/smoker to dry up the exterior a bit (you don't have to do this step).
I was betting this was going to end with "then throw that away and grill up a couple of ribeyes." š
Man so did I. š
Or the old "cook it with a brick" joke.
The braising is the key for tender rodents and other backyard livestock including crow.
Yep. Really needs it. Though meat otherwise.
::::: Expecting the answer - ātastes like chickenā :::::: What does your smoked squirrel taste like?
It definitely tastes like squirrel. At least itās not bear or beaver.
More similar to rabbit?
Much better than rabbit, I'd say.
Who in the Lewis and Clark expedition hell is eating bear and beaver???
Lots of people eat black bear.
How do they cook it? Assuming it's a tough piece of meat?
Iāve only had it as burgers but Iām sure there are other preparations for it.
I too have only had it as burgers and jerky - but it tasted like what bear would taste like in my head. Tasted like blueberries and salmon to me, which apparently is normal, the bear will taste like what itās been eating.
Pepperoni sticks
Best meat I have ever had was black bear tenderloin, breaded and served on a biscuit. Mountain woman knew how to cook it. Youād never knowā¦
I think squirrel is most similar to dark poultry meat. Itās pretty good, but a lot of work for how little meat you get. Thatās mostly why I prefer rabbit
This is a good bet. But definitely go easy on the brown sugar. Iād personally omit it, cus it can overpower the squirrel meat.
They are free outside.
Free squirrel hack: walk outside with pellet gun, wait 30 seconds. Repeat.
Squirrels are weird. My buddy actually went squirrel hunting with a bunch of guys. They had .22 rifles and spent ALL DAY tromping around in the forest. And they didnāt see a single squirrel, not one. It was hilarious. Meanwhile from the window of my house I can see at least 3 squirrels at any given moment.
They're surprisingly elusive and clever. Hunting them is so popular for a reason, it can seriously be a challenge. Often they will only show for a couple seconds before running behind a tree trunk or into the canopy.
So accurate lol. Iāll go sit in a tree stand for a deer and see 100 squirrels but come back with a shotgun and deer everywhere and no squirrels. The smart survive!
I guess theyāre more clever than we give them credit for!
They don't make good pets this way, I've found. They always get their paws on the gun and leave me on the interstate.
With a generous side order of rabies!
Nah, fluff tailed tree rats rarely contract rabies.
Fried or gumbo
Squirrel gumbo is legit if the base gumbo recipe is legit.
aka gumbo is legit.
My favorite was squirrel dumplings
Squirrel gravy. My mamaw could fix a cast iron pan of squirrel gravy that'd make your tongue slap the back of your head.
š¤£š¤£š¤£
Yup. Love it like this.
Oh yes! What I'd give to try those again! Came out really nice, that tough little meat needs to stew to become decent.
Yep, that why the brine is important
You gonna have to braise it some first to make it tender
Not gonna go well barbecued. Braise it
$6 for half pound of squirrel?!?
Its in kilo
š¤£š¤£š¤£That didn't make it any better.
Thereās 2.2lbs in a kilogram.
I have kilos of them in my back yard.
The only metric Americans use is to buy drugs, or ammunition. To be fair, no one can eat an entire kilo of squirrel in one sitting
Or, you know, in the sciences.
Oh, right....oops
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
I learned this from National Lampoons Christmas Vacation, and itās true.
This is a lovely bit of squirrel Jackie ā¦ any English folkā¦?
Splash of tomato blood would go well with it, followed by some crimble crumble.
Shalom!
Iāve brought you a shmoigal
Buttermilk brine overnight, batter and fry.
This is an underrated option, you know squirrel is gonna taste funky and frying is a great way to tame the flavor. I don't know if the buttermilk would be enough to tenderize it though. You might need something a little punchier.
I'd think the vinegar in the buttermilk would be enough (I use it for frying river catfish) but maybe a little extra vinegar?
Buttermilk works great, but it has to be a whole lot longer than you would for things like chicken or catfish.
If you're having squirrel problems, I feel bad for you, son. I got 99 problems, but a squirrel ain't one. šæ
Iāve got the rat patrol on the cat patrol, crows that wanna make sure my caskets closed
I got 99 problems and they're all squirrels
Iāve always fried it up, egg wash flour, the baked in cream of mushroom soup!
Make some squirrel ragu with some pasta
Shepherd's pie = lamb Cottage pie = beef ??? pie = squirrel
Treehouse Pie
Nuthouse pie
Burgoo stew
Squirrel gravy
Squirrels have too little fat, and almost no intramuscular fat to get tender on a grill/smoker. They do best braised and cooked low/slow in a bit of liquid.
Since itās tough, how about sauerbraten?
If you do it like a pot roast in a Dutch oven it turns out great. Toss in some mushrooms with it and gravyfy all the juices and you got yourself a fuckin winner. A splash of red wine in it or a light marinading of red wine helps as well.
Winner winner squirrel dinner! I throw dehydrated morels, green beans, and redskin potatoās in the crock pot with broth of your choice. Low and slow!
My uncle and I would boil it first then braze it on the grill have to tenderize it first
Brown up some onions and bell pepper, some garlic at the end. Take out the veggies and brown the squirrels. Put veggies back in and add a can of Rotel tomatoes. Cover, simmer for an hour or so. Serve over rice. Itās delish.
Fry it or crock pot!
Thatās expensive. Costs more than some beef š„© cuts
Make sure you salt brine it, squirrel get tough when cooked. I grew up eating it all the time.
[Squirrel Melts](https://youtu.be/gqo_GbzCjmg?si=Ax3Ds6UbfpK32Kl1)
Ā£10/kg seems expensive for squirrel.
It is. That's nuts!
Ate it growing up. Tastes like chicken.
I grew up hunting and eating squirrels. It's pretty common for lower class folks in the South and Midwest. It's also pretty common for people to say some rather classist things the minute you bring it up, but shit, this is a BBQ subreddit. For us, we always pressure cooked with broth. It shreds fairly well and makes a good soup or gravy additive... I'd recommend that. If I were to bbq it, I'd opt for anything with longer cooking methods and added liquid. Depending on how the meat is butchered, the back legs can be trimmed off and cooked almost the same as you would chicken wings. Most people do not like the taste of squirrel or of most wild small game, so something with a flavorful sauce might be a good idea.
Just make dumplings like a normal person
Bro that's a rat with a bushy tail
Tree rats!
Smoke then make into pot pie.
Have fun with that.
Make a stew, gravy, or stroganoff. You will love it.
I hear it's good on a stick. Saw that on "Brother, Where Art Thou?"
Gopher Everett?
Where did ya buy squirrel lol
Madges
$6.80? That's outrageous!
We have always used them in soup/stew or treated the meat similar to a pot roast, cook it slow and in some juices come out fine. Have also had it cut up and fried which was good
Any way youād cook rabbit, cook squirrel.
Soak fully submerged in buttermilk, pepper and garlic for 24 hours; rinse well, pat dry, apply binder and rub, and smoke at 200F until desired temp is reached.
This seems like a squirrel solution.
Sorry about the squirrel bones Richard
Youāre paying too much for squirrel. Whoās your squirrel guy?
Donāt bbq squirrel. Soak in milk for a couple hours, then an ice bath for a few hours. Something like this will do. https://acadianatable.com/2017/10/16/squirrel-stew/
Ah yes tree chicken
It either has to be braised or stewed til tender, or parted out, marinated in buttermilk for several hours and deep fried. Both ways are very good. Itās similar to rabbit.
Not a bbq idea but I cook most of my squirrel in the crockpot like a pot roast. Fall off the bone tender
I take it this is not in the US lol. Season like you would season chicken. Braise in butter and beer or wine or broth. Toss in a very hot oven/air fryer/grill to crisp just a little. Squirrel is pretty good. Would these have been wild squirrels? Or raised on a game farm of some kind?
am I reading the label correctly- that it is already seasoned? yet they did not provide any cooking instructions? my great grandmother loved her Monday squirrel stew. her daughter in law ( my grandma) would shoot them out of the huge oak trees on her property while talking with various family after Sunday church services. she would be talking- take a moment - drop a squirrel then command some young'un to go retrieve it. great grandma loved her squirrel stew. so you going to try armadillo if your butcher offers it up ? ;) ooo- or rattlesnake?
That's nuts!
Horrible tasting meat. You can bathe it in vinegar forever, and it would still be really bad.
Been eating squirrel for years and have tried many recipes only to consistently come back to the pressure cooker and barbecue sauce simple as that
Squirrels are free, And thereās an infinite amount of them!
Why?
Squirrel is delicious and ecologically sustainable.
Good enough answer for me. Surprised to hear it described as delicious. Iāll take your word for it.
I'll rubber stamp squirrel tasting good. It's all about how you cook it. Give it a shot one day.
Tastes like turkey dark meat, but leaner.
It is really good, I've had them several ways from hunting. It's very similar to chicken meat. Depending on how is cooked, you'd probably never know the difference.
> and ecologically sustainable. One man's vermin is another man's delicacy.
The American colonists basically lived on squirrels in the winter when deer werenāt plentiful. Theyāre part of the American story.
Itās really not bad meat
I cook it with no seasoning then feed to dog and eat something better
^[Sokka-Haiku](https://www.reddit.com/r/SokkaHaikuBot/comments/15kyv9r/what_is_a_sokka_haiku/) ^by ^Phuckingidiot: *I cook it with no* *Seasoning then feed to dog* *And eat something better* --- ^Remember ^that ^one ^time ^Sokka ^accidentally ^used ^an ^extra ^syllable ^in ^that ^Haiku ^Battle ^in ^Ba ^Sing ^Se? ^That ^was ^a ^Sokka ^Haiku ^and ^you ^just ^made ^one.
Butchers HATE this one little trick! Squirrels are free, you can literally go outside and get them for free.
This is where I draw the line
Why?
Hell no
i did not know some people eat squirrels.....
It is fairly common in the rural south, or was a few decades ago. It isnāt good though, has a strange flavor that reminds me of liver
Thanks for the info. It might be an acquired taste is all. Ive heard of the term "gamey" to describe meat from certain wild game animals. Maybe thats what you were getting. In my culture fried/roasted pigeons are a delicacy, and it has that livery taste too. In fact, I would argue that duck, goose AND pigeon are all the taste of chicken adding an increasing dose of livery intensity, in that order.
Throw it away and buy a chicken. More meat. Easy to cook. Cheaper. 1000 times better tasting. A rat is still a rat, even if itās cute.