Squirrel meat is one of the first wild game meats that I can remember eating. My mother would fry them up and we’d eat it with fried potatoes and onions or mashed potatoes and fresh corn on the cob from the garden.
I can recall the days when my Uncle would tell me he’s going hunting in the morning, and I couldn’t wait to tag-a-long. He’d come over to the house the next morning and mom would make us sausage sandwiches on white sandwich bread with mustard and hot sauce.
We packed up the sandwiches and headed to the woods for a day of rabbit and squirrel hunting. A lot of people are turned off by eating squirrel because it can be tough if not cooked the right way.
And then you have those who smother the squirrel in tons of ingredients and stock. The end result is a tender squirrel, but you can’t taste the rich gamey flavor of the squirrel meat.
The best way to eat a squirrel is to chicken fry it in a cast iron skillet with a lid. When you cook the squirrel with a lid, you retain the moisture that basically steam/fries the meat. It’s very simple to prepare.
Easy Fried Squirrel
Ingredients:
2 squirrels cut up
2 cups flour
2 cups water
oil for frying
salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
1. Cut up the squirrel into pieces and season with salt and pepper. Let the squirrel rest for 10 minutes
2. Dredge the squirrel in flour, dip in water and dredge in flour one more time. Let the squirrel meat rest for another 10 minutes so the flour can adhere to the meat and the breading can set up.
3. Heat enough oil to fry in the cast iron skillet. Any skillet will do, but we’ve always used cast iron.
4. Put the squirrel in the hot grease and cook on medium-low heat for 8-10 minutes on each side with the lid on.
5. After the squirrel has cooked on the second side for 8-10 minutes, flip it again and leave the lid off. This will crisp the breading.
After flipping the squirrel the second time, you only need to cook it long enough for the breading to crisp up, which should only take a minute or two. The idea is to get a tight sealing lid and pan that will hold the moisture in.
I usually cook the squirrel for 8 minutes on the first side, so when I flip it the second time, it won’t brown too much or burn. I basically cook 8 minutes on the first side, flip and cook for 10 minutes, flip and cook for 2 minutes.
This method of cooking the squirrel will leave the breading crispy and the meat moist and tender. If you want a heartier or comforting meal, pour a can of cream of mushroom soup over the squirrel and bake in a oven for 30 minutes on 350.