Okay, so, the other day I decided to try something new in the kitchen. I’ve been seeing a lot of talk about slow cooker recipes, and well, I had some squirrel meat on hand. Yeah, you heard that right, squirrel. Don’t knock it till you try it, right?
First things first, I got those squirrels skinned and gutted. I learned this part the hard way a while back—always soak the meat in cold water with a bit of salt. So, I did that, let them sit for a bit to draw out all that gamey blood, then rinsed them off real good.
Now, to make sure these little guys were tender, I popped them into my pressure cooker. About 25 minutes seemed to do the trick. After that, I rolled each piece in some seasoned flour—just a simple mix of flour, salt, pepper, and a bit of paprika for that kick.
Then, I heated up some oil in a pan and fried those pieces until they were golden brown. It smelled pretty amazing, I gotta say. But I wanted to take it a step further with the slow cooker.
- Potatoes: I diced up some potatoes.
- Onions and Carrots: Chopped them roughly.
- Bell Pepper and Garlic: Sliced up the pepper and minced the garlic.
- Chicken bouillon and Salt: For that extra flavor.
I threw all these into the slow cooker, then placed the fried squirrel pieces on top. I added just enough water to cover everything, set it on low, and let it do its thing for about an hour and a half. You want it to simmer, not boil, to keep the meat from falling apart.
Man, when I finally took the lid off, the aroma was incredible. The meat was so tender, it just melted in your mouth. Even my kids, who were skeptical at first, ended up loving it! They even asked for seconds!
I served it up with some of those cooked veggies from the pot, and let me tell you, it was a hit. It is not the prettiest dish, but It turned out to be one of the best meals I’ve made in a while. Who knew squirrel could be so delicious? I’m definitely adding this to my list of go-to slow cooker recipes. It’s easy, it’s tasty, and it’s a great way to try something a little different. So, if you ever find yourself with some squirrel meat, give this a shot. You might just surprise yourself!
