Squirrel top tips?

[Funkster]

Hi everyone, first post here!

I got myself a squirrel yesterday and spent a good half hour skinning, gutting and "butchering" it, and it'll go in the pot this evening. I (roughly) followed the process described on this page:

http://www.gutpilestyle.com/ForumSMF/bi ... -squirrel/

I'll hopefully get better at it, but still felt like there was meat wasted when all I kept was the legs and saddle piece... does anyone ever gut squirrels and then put the whole thing in the pot to get every last bit of meat possible? Or do you end up with some nasty-tasting bits in there if you try it that way?

Thanks for any hints!
--
Olly

[Green Aura]

Well done for catching one. The one's in our garden are too quick for our cats even

They don't look to have much meat anyway.

Oh and welcome to Ish.

[Squirrel46]

Not tried one yet, but I will!
The Americans say avoid the brains, some hunters have developed CJD with sqirrel stew!
HFW did one very slowly in cider, nice!

[Funkster]

Definitely avoiding the brains / spine and so on! Don't see much use for the other offal either, it'd take a lot of squirrels to make a decent amount of liver pate ;o)

Got half a pound of meat from the one I got (including leg bones), not too bad really - should do the two of us for dinner this evening. But I'm always keen to avoid waste, and if any more good bits can be stewed off the carcass, I'll eat it!

Cheers :o)
--
Olly

[red]

so - what does it taste like? rabbit with a hint of hazelnut?

[Funkster]

I'm happy to report that it was delicious! Perhaps like rabbit with a hint of pheasant - not too gamey though.

Made an HFW-inspired roast tomato ragout out of it, and it easily made three nicely squirrely portions - very tender as well after an hour and a half in the pot.

ttfn!
--
Olly