Gastro Gnome - Eat Better Wherever

#squirrelshape

Get the extra large rolls or use 2 per roll up.
I made some of those earlier in the fall. They were excellent. Yours are a lot prettier then mine.
 
Forgive me for asking, because I’ve never had squirrel… But in the city they’re basically rodents. Are they better eating, living out in the wild?

We make them in a file (pronounced fee-lay) gumbo. Instead of chicken we put the squirrel meat in, with smoked sausage. Wonderful cool weather meal.
 
Definitely brine them. Grandma always soaked them overnight in buttermilk but who keeps buttermilk in there fridge these days?
I don't keep buttermilk, but I use regular milk with some vinegar hot sauce mixed in. Works great. Poke the meat with a fork and let them soak in it for about 8 hours and then fry those legs up. They are amazing.
 

What a tease. We need more information and a picture
Sorry, but my abilities fall short of posting pictures, etc I googled a recipe that comes very close. I found it at "allrecipes", listed as Cajun chicken and sausage gumbo. Very close except I don't use bell pepper or celery. Brown the squirrel pieces in the oil, then put them in a warm oven while you prepare the roux. After you add the pieces to the gumbo, you cook it for about an hour, and take the squirrel pieces out, debone them, then put the meat back in. That's how we do it. If you can find File powder, don't put any in your gumbo until you put the gumbo in your bowl. If you put the powder in the pot, it tends to make it a little slimy. We eat it over rice, and keep the potato salad seperate.

edit... Forgot to add a very seldom mentioned tip. After the gumbo has been simmering a while, you will see "clear" liquid (grease) accumulating on top of the gumbo. This is from the fat from the sausage. Get a spoon and scoop the clear liquid off and dispose of it in a jar to be put in the trash (NOT DOWN THE SINK DRAIN !!). You don't want to eat a spoonful of the grease when you are eating the gumbo, it's heartburn in a spoon.
 
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Sorry, but my abilities fall short of posting pictures, etc I googled a recipe that comes very close. I found it at "allrecipes", listed as Cajun chicken and sausage gumbo. Very close except I don't use bell pepper or celery. Brown the squirrel pieces in the oil, then put them in a warm oven while you prepare the roux. After you add the pieces to the gumbo, you cook it for about an hour, and take the squirrel pieces out, debone them, then put the meat back in. That's how we do it. If you can find File powder, don't put any in your gumbo until you put the gumbo in your bowl. If you put the powder in the pot, it tends to make it a little slimy. We eat it over rice, and keep the potato salad seperate.
Thanks!
 
Sorry, but my abilities fall short of posting pictures, etc I googled a recipe that comes very close. I found it at "allrecipes", listed as Cajun chicken and sausage gumbo. Very close except I don't use bell pepper or celery. Brown the squirrel pieces in the oil, then put them in a warm oven while you prepare the roux. After you add the pieces to the gumbo, you cook it for about an hour, and take the squirrel pieces out, debone them, then put the meat back in. That's how we do it. If you can find File powder, don't put any in your gumbo until you put the gumbo in your bowl. If you put the powder in the pot, it tends to make it a little slimy. We eat it over rice, and keep the potato salad seperate.
Do you put the squirrel in the crockpot first or is it tender enough by just simmering in the gumbo.

Sorry for all the questions. I love Cajun cooking and NE Iowa isn’t a exactly a hotspot for it!
 
Do you put the squirrel in the crockpot first or is it tender enough by just simmering in the gumbo.

Brown the squirrel in the pot in a little oil (Crisco is what we use), then put the squirrel in a warm oven to keep it while you are making the roux in the pot with the oil and flour. It probably wouldn't hurt to cook the squirrel in a crockpot, but it's just an unnecessary step, and another pot to clean. It will be tender enough after simmering in the gumbo for an hour. Before serving, I usually remove the squirrel pieces, debone them, then add them back to the pot. Otherwise, you will scoop up meat with bones in your spoon and have to "slow down" while you are eating the gumbo. If you hunt with a shotgun, deboning also helps locate some stray lead shot if you missed any during the cleaning of the squirrels.
 
Most important part of the gumbo is the roux. You can't rush it, and you don't want to burn it. It will make the gumbo taste sour. Should take about 20 to 30 minutes of constant stirring to get the right color. Follow the directions in the "Allrecipes", and if the gumbo isn't dark enough, add a tablespoon or two of "Kitchen Bouquet", if it is available. And gumbo and potato salad always taste much better the next day after they have set in the fridge overnight.

Sorry if I hijacked this thread.
 
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