Easier way to get the meat off a squirrel??

[apoallo]

So I got my first squirrel today and he was a nice big fat male. (no pics sorry) I wanted to mainly try the meat for the first time. I feel there was a good amount of meat on him but could not figure out the best way to get the meat off the bone. I was able to get a few big chunks cut off but I think I wasted a lot that could have been good eaten. Any tips out there?

[Guns&ReligionCop]

This is how I do it, First I use a hatchet to take of the feet and then I cut around the neck and pull the hide off holding the head working it all the way down off the tail. When its naked I use the hatchet to chop of the tail and head. Then I take a knife and cut from the ass all the way up through the ribs and pull out the insides. After this I rinse it out really good getting any hair and blood off of it then place it on boiling water. I let it sit in the water at low boil for about 4 hours or until the meet just falls off. I usually take the meat mix it with gravy and put it over bow tie noodles. I know a few fellows that just cut off the legs and deep fry them in pancake batter.

This isn't mine but here something to try

Dip the squirrel meat into a bowl of Aunt Jemima or Hungry Jack original pancake mix - then dip in egg and then re-dip in pancake mix.

Pan fry in oil till brown on all sides

Put all meat in a oven safe baking dish - glass or porcelain pan

Cover all meat with 1 can of cream of chicken soup plus 1 can of cream of mushroom soup (right out of can - no water)

Cover baking dish with foil

Bake at 350 degrees for 90 minutes

Take out and let stand at least 10 - 15 minutes and then dig in and enjoy!

I do my snapping turtle meat the same but cook for 2 hours in the oven. Cottontail rabbit is the same but only need an hour in the oven. Jack Rabbit the same but put in the crockpot for at least 6 hours on high setting.

[Paula]

look on you tube

[sidewinder]

mmmmmmmmmmmm im gettin hungry. ok back to the basic's.

take 2or 3 squirrel's and 1/4(quarter) them.

lil bit of butter and a couple slices of bacon(slab is best but processed will do) in a fry pan and brown the meat.

take the meat out of the pan and let cool for about 5 min....save the grease(drippings) from the pan for later.

pull the meat from the bones and cruble the bacon then set to the side.

make yourself some taters,rice,egg noodles,or any other form of pasta.

with the dripping's bring back to a low simmer(boil) and add a mix of water(cold tap) and flour(corn starch works better) seasoned with a bit of pepper.

slowly add the water/flour mix to the pan with the dripping's while contantly stirring(this is the important part) do NOT walk away.

stir together in the pan until you remember what grandma's gravy looked like

now add in the rest of the meat and just let it go for about 45 min or so.

depending on how thick you made that gravy you may have to add water(tablespoon) at a time so that id dont burn(think of making a stew with a heavy sauce

after the cooking time you will have what looks like gravy with meat in it.

turn off the heat... give it a stir one more time for luck and serve over the tater's,rice,ect...ect...ect.

good luck and all's i can tell you is...........DONT FORGET THE BACON.

[Pygmy]

http://huntingny.com...s/page__st__100

look on you tube

That's the way I do them, except I don't dick around half a day like that goober in the fur hat...

I did six of them this morning in about half an hour and that included disjointing them and cleaning the blood/hair from them. I disjoint them into 4 legs and the back and discard the ribcage, which has little meat on it anyway.

[Paula]

i tried it last week, i would do it that way again

[Pygmy]

i tried it last week, i would do it that way again

Paula... You and I will have to get together and skin a squirrel someday...Don't tell Bubba, though...<wink,wink>...

[Elmo]

i tried it last week, i would do it that way again

You use the stepping on the tail method of the dude with the puffy hat method?

[Geno C]

OK, i have to ask... i have never had squirrel before, how does it taste?? ive shot them with my bow before and the smell on the arrows is disgusting so i never pictured it tasting good.

[Elmo]

lil bit of butter and a couple slices of bacon(slab is best but processed will do) in a fry pan and brown the meat.

take the meat out of the pan and let cool for about 5 min....save the grease(drippings) from the pan for later.

pull the meat from the bones.

I find that if you let the meat simmer for at least 45 minutes, the meat is tough like shoe leather since it's so lean. Don't how you can remove the meat with less time cooking without leaving a ton on the bones.

Edited September 21, 2012 by Elmo

[Elmo]

OK, i have to ask... i have never had squirrel before, how does it taste?? ive shot them with my bow before and the smell on the arrows is disgusting so i never pictured it tasting good.

I like to describe it as the dark meat of a turkey leg. Paula describes it as a chicken with a bit of sweetness to it, which, I can see. I've also heard that it taste exactly like rabbit. I've had rabbit several times but each time it was so heavily seasoned that I can't hardly tell if I was tasting rabbit or some sort of spice so I can't vouch for that statement.

[Geno C]

I like to describe it as the dark meat of a turkey leg. Paula describes it as a chicken with a bit of sweetness to it, which, I can see. I've also heard that it taste exactly like rabbit. I've had rabbit several times but each time it was so heavily seasoned that I can't hardly tell if I was tasting rabbit or some sort of spice so I can't vouch for that statement.

Really?? hmmm would not have thought that... Rabbit i have had and it was delicious. I love the dark meat of turkey and would never have thought a squirrel would come close in taste? lol... ive never had it so i cant say

[erussell]

As soon as you shoot it cut around the middle and skin from the waist down and cut bottom half off. Throw rest of squil in bush for yotes. Once you hunt up about 12 squils boil them till the meat comes off the bones. Then fry in pan with a little butter and garlic to taste and smother in BBQ sauce and eat on a bun like pulled pork.. Enjoy.

Edited September 21, 2012 by erussell

[Top ramen]

After skinning and cleaning like previous posts, I bake the squirrels whole. You lose less meat by not separating before cooking. Salt and Pepper to taste and I can hardly get any as my juvekile boys devour.

[SteveNY]

As soon as you shoot it cut around the middle and skin from the waist down and cut bottom half off. Throw rest of squil in bush for yotes. Once you hunt up about 12 squils boil them till the meat comes off the bones. Then fry in pan with a little butter and garlic to taste and smother in BBQ sauce and eat on a bun like pulled pork.. Enjoy.

hummmm, that sounds like something I need to try.

[SteveB]

If I shot one, I would just let the dogs take care of getting the meat off the bone.

[Geno C]

If I shot one, I would just let the dogs take care of getting the meat off the bone.

LOL, cmon steve you eat squirrel...

[Paula]

Paula... You and I will have to get together and skin a squirrel someday...Don't tell Bubba, though...<wink,wink>...

Bubba can handle you and i hanging out, its my husband that might have issues with it lol

You use the stepping on the tail method of the dude with the puffy hat method?

yes Elmo it works

Edited September 21, 2012 by paula

[biggamefish]

I didn't read all of the posts so I don't know if this was said yet. If it was I apologize.

After skinning and gutting the squirrel I clean it well and get all excess fat off of the body. I then put it in a bowl of warm water with salt in it. It is a kind of brine to soften up the meat. I then freeze them untill I am cooking. Then when I am going to cook them up I preboil them for a short time. I don't cook the meat just a short preboil. After that you can just pull the meat off of the bone. Then put it in any recipe you would like.

[airedale]

The good old "Crock Pot" is the best for utilizing all the meat on a Squirrel, Cover them with water in your crock pot and let them go a few hours from morning until afternoon. Take them out and the meat will virtually fall off the bones and is tender, put the boned meat back into the pot with the broth and add a bag of mixed vegetables and let it go until the veggies are done. Season with salt and pepper, eat it as is like soup or thicken it like stew, it is eating that is as good as it gets.

Al

[Guns&ReligionCop]

OK, i have to ask... i have never had squirrel before, how does it taste?? ive shot them with my bow before and the smell on the arrows is disgusting so i never pictured it tasting good.

I think it taste like chicken. It doesn't remind me of rabbit at all which I taste kind of sour to me

[Paula]

can't be a city squirrel, has to be a country squirrel that is eating corn and nuts, that is what makes it sweet...mmmm

Edited September 21, 2012 by paula

[apoallo]

my problem is that I cant boil the squirrel I need to be able to take the meat off the bone while in the field and put into a baggy. My wife doesnt mind me hunting but she doesnt like the smell or though of a wild animal being cooked in the kitchen. I can get away with the deer meat but just by a hair. I think I will just dejoint them like stated in a earlier post arms , legs and serloin/backstraps. thanks for the Cooking recipes Iwill be using afew of them

[Paula]

so when you bring it home it just can't look like what it is?

[Skillet]

I use my hatchet to cut off the feet. Then I cut the skin around the center of the body. Work your fingers under the skin and peel it towards the feet, it'll slide right off. Then use your hatchet to cut off the head and tail. You can do them like that before you even gut them, it helps me avoid geting the bloody fur stuck all over, and ending up on the meat. Squirrel hair is a b!tch to get off of the meat.