The latest game-meat fad in Britain is squirrel. Yes, cute, precious gray squirrel. Not to be confused with the slightly more cute, slightly more precious red squirrel.
Gray squirrels effect the population of red squirrels, and because red squirrels are cuter (just look at picture) the gray squirrels must go -- right into stews and the menus of posh London restaurants.
Apparently, it's just coincidence that this gray-squirrel-eating craze coincides with a recession. But desperate times call for desperate measures and since gray squirrels abound here in Kansas City, it's theoretically possible they could become popular food here. Though I hope not.
There's several problems with squirrels as food.
The NY Times sums up many of those problems. First is the fact that any pellet or gun shot to the body of the squirrel renders them useless to eat. Of course, trapping them instead of shooting them solves that problem, but what's the fun in that?
Secondly, according to hunters, squirrels are "tough, tough, tough to skin" especially if you wait until the squirrel is cold. YouTube contains several graphic videos showing ways to skin a squirrel but even with help, it can be near impossible pulling the skin cleanly off the legs and hindquarters.
So you've managed to shoot a squirrel directly in the head and skin it cleanly. You're still left with only a pound or so of bony, dark meat. The work-to-reward ratio of squirrel is very low, which is why many Britains are buying their squirrels from butchers, already killed and skinned.
My biggest qualm with eating squirrel is that they're part of the rodent family. Rodents are at risk for a bunch of diseases and their brains may be infected with Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease.
I had an older relative who ate squirrel in her childhood and talked openly about it. According to her, they were tough and bony. Once she moved to the city, she never touched them again. Too bad she didn't live long enough to see the full cycle of squirrel-eating coming to the big city. -- Owen Morris
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Animal hunting sounds fun to me but shooting that squirrel in the picture just to have a nice meal seems not cool to me. But of course, not all people have the same taste. There are even others who eat roaches and other rodents. But I, as one, will not prefer to eat those cute little creatures. There are other delicious meats out there and, yeah, I'm having difficulty with the cuteness factor versus the deliciousness factor...
Here in Northern Michigan squirrel hunting is a sport enjoyed by a relatively small population, compared to those who pursue whitetail deer or ruffed grouse in the fall. And, for the most part, people seem disgusted and confused by the thought of hunting and eating squirrels while, at the same time, rabbit is often considered a tasty treat by those very same naysayers.
To rebut the NY Times article (somewhat), one or two rounds from a .22 cal rifle or pistol will do the trick while keeping most of the meat intact. Shotguns are no good -- bird shot only penetrates the skin and stuns the animal, knocking it out of the tree and injuring it only when it impacts branches or the ground. Head shots are the way to go -- It's the most challenge and the most humane way of bringing them down.
Skinning them is tough but two people working together is best (picture parents undressing their stubborn child for bath time. One gets the pants, the other, the shirt.
As for the meat, the best parts are along the spine (tenderloins) and they offer a surprising amount of meat (much more than doves, woodcock or small ducks more widely considered edible game).
Yes, they can be tough, but cooking in a Crock Pot or slowly on a grill can soften them up a bit. I've also considered "aging" them for a couple days before cleaning them but have yet to do so.
The taste: When barbecued, "like tough chicken;" when simmered in a Crock Pot with mustard and honey: One of its own.
My husband has always said his hypothetical death-row-prison-last-meal would be cornbread with squirrel gravy. I have tried squirrel myself, but did not enjoy it. One of those things that becomes tasty and appealing when on "Survivor", but until the need arises, I'm content to have duck, venison, catfish & spoonbill.
I have had squirrel. My grandpa lives in southern Missouri and they eat it fairly frequently. We had it fried. I was young and didn't think to ask what it was at the time, but found out later. It's tough, and there's hardly any meat on it. I don't recommend it.
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