Best way to clean and cook Tree Rats!

[omarick1948]

Excuse me....Squirrels!
I hadn't went squirrel hunting since I wore a younger man's clothes. I do remember that they were tricky to skin without getting the hair on the meat and harder yet to get the hair off the meat and making ready to cook!

Is there a BEST way to clean and favorite recipes you'll share?............HELP!
Rick

 

[Grizzled Roberts]

Go down to the next subject, Recipies, and click on the Squirrel, Rabbit and Opussum line ( skip the possum part, she has a couple of great sounding squirrel recipies. Makes you mouth water just reading them!!! :thumbsup:

 

[jethro224]

The best way I know to skin 'em is to cut the hide around the vents and on the back of the rear legs from the knee all the way up to just below the tail. Use a very sharp knife and cut from the inside out as much as possible to avoid hair on the meat.
Work your fingers under the hide all the way around the tail and cut the tail from the body leaving it attached to the skin.
Then work your fingers under the leg hide. Pull the hind legs out of the skin and cut them off at the ankles.(A pair of side-cut pliers work real well here)
Now step on the tail with one foot, grasp the hind legs and pull the squirrel out of his hide like taking off a really stubborn sock. Pull until all that's left in the skin is the head and front paws. Cut those off, remove the innards, and put the meat on some ice.
The hide will turn inside-out as you pull and hardly get any hair on the meat at all. :thumbsup:

Cut the squirrel into 5 pieces; 4 leg quarters and a back. Boil until tender.(chicken broth? onion soup mix? etc.?) Then flour 'em up, spiced to taste, and fry until golden brown. Eat with biscuits and gravy. MMMMMMMMMM! :thumbsup:

 

[crockett]

Don't do it like a deer, that's what gets hair all over the place. The legs are what has all the meat so cut all around the middle and pull each end off like a glove, use a hatchet to chop off tail, feet, head,then gut and rise. I just cook the legs, never deal with fox squirrels, maybe they are big enough to do differently.

 

[Trench]

I cut a slit in the middle of the back, stick my forefingers in there from both hands and pull towards the head and tail simultaneously. You can pull the skin over the head/tail and then clip the head, legs, and tail.

 

[shmrck1]

Trench,
That is the way I do it with squirrels and
rabbits for 50 years.Any hair is just rinced off
with running water.As to cooking methods,check
the recipe forum.
snake-eyes :hmm:

 

[Black Hand]

I cut a slit in the middle of the back, stick my forefingers in there from both hands and pull towards the head and tail simultaneously. You can pull the skin over the head/tail and then clip the head, legs, and tail.

I do the same except I cut off the feet, head and tail first....

 

[omarick1948]

Here on the "Fruited plains" and river bottoms of Nebraska. We mainly have the Red Fox squirrels (some are even black). Those "boogers" are a regular tug-a-war skinning the older ones. The main problem was the hair problem, so guess I'll have to be more careful. That time of year is coming up fast and I'm looking forward to those cool Fall mornings with gun and nature!
Thanks everyone,
Rick

 

[Blizzard of '93]

I clean/skin as BlackHand does - then into salt water to soak few hours in the fridge. young, tender ones go into fry pan (gravy made with pan drippings served with biscuits), older ones for stewed & dumplings. the best tasting squacks come from corn fields IMO. :grin:

 

[wvbuckbuster]

My way is simular to jethro's. Hold the squirrel by the tail with the the legs facing away from you. Carefully cut across the poop shoot(butt hole)going thru the skin. Under the skin there are two tendons that need to be cut making sure NOT TO CUT THE TAIL OFF. Cut from this down each hind legg half way. Now place your foot on the tail as close to the body as possible and grasping the rear feet gently pull up causing the hide to seperate right down to the head and neck. I use a small game shear to cut off the head and feet then gut and rinse. No hair no fuss. Also I clean them as I am hunting because of the ease when the body is still warm and not stiff. Carry a bottle of warter to wash hands. With a little practice it will become easier. Works for me and just my way hope it is of help.

 

[wvbuckbuster]

As for cooking them I like to cook them a crock pot till falling off the bone then seperate the meat onto a plate and set aside. Strain the broth and place in pan bring to boil adding enought thicking to your liking. When gravy suits your liking add the meat let simmer and place over biscuts. Is it October yet? This is making me hungry!

 

[chainlink]

Hopefully this year's tree rat hunting will be more productive than last. Between Crows and Redtailed Hawks, last year was pretty show. I have 3 new squirrel guns for the season anyway :grin: .

 

[Black Hand]

Is it October yet? This is making me hungry!

We don't have a squirrel season here in Montana. However, we don't have any of those small-dog sized eastern-style squirrels either. All we have are the small pine squirrels (think rat sized). Still tasty though.....

 

[410-er]

Here is the video.
http://video.aol.com/video-detail/squirrel-skinning/2751195233

 

[MikeC]

410-er...That's the way I skin'em quick and easy. I field dress and quarter in the field. Two front legs, two rear legs and leave the middle section whole.

Lots of ways to cook them but for a quick easy and tasty meal I do the following.

I boil them in salt water for about 15 minutes then saute with butter and garlic until brown, keep it simple and serve with rice and beans. I like to cook the ribs crisp as they are basically a soft cartlidge with a thin tender layer of meat and I eat everything but the backbone.

I'll take squirrel over just about any other wild game.

 

[buttonbuck]

get a mess of em, to smoke first brine them in a mixture of 1 cup salt, 1cup vinegar, 2 cup salt, one gallon water boil first then cool, let them soak for 24 hours then smoke over low heat less than 200f adding wood chips from a fruit tree or hickory oak etc... for a good 4-6 hours then finish off over coals . I do this with rabbit, chicken upland birds, deer roast or goose and duck you can brine for longer with larger cuts and critters. Moist low temp smoke makes critters taste great. The last deer roast I smoked with mulberry and pear, so far hickory is best.

 

[crockett]

Hey, thanks for the video, that's a far better way to do it, really fast. I sort of do catfish like that, a couple of slits behind the gills connecting to a tab on top and then pliers to rip off the skin. Using the squirrel tail as a grip by stepping on it is a really good way. Thanks again.

 

[jethro224]

Almost the same way I do it... except the back legs. That way looks a little easier. I'll give that a try, hopefully this weekend. :thumbsup:

 

[Robert Egler]

In my opinion, the best way to cook squirrels is skin 'em, gut 'em, and cook them over an open fire on a spit. As fresh as possible. I sometimes eat one I got in the morning for the day's lunch in the field.

The second best way is to fry the meat in a pan.
Just some oil and black pepper.

I am pretty careful about skinning them. I tan the hides, face left on. My cats love to play with them, and I generally have a couple tanned skins in a drawer. Unfortunately my one cat prefers fox tails, which he is always trying to steal from my fur drawer :cursing: . I call him "Kate, Destroyer of Fox Tails." (Yeah, "him", we have a male cat named Kate. It's a long story. :yakyak: )

More pertinent to your question, I don't have any problem with hair as long as I am careful in skinning them, and I just rinse them off before I cook them so any hair is rinsed off anyway.

 

[omarick1948]

Thanks 410-er!...Thats a fast way to do it!
Ya can tell that 'ol boy has done it a time or two! :hatsoff:

Rick