Category Archives: Wild Game Recipes

Marinated Squirrel

Marinated Squirrel

Marinated Squirrel the marinade is soy sauce based. Marinade the squirrel, 8 hours is enough. Before you start cooking make sure to pat the squirrel dry.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup of white wine – what you would drink
2 cloves of garlic – crushed
4 tablespoons of brown sugar
1 tablespoon of lemon juice
1/4 lb. of butter
4 squirrels

Equipment:

Extra large food plastic storage bag with zipper lock
Grill
Barbeque grill basket
Sauce pan to heat marinade
Brush to use when basting with butter during grilling

Directions:

Making the marinade – Combine the soy sauce, white wine, crushed garlic cloves, brown sugar and lemon juice in a sauce pan and heat to a boil then turn off heat let ingredients cool. Once cool pour into plastic storage bag and add the 4 squirrels. Add enough cold water to cover the squirrels. Zip up and put in the refrigerator for 8 hours.

Take the squirrels out of the marinade and wash them off in cold water then dry. Liberally salt and pepper the squirrels. Crack their backs and lay them out butterflied in a grilling basket. Cook using a barbecue on medium high heat – baste the squirrels with the butter. Turn frequently. Cook until medium brown.

This goes well with grilled mixed vegetables.

Squirrel Pot Pie

Ingredients:

6 Squirrels cleaned & quartered
1 cup of Stock – read below on how to make
1 onion peeled and quartered
1 cup of milk
3 celery stalks cut in half
1/8 cup of dry red wine – what you would drink
1 bay leaf
4 tablespoons of butter
1 lb. of carrots chopped
1 lb. potatoes chunked
4 tablespoons of browned flour
1 large pie crust

Equipment:

1 large pot – to make the stock
1 large casserole dish
1 Medium sauce pan – to make the sauce

Directions:

Making the stock – In the large pot add the 6 squirrels, onion, celery and bay leaf and add just enough water to cover all. Bring to a boil then lower the heat and simmer covered for 2 hours. After 2 hours check the meat – if you can remove it from the bone it is ready. Remove the meat and place in a colander to drain. Strain the remaining stock to remove all pieces of meat, fat and the vegetables.

Pull all squirrel meat from the bones and put to side.

Making the sauce – Melt the butter in the sauce pan then slowly stir in the browned flour making sure not to leave any lumps. Add 1 cup of the stock and the milk and wine. Salt and pepper to taste.

Making the pot pie – Place the meat, carrots and potatoes in the casserole and pour the sauce over them. Place the pie crust over the ingredients and securely fasten to the rim of the casserole dish. Poke holes in the crust with a fork so that during cooking steam can escape. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 425 degrees for 25 – 30 minutes or until the crust is good and golden brown

Cook up some wild rice for a side dish

Brunswick Stew

Ingredients:
2 1/2 lbs. squirrel cut into pieces
2 1/2 lbs. Pork – cut into stew sized chunks
1/4 cup of shortening
1 small onion chopped
2 cups skinless stewed tomatoes cut into large pieces
3 cups lima beans
1 cup of water
1 chili pepper – chopped and seeded
2 cloves
3 cups of corn – drained
2 teaspoons of Worcestershire sauce
1 cup of unseasoned breadcrumbs

Equipment:

Large sauce pan with cover

Directions:

Heat shortening in sauce pan, brown the meat on all sides. Remove meat and place on paper towel to drain. In the sauce pan add onions and saut̩ until translucent (I personally like the onions browned). Take the onions out. Drain shortening from sauce pan and add the 1 cup of water, scrap all meat bits then add tomatoes, lima beans, chili pepper, onions, meat and cloves. Cover and simmer until meat is good and tender. At this point add the 3 cups of corn and any water if needed and simmer for another 15 minutes. Add Worcestershire sauce and take a taste Рadd salt and pepper if necessary.

The whole process should take between 3 – 4 hours.

Marcel’s Squirrel Stew

Ingredients:

2 squirrels cut into sections
1/4 lb. of apple-wood smoked bacon
3/4 lb. pork loin cut up into stew sized cubes
1/2 cup of flour
1/4 cup of browned flour
1 bay leaf
4 red potatoes diced
3 large carrots chunked (so it will not disintegrate during cook time)
4 cups stewed tomatoes
1 large sweet onion sliced a little on the thick side
1 large yellow pepper chopped
1 tablespoon of Paprika
1 Knoor’s vegetable bouillon cube
2 tablespoons of crushed red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper

Equipment:

Large Pot with cover

Directions:

Dice the apple-wood bacon and fry in the pot on medium heat. Once the bacon is cooked to taste, I like it just before it becomes hard, remove the bacon and put to the side. Mix the flour, paprika, a dash of salt and pepper together. Dredge the squirrel and pork loin pieces in the mixture and place in the bacon fat. Cook until all sides are browned.

Once the meat is browned, add enough water to cover the meat. Add the bay leaf, vegetable bouillon cube and crushed red pepper. Cover and cook on a low heat for 2 – 3 hours or until the meats are tender. Add the diced carrots and cook for 20 minutes then add potatoes, stewed tomatoes, yellow pepper and onion. Cook until tender. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add back the bacon.

Take the browned flour and mix with cold water to make a paste you will thicken the stew with. Add the paste to the stew a little at a time. Thicken to taste.

Serve with a crusty bread and butter. A cold pale ale goes well with this dish.

Venison Steak in Sour Cream

Ingredients:

2 lbs. of venison sirloin
1/4 cup of bacon fat
1 garlic clove
1/4 cup onions – minced
2 cups water
1 cup apple juice
1 bay leaf
10 peppercorns
1 tablespoon of butter
4 tablespoons of flour
3/4 cup sour cream
Salt – to taste

Equipment:

Large skillet
2 QT casserole

Cooking Directions

Cut venison into 2″ pieces. Mince garlic. In the skillet, melt bacon fat and add garlic and venison. Brown venison on all sides – make sure not to burn the garlic. Once the meat is browned place in the casserole.

Place minced onions in the skillet and sweat for approximately 2 minutes until translucent. Add water, apple juice, bay leaf, peppercorns and salt. Scrap the skillet to get all the meat drippings. Pour the mixture over the venison in the casserole. Bake in an over for 30-60 minutes at 325 degrees until tender.

Melt butter in skillet, stir in flour making sure to remove any lumps. Add sour cream and cook over low heat for 5 minutes. Pour over venison – serve

Roasted Venison with Cranberry Sauce

Ingredients:

Venison:
1/2 cup gin
2 cups red wine
6 Tablespoons thyme
2 Tablespoons Rosemary
6 juniper berries
4 venison steaks, 1/2 pound each
3 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Cranberry Sauce:
2 cups cranberries
Juice and chopped zest of 1 orange
1/4 cup red wine
1/2 cup sugar, or more if needed
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon cornstarch

Equipment:

Large skillet
Small sauce pan

Cooking Directions for Venison:

Combine gin, wine, thyme and juniper berries in a medium shallow baking dish. Once assembled, pour into a food storage bag. Add the venison and turn to coat. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Heat oil in a large pan over high heat until almost smoking. Remove the venison from the marinade and shake off excess. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Cook on 1 side until golden brown. Turn over, reduce heat to medium and continue cooking until medium-rare, 3 to 4 minutes.

Cooking Directions for Cranberry Sauce:

In a small saucepan combine cranberries, orange juice and zest, wine, sugar and cinnamon. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to simmering and cook until cranberries are tender, stirring occasionally. In a small cup make a slurry with cornstarch and 1 tablespoon water. Whisk cornstarch mixture into cranberry sauce and cook, whisking, until sauce thickens. Taste and add more sugar, if necessary.