Okay, so I decided to try out those crockpot squirrel recipes I’ve been seeing all over the internet. I’ve never cooked squirrel before, but I figured, why not? It’s supposed to be easy, and I do love a good slow-cooked meal. So, here’s how it went down.
First things first, I had to get some squirrels. I managed to get four of them. I skinned them and gutted them – not a fun process, I gotta say, but it’s gotta be done. I cut them into quarters and soaked them in cold, salted water. I read somewhere that this helps get the blood out of the meat. I let them soak for a while, then rinsed them off.
Next, I tenderized the squirrel pieces. Instead of a pressure cooker, I just boiled them in a pot. I kept checking them with a fork, and when the fork went in easily, I figured they were tender enough. It took a while, and I noticed some pieces were ready before others. I guess it depends on the squirrel’s age or something. The older ones took me over two hours, and I even had to add more water to the pot.
After that, I got my slow cooker ready. I threw the squirrel pieces in there, along with some veggies I had on hand – just some carrots and onions, nothing fancy. I added a bit of broth for extra flavor, put the lid on, and set the cooker to low.
- Soak the squirrel in cold water with salt.
- Boil until the meat is tender.
- Add veggies and broth to the slow cooker.
- Cook on low for several hours.
Now, the waiting game. I followed some general advice I found about slow cooker cooking times. Since the squirrel was already boiled, I guessed it wouldn’t take as long as raw meat. I figured a few hours on low would do the trick. It ended up being around 6 hours, but your mileage may vary.
The Result
When it was finally done, the smell was pretty good! I turned off the slow cooker and scooped out a serving. The meat was definitely tender, falling right off the bone. The taste? Not bad! It’s kind of like a gamier version of chicken, I guess. My family seemed to like it too. My husband and two sons were really impressed, and they’re usually picky eaters, so that’s saying something.
Overall, I’d say cooking squirrel in a crockpot is a pretty easy and foolproof method. It’s definitely a good option if you’re new to cooking squirrel. It’s not something I’d eat every day, but it’s a nice change of pace and a good way to use up those squirrels. Maybe next time, I’ll try a different recipe with some different seasonings. We’ll see!
