re: I wish that squirrels were the size of deer

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keeps the seals soft?

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Keeps components from accumulating dust. Which ultimately wrecks the seals, too.

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My neighborhood is loaded with rabbits. I made a box and put it out but I never caught one.

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are you baiting it with anything? I knew an old feller who would put molasses in the back of the trap.

I put a carrot.

I seen a fella catch them with flexible drain pipe. I might try that. Basically put the put pipe out next to/in some tall grass and the rabbits go in it to stay dry. You pick up both ends at once and they cant get out.

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I wish that squirrels were the size of deer

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They would be able to rip a grizzly to shreds.

Would you mind going into this cooking process some more for me? I think I understand the method as it appears to be braising on the smoker which I do regularly for barbacoa. Curious as to the quantities used and spices used.



TIA.

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Would you mind going into this cooking process some more for me? I think I understand the method as it appears to be braising on the smoker which I do regularly for barbacoa. Curious as to the quantities used and spices used.

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It's pretty similar to braising for barbacoa. It's closer to confit since it's cooked in fat, just not in it's own fat since they're so lean. I normally use Tony's spice and herb blend but this time I used Weber Cowboy Rub.



You'll want a pot small enough to where the squirrels pieces are in there pretty tight. I'll throw enough butter or duck fat to just about cover them. I'll put them on my pellet smoker at ~200 degrees for a couple of hours stirring every now and then. If you go too long they'll dry out. I'll then cover and put the heat up to 275 for around 2 or 3 hours. You want to pull them off when they're tender but before they're so tender that they are falling apart. I like the meat to be still on the bone so you can take a bite of it and aren't picking up lil pieces of meat like when you let them fall apart in a gravy.

I've tried putting onions, jalapeño, etc in it but squirrels are so mild it just made it where you could only taste seasonings and not squirrel.

Dad does them on the stove like this in black iron pot. Low and slow stirring every now and again and they come out just like you are saying. Been doing it for as long as I can remember, 30 years or so. Like you said some people just don’t know how to cook if they never had them like this and tender. They are amazing.

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. I love fried squirrel, but it is some kind of tough, unless you shoot em out the nest.

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These aren't fried.

Look great, I’d like to try that technique sometime.

I prefer squirrel over rabbit.

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I love fried squirrel, but it is some kind of tough, unless you shoot em out the nest.

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Had a buddy of mine used to pressure cook them for a good while, then fry. They were awesome. We'd shoot in the am, eat in the pm.