Pan fried squirrels and gravy

[vt_shooter]

Just in case you want to know how to clean and cook a squirrel ...

(hmmm it won't let me post a YouTube link)

Put into google "youtube BEST WAY TO CLEAN AND COOK SQUIRREL Cast Iron Cooking"

You'll find an entertaining guy that makes quick work of it.

 

[OldOutlaw]

We've got two kinds of squirrels in S. Mississippi, Fox Squirrels and gray squirrels. The fox squirrels are about twice the size of the grays but the grays outnumber them by a lot. My recipe is dress and quarter them, chicken fry, make a large pan of mushroom gravy, and cook them in a crock pot or pressure cooker. Serve with white rice, and the gravy of course, and your favorite veggie, and corn bread or biscuits. I've also made some pretty good squirrel gumbo. Sometimes I cook wild rabbit the same way in the same pan with the squirrels, depending on what I came home with.

I cook them similar to you. Really good. I have gray, black, and fox up here where I live in Iowa. They are really thick this year! I just shot three about two hours ago and got them skinned, quartered, and in the fridge. Will have tomorrow.


Darned things are swarming my two bird feeders. Needed to thin these three overly stubborn ones finally.

 

[CAJUNLAWYER]

Years ago Dad shot a squirrel while we were duck hunting.

Brought it home and put it in a pot to boil on the stove in the basement.

About 20 minutes on, the most noisome odor began wafting up from the basement.

By the time we got the pot off the stove, the basement and main floor smelled terrible.

We put the pot and squirrel outside to cool.

One it was cool, we offered it to the dogs. Dogs wouldn't touch it!

I take my cue about eating squirrel from the dogs.

Yer supposed to skin it and clean it first

 

[Jessie]

Good one Caj! And it was right there in front of us all this whole time.
Again, we need additional like options.

 

[Puller]

I fixed up a mess of fried squirrel last weekend. I always parboil them first to tenderize them before battering and pan frying them.

I'd just as soon have fried squirrel as fried chicken.

 

[JFthunder]

Memories raging

Wow guys this whole forum is just ripping on my heartstrings today. First it was the M3 thread and now the fried squirrel. Every fall while I was growing up…but the last hunt for my dad was probably about 1967 or '68 and the last squirrel dinner would have been the winter between when I was home from college. My "Hoosier heritage " really kicking in tonight.

 

[gamboolman]

I grew up hunting and eating squirrels.
Mom would cook up anything I brought in - already cleaned.
Fried and also in the slow cooker with gravy for the older tough ones.

 

[Ole Joe Clark]

I fixed up a mess of fried squirrel last weekend. I always parboil them first to tenderize them before battering and pan frying them.

I'd just as soon have fried squirrel as fried chicken.

That's pretty, and looks really good.

Have a blessed day,

Leon

 

[SteveA]

Ate a lot of squirrel and rabbit as a young man. My mom was from Tennessee and not a very good cook but she could fry things. My Tennessee grandmother knew how to cook them. When we'd visit, I would go back of the house, up in the hills hunting grey squirrel. One little hollow was forbidden entry for some reason Never could get used to the heads looking at me on the platter though.

 

[Tubbsy]

Tasty looking chicken of the trees.

My grandpa always called em tree chickens growing up... I get some funny looks nowadays when I do the same... I cut my teeth squirrel hunting as a boy and you always eat what you shoot... might have to dig out the rifle Sunday and get some breakfast.

 

[Kenna]

Had an uncle that would hunt squirrel. My aunt cooked it up tasted like Chicken!!

 

[hittman77]

I should renew my hunting license.

Been years since I've had that meal ….. brought back great memories of my mom. Thank you.

 

[llowry61]

We always hunted the fox squirrels when I was young. For some reason we never thought of the greys as wild.

Anyway, last time I had squirrel was years ago, shot a limit with a .22 then cooked them up for my roommates who thought I was a crazy hillbilly till they tried it.

My mom taught me to season flower and fry them in Crisco. Remove them from the pan when browned. Make a rue gravy with the drippings, put the fried pieces back in the gravy and simmer till the meat was falling off the bone. Serve over rice, pan fried potatoes or mashed whatever you like.

I have been tempted to go shoot a few and make that meal up just for the memories. I think squirrel rue gravy is one of the best gravies you can make only bested by sausage gravy.

I need to get back to my small game hunting roots. My deer hunting has taken me away from it and I just started thinking about how much fun we had shooting rabbits, pheasants and quail as a kid.

 

[raisedin99]

Years ago Dad shot a squirrel while we were duck hunting.

Brought it home and put it in a pot to boil on the stove in the basement.

About 20 minutes on, the most noisome odor began wafting up from the basement.

By the time we got the pot off the stove, the basement and main floor smelled terrible.

We put the pot and squirrel outside to cool.

One it was cool, we offered it to the dogs. Dogs wouldn't touch it!

I take my cue about eating squirrel from the dogs.

Since you didn't mention it, I have to ask? Did you gut it?

terry

 

[Rpg]

Since you didn't mention it, I have to ask? Did you gut it?

terry

Gutted and skinned.

 

[Chubbs103]

Fall was for small game. We ate a few rabbits, and a bushel or so of squirrels. The heads were always fried and eaten as well.

Summertime was for frog legs and snapping turtle.

 

[krsmith58]

Kenny, we might be kin, all this squirrel, rabbit, homemade biscuits and gravy talk has flung a craving on me. Kinda like home fried potatoes, I can hardly stop eating them until the bowl is empty. Whoever started this thread is guilty of torture, because I haven't had breakfast yet.

Have a blessed day,

Leon

we may very well be related. as most folks know a large % of Smiths have an intentional blurry ancestral past. kenneth r SMITH

 

[BC38]

Fall was for small game. We ate a few rabbits, and a bushel or so of squirrels. The heads were always fried and eaten as well.

Yup. The cheeks are a nice little hunk of meat. We used to crack the skulls and eat the brains too - I was never wild about any kind of brains, but would eat them.

Summertime was for frog legs and snapping turtle.

Yessir, with panfish coated in cornmeal and skillet fried, and a big batch of hushpuppies too!

 

[boykinlp]

Grandma would fry up the squirrel meat in bacon fat until edges crispy, then make pepper gravy with the whole mess.

Served over open-faced fresh biscuits, a feast!

Never had squirrel, but reading this has my mouth watering! Tell grandma, I'm in!!

Yup. The cheeks are a nice little hunk of meat. We used to crack the skulls and eat the brains too - I was never wild about any kind of brains, but would eat them.

YIKES, I'm out on cracking skulls and eating brain!!
Larry

 

[Chubbs103]

YIKES, I'm out on cracking skulls and eating brain!!
Larry

When the big Mad Cow scare was a thing in the '90s, Wildlife departments started warning against eating any kind of brain. I don't think I have had a squirrel brain since. Of course I've primarily head-shot with a .22 since about that time as well. Growing up, everyone used shotguns.