Well now, if y’all ever been out in the woods and caught yourself a squirrel or two, ya might be wonderin’ how to cook ‘em up real tasty like, without endin’ up with somethin’ chewy and tough. Now, don’t you worry none! I’m here to tell you how to make them squirrels just melt in your mouth, and it don’t even take much work. I reckon this crock pot method’s the easiest way to go, especially if you ain’t cooked much critter before.
First thing you gotta do is catch yourself a good squirrel, or two if you’re lucky. If you ain’t got one handy, you can always find ’em at a local butcher or even in some grocery stores if you’re far from the woods. Now, after you got your squirrel, you need to clean it up proper. Take that little critter, wash it real good with cold water, and make sure you get all the dirt and feathers off. Ain’t nothin’ worse than chewin’ on a squirrel and findin’ grit in your mouth, so scrub ‘em down real good.
Now, some folks like to cut the squirrel up into pieces, but I don’t bother with all that. I just leave it whole, head off and all, and it’ll cook up real nice in that crock pot. You might want to soak it in some salt water for a bit too, just to help get the blood out and make it a bit tender. Just mix up a little salt and water—’bout a quarter cup of salt in two quarts of water—and let the squirrel sit in there for an hour or so. After that, give it a rinse. You’ll see that it helps a lot, trust me!
Next step, get that crock pot ready. You’ll want to set it on low heat, ’bout 6 or 7 hours, so you got plenty of time to go do other things while the squirrel cooks itself nice and slow. I like to add some seasoning right off the bat. A little salt and pepper, maybe some garlic powder if you got it, and a bit of cayenne if you like a little kick. Throw in a couple of onions and maybe a couple of chopped up apples for sweetness. You can also add a little bit of water, but not too much—you don’t want it swimming in there, just enough to keep it moist.
Once all that’s in the pot, cover it up and let it cook. Don’t go messin’ with it too much. Just let it be. After a few hours, you’ll start smellin’ that wonderful aroma driftin’ through the house. You’ll know it’s about ready when the meat starts fallin’ off the bone. That’s when you know it’s tender enough to eat.
If you like your squirrel a bit crispy on the outside, here’s a little trick: once the meat’s done in the crock pot, take it out and let it cool off just enough so you can handle it. Then, dip the pieces in an egg wash, roll ‘em in cornmeal or flour, and fry ‘em up in a hot skillet. Ain’t nothing better than a good crispy crust on your meat, especially after it’s been slow-cooked and all tender inside.
Now, if you’re feelin’ fancy, you can serve that squirrel up with some mashed potatoes, green beans, or whatever else you got layin’ around the kitchen. I like a good bit of cornbread on the side myself. It’s a meal fit for a king, or at least for a hungry family after a long day.
And don’t forget, if you’re makin’ more than one squirrel, just add a bit more of the same seasonin’ and veggies. It don’t matter if you got a whole bunch of squirrels or just one, the process is the same. Just let that crock pot do all the work and you’ll be eatin’ like you’re at a fancy restaurant, but without all the fuss and bother.
So there you go, that’s how you cook yourself up a mighty fine squirrel dinner in the crock pot. It’s easy, it’s tasty, and it’ll fill you up right good. And if you happen to catch more squirrels than you can eat, don’t worry! Just freeze the extra and cook ‘em up next time the mood strikes. Don’t let nothin’ go to waste. That’s the way we do things around here!
Tags：[crock pot squirrel recipes, squirrel cooking, slow cooker recipes, wild game recipes, cooking squirrel, easy squirrel recipe, how to cook squirrel]
