BBQ Tree rat?

Navy joe · October 3, 2002, 06:25 AM

Well rabbit season is a month away and I am seriously itching to go hunt, so I'm thinking about pursuing the ever annoying squirrel starting next week. My current plan revolve on par-boiling the little fella's dressed carcass then tossing it on the grill. Any thoughts on marinades/sauces?

fastang50 · October 3, 2002, 04:23 PM

What works really well is to put a nice steak on there beside the carcass, grill for awhile. Eat the steak and give the squirl to the dog! Sorry to rain on the parade, I couldn't resist.

Mannlicher · October 3, 2002, 07:35 PM

Squirrel is not a good candidate for the grill. The lil critter is almost all muscle, no fat, and tough. They cook up real good in a stew though. If ya do just HAVE to grill one, first parboil it, with a little baking soda in the water, then wrap a piece of bacon around it, and grill it on the upper rack on the grill, not on direct fire.

12-34hom · October 3, 2002, 08:57 PM

Fried or crock pot would be my choice for tree rat.

Except my wife won't cook them...

12-34hom.

enfwago · October 4, 2002, 09:43 AM

The people I know in upper lower michigan almost always put squirrel into stews. I have never seen them cook one on the grill. I figure they probably know more about it than me.

Dogjaw · October 4, 2002, 05:54 PM

In a slow cooker on a meat rack whole. Put water in bottom, just about to the rack. Add a bay leaf to the water. I spice mine with a little red pepper, black pepper, garlic, and onion powder. Cook the little rat for about 3 hours. The little fella's meat will fall right off the bone.

cookhj · October 4, 2002, 06:59 PM

i've BBQ'd squirrel, and to tell you the truth, it turned out right good. you have to watch them carefully though because they don't have much meat and they cook fast. and good BBQ sauce will work fine, like bullseye or jack daniel's bbq sauce. i like to use italian dressing as a marinade for chicken and pork, and since squirrel tastes some what like chicken, i believe that it would work fine too.

Mannlicher · October 4, 2002, 07:24 PM

Cookhj thinks: "since squirrel tastes some what like chicken, "

I don't know where you get YOUR squirrels cookhj , but I have never eaten one that tasted even remotely like chicken.

MeekAndMild · October 4, 2002, 08:13 PM

We used to soak them overnight in a wine marinade or in water with a pinch of salt to get the blood out. Tender young tree rat were fried like fish with cornmeal batter crust or like chicken with a flour/cornflake crust. Older ones were boiled until they fell apart, best in a vegetable stew or with dumplings.

You might as well barbecue a rock.

cookhj · October 4, 2002, 08:35 PM

hey, call me crazy, but when i BBQ'd them, it tasted almost like BBQ chicken.

Southla1 · October 4, 2002, 09:07 PM

If you get young ones they are passable on the grill.............smothered in onions are the only way to go with older ones and is better than the grill on even young ones!

Al Thompson · October 5, 2002, 05:22 AM

The store bought chicken and turkey tastes like styrofoam to me. "Real" or free range chicken and wild turkey has a much better taste IMHO. I can see the comparison with free range barn-yard pimp and tree rat.

For wild stuff in general, I'm a crock pot sort of guy.

yankytrash · October 5, 2002, 10:56 AM

My recipe for tree rats, ground rats, swamp rats, and house rats:

Split pelvis so the rat lies flat on it's back, but stays in one piece.
Slather with extra virgin olive oil, lotsa garlic, some onion (not too much), and your favorite brand of honey BBQ sauce. A shot of apple cider vinegar or whiskey might not be a bad idea either.
Roll him up so that his limbs are inside the roll, tie him with a string (shoestring works fine, and is reusable).
Sear the outside of the ratball on the frying pan with some extra virgin olive oil, making sure to cover him good in salt (Dollar General Cajun Spice or Soul Food spice is better if you have it around).
Put him immediately into a 350 degree oven, cover, and bake for 1-1 1/2 hours. Make sure to check his progress, and keep him basted with water, beef broth, or olive oil so he don't burn.

Serve in small cut-up pieces with a watery mixed sauce of BBQ sauce and italian salad dressing - that fools your girlfriend and kids into thinkin it's some more socially-accepted animal fer eatin. Also won't make your wheels start turnin either. I've pushed many a plate aside when I got to thinkin about it too hard.

Oh - you can substitute the pan fry and oven time with some serious skills behind the grill, keeping careful tabs on the grilling temperatures (much like wok cooking). Despite popular opinion round here, an adept griller can make a five-star chef's oven-time look like horsecrap.

Southla1 · October 5, 2002, 12:36 PM

Right you are Gizmo ...................I kinda like a crock pot myself.............or lonnnng slow cooking on the stove. I have one of those "flat top" lectric stoves and you can turn it wayyyyyyy down, and cook things over nite. To me thats the way to cook a meat that is inherently tough like tree rats. Rabbits, deer, duck, doves etc. can be cooked for less time and be "no knife needed" tender. Tree rats take a lil longer except for the young ones. Real young "cat" squirrels or even "fox" squirrels even can be deep fired like chicken, but if you try yhat with a mature one you may pull your teeth out trying to eat it.

My daughter just called me and said son-in-law killed a "bunch" this morning and they are smothering them down for supper. After Hurricane Lily tore some of the leaves off the trees they are easy to see

.

She can cook em, she has a gas stove....................I got lights, fridge, microwave, and A/C in my bedroom but still no commercial power...........generator cant handle an electric stove even with all else shut off. Good I was getting tired of microwaved smoked sausage or ham sandwiches!

this is what I mean by "flat top" stove...its just to the left of the sink that black thing................sure is easy to clean

Southla1 · October 5, 2002, 12:52 PM

Whoops had a problem with the picture. Hopefully this is it!

Southla1 · October 5, 2002, 12:54 PM

OOPS!!!!!!!! Wrong picture. I swear if this isnt right I quit LOL

Mannlicher · October 5, 2002, 06:45 PM

Yankeetrash,

I am just guessing, but you DO skin them first? Down here in the deep South, we call that 'dressed'.

Southla1 · October 5, 2002, 07:06 PM

For a follow up fellows................just got back from my daughters..............wish I had brought the digital to take a pic of the pot of squirrels all smothered down in a real brown gravy (not the one with flour and all that stuffin it) and onions........she had a generator hooked to their "camp room" behind the trailer...........gas stove, A/C, satellite TV, fridge full of cold bud lite, stereo. etc. I listened to my grand son tell about his first kill.............he is 5............got one with his 20 gauge. He aimed, and shot it while son-in-law helped hold it. You don't know what that does to me....................GRIN!!! All the time we were watching the UGA/Bama game, sipping cold Bud Lites and enjoying the A/C...............I had a plate that almost collapsed from being overloaded with squirrel, rice with the gravy, white beans, cooked down with salt meat, and fresh hot jalepeno cornbread!

Hurricane? what hurricane?

Zorro · October 5, 2002, 09:10 PM

Squirrels are best slow stewed for 3 hours with onions, soy sauce, and celery.

Then do what ya like with them!

I pull the meat and clarify the broth and make very good Squirrel and vegetable soup, or Squirrel and Egg Noodles!

Thing is they are TOUGH! and need tenderizing!

short shot · October 10, 2002, 03:05 PM

squirrel gravy mmmmm I truly beleive thats why the little bushytail was put here.

Chuck Dye · October 10, 2002, 03:22 PM

Run the search at

http://www.fooddownunder.com

Be sure to check out other game as well.

Borf · October 10, 2002, 07:38 PM

Only tried grilling a time or two - I find it kind of hard to get the little buggers evenly done. Ribs are burned and dry, legs are raw, etc...

The crockpot is a wonderful thing

Poodleshooter · October 11, 2002, 11:03 AM

Gravy, stew or if all else fails slather in oil or italian dressing and grill. If all else fails, wrap the little bastard in bacon. Bacon never fails!

October 3, 2002, 06:25 AM	#1
Navy joe Senior Member Join Date: January 28, 2001 Location: VA, USA Posts: 1,804	BBQ Tree rat? Well rabbit season is a month away and I am seriously itching to go hunt, so I'm thinking about pursuing the ever annoying squirrel starting next week. My current plan revolve on par-boiling the little fella's dressed carcass then tossing it on the grill. Any thoughts on marinades/sauces? __________________ FY47012

October 3, 2002, 07:35 PM	#3
Mannlicher Senior Member Join Date: July 8, 2001 Location: North Central Florida & Miami Posts: 3,209	Squirrel is not a good candidate for the grill. The lil critter is almost all muscle, no fat, and tough. They cook up real good in a stew though. If ya do just HAVE to grill one, first parboil it, with a little baking soda in the water, then wrap a piece of bacon around it, and grill it on the upper rack on the grill, not on direct fire. __________________ Nemo Me Impune Lacesset "The trouble with our liberal friends is not that they're ignorant; it's just that they know so much that isn't so.".........Ronald Reagan

October 3, 2002, 08:57 PM	#4
12-34hom Senior Member Join Date: June 8, 1999 Location: Iowa - northeastern Posts: 1,810	Fried or crock pot would be my choice for tree rat. Except my wife won't cook them... 12-34hom. __________________ This is my rifle. There are many like it, but this one is mine. My rifle is my best friend, it is my life. I must master itas i master my life.Without me my rifle is useless, without my rifle i am useless. I must fire my rifle true. I must shoot straighter than my enemy who is trying to kill me. I must shoot him before he shoots me. I Will. Before God i swear this creed. My rifle and myself are defenders of my country. We are masters of our enemy. We are saviours of my life. So be it until there is no enemy, but peace. Amen.

October 4, 2002, 09:43 AM	#5
enfwago Senior Member Join Date: August 12, 2000 Location: USA Posts: 145	The people I know in upper lower michigan almost always put squirrel into stews. I have never seen them cook one on the grill. I figure they probably know more about it than me. __________________ NRA Member

October 4, 2002, 05:54 PM	#6
Dogjaw Senior Member Join Date: October 6, 2001 Location: S.W. Michigan Posts: 560	In a slow cooker on a meat rack whole. Put water in bottom, just about to the rack. Add a bay leaf to the water. I spice mine with a little red pepper, black pepper, garlic, and onion powder. Cook the little rat for about 3 hours. The little fella's meat will fall right off the bone. __________________ There are three kinds of men: 1) The ones that learn by reading. 2) The few who learn by observation. 3) The rest of them have to pee on the electric fence and find out for themselves..........

October 3, 2002, 04:23 PM	#2
fastang50 Member Join Date: July 11, 2002 Location: Indiana Posts: 86	What works really well is to put a nice steak on there beside the carcass, grill for awhile. Eat the steak and give the squirl to the dog! Sorry to rain on the parade, I couldn't resist.

October 4, 2002, 06:59 PM	#7
cookhj Senior Member Join Date: October 30, 2001 Posts: 330	i've BBQ'd squirrel, and to tell you the truth, it turned out right good. you have to watch them carefully though because they don't have much meat and they cook fast. and good BBQ sauce will work fine, like bullseye or jack daniel's bbq sauce. i like to use italian dressing as a marinade for chicken and pork, and since squirrel tastes some what like chicken, i believe that it would work fine too.

October 4, 2002, 07:24 PM	#8
Mannlicher Senior Member Join Date: July 8, 2001 Location: North Central Florida & Miami Posts: 3,209	Cookhj thinks: "since squirrel tastes some what like chicken, " I don't know where you get YOUR squirrels cookhj , but I have never eaten one that tasted even remotely like chicken. __________________ Nemo Me Impune Lacesset "The trouble with our liberal friends is not that they're ignorant; it's just that they know so much that isn't so.".........Ronald Reagan

October 4, 2002, 08:13 PM	#9
MeekAndMild Senior Member Join Date: August 2, 2001 Posts: 4,988	We used to soak them overnight in a wine marinade or in water with a pinch of salt to get the blood out. Tender young tree rat were fried like fish with cornmeal batter crust or like chicken with a flour/cornflake crust. Older ones were boiled until they fell apart, best in a vegetable stew or with dumplings. You might as well barbecue a rock. __________________ In a few years when the dust finally clears and people start counting their change there is a pretty good chance that President Obama may become known as The Great Absquatulator. You heard it first here on TFL.

October 4, 2002, 08:35 PM	#10
cookhj Senior Member Join Date: October 30, 2001 Posts: 330	hey, call me crazy, but when i BBQ'd them, it tasted almost like BBQ chicken.

October 4, 2002, 09:07 PM	#11
Southla1 Member In Memoriam Join Date: March 19, 2000 Location: Jeanerette, La. Near the Posts: 1,999	If you get young ones they are passable on the grill.............smothered in onions are the only way to go with older ones and is better than the grill on even young ones!

October 5, 2002, 05:22 AM	#12
Al Thompson Staff Alumnus Join Date: May 2, 1999 Location: South Carolina Posts: 3,611	The store bought chicken and turkey tastes like styrofoam to me. "Real" or free range chicken and wild turkey has a much better taste IMHO. I can see the comparison with free range barn-yard pimp and tree rat. For wild stuff in general, I'm a crock pot sort of guy. __________________ http://www.scfirearms.org/

October 5, 2002, 10:56 AM	#13
yankytrash Senior Member Join Date: April 17, 2001 Location: Farnham, Va Posts: 2,183	My recipe for tree rats, ground rats, swamp rats, and house rats: Split pelvis so the rat lies flat on it's back, but stays in one piece. Slather with extra virgin olive oil, lotsa garlic, some onion (not too much), and your favorite brand of honey BBQ sauce. A shot of apple cider vinegar or whiskey might not be a bad idea either. Roll him up so that his limbs are inside the roll, tie him with a string (shoestring works fine, and is reusable). Sear the outside of the ratball on the frying pan with some extra virgin olive oil, making sure to cover him good in salt (Dollar General Cajun Spice or Soul Food spice is better if you have it around). Put him immediately into a 350 degree oven, cover, and bake for 1-1 1/2 hours. Make sure to check his progress, and keep him basted with water, beef broth, or olive oil so he don't burn. Serve in small cut-up pieces with a watery mixed sauce of BBQ sauce and italian salad dressing - that fools your girlfriend and kids into thinkin it's some more socially-accepted animal fer eatin. Also won't make your wheels start turnin either. I've pushed many a plate aside when I got to thinkin about it too hard. Oh - you can substitute the pan fry and oven time with some serious skills behind the grill, keeping careful tabs on the grilling temperatures (much like wok cooking). Despite popular opinion round here, an adept griller can make a five-star chef's oven-time look like horsecrap. __________________ Right turn, Clyde.

October 5, 2002, 12:36 PM	#14
Southla1 Member In Memoriam Join Date: March 19, 2000 Location: Jeanerette, La. Near the Posts: 1,999	Right you are Gizmo ...................I kinda like a crock pot myself.............or lonnnng slow cooking on the stove. I have one of those "flat top" lectric stoves and you can turn it wayyyyyyy down, and cook things over nite. To me thats the way to cook a meat that is inherently tough like tree rats. Rabbits, deer, duck, doves etc. can be cooked for less time and be "no knife needed" tender. Tree rats take a lil longer except for the young ones. Real young "cat" squirrels or even "fox" squirrels even can be deep fired like chicken, but if you try yhat with a mature one you may pull your teeth out trying to eat it. My daughter just called me and said son-in-law killed a "bunch" this morning and they are smothering them down for supper. After Hurricane Lily tore some of the leaves off the trees they are easy to see . She can cook em, she has a gas stove....................I got lights, fridge, microwave, and A/C in my bedroom but still no commercial power...........generator cant handle an electric stove even with all else shut off. Good I was getting tired of microwaved smoked sausage or ham sandwiches! this is what I mean by "flat top" stove...its just to the left of the sink that black thing................sure is easy to clean

October 5, 2002, 06:45 PM	#17
Mannlicher Senior Member Join Date: July 8, 2001 Location: North Central Florida & Miami Posts: 3,209	Yankeetrash, I am just guessing, but you DO skin them first? Down here in the deep South, we call that 'dressed'. __________________ Nemo Me Impune Lacesset "The trouble with our liberal friends is not that they're ignorant; it's just that they know so much that isn't so.".........Ronald Reagan

October 5, 2002, 07:06 PM	#18
Southla1 Member In Memoriam Join Date: March 19, 2000 Location: Jeanerette, La. Near the Posts: 1,999	For a follow up fellows................just got back from my daughters..............wish I had brought the digital to take a pic of the pot of squirrels all smothered down in a real brown gravy (not the one with flour and all that stuffin it) and onions........she had a generator hooked to their "camp room" behind the trailer...........gas stove, A/C, satellite TV, fridge full of cold bud lite, stereo. etc. I listened to my grand son tell about his first kill.............he is 5............got one with his 20 gauge. He aimed, and shot it while son-in-law helped hold it. You don't know what that does to me....................GRIN!!! All the time we were watching the UGA/Bama game, sipping cold Bud Lites and enjoying the A/C...............I had a plate that almost collapsed from being overloaded with squirrel, rice with the gravy, white beans, cooked down with salt meat, and fresh hot jalepeno cornbread! Hurricane? what hurricane?

October 5, 2002, 09:10 PM	#19
Zorro Senior Member Join Date: October 28, 2000 Posts: 1,072	Squirrels are best slow stewed for 3 hours with onions, soy sauce, and celery. Then do what ya like with them! I pull the meat and clarify the broth and make very good Squirrel and vegetable soup, or Squirrel and Egg Noodles! Thing is they are TOUGH! and need tenderizing!

October 10, 2002, 03:05 PM	#20
short shot Member Join Date: July 28, 2002 Location: the mountain state Posts: 15	squirrel gravy mmmmm I truly beleive thats why the little bushytail was put here. __________________ it is better to die on your feet free than to live on your knees as a slave

October 10, 2002, 03:22 PM	#21
Chuck Dye Senior Member Join Date: June 28, 2002 Location: Oregon-The wet side. Posts: 949	Run the search at http://www.fooddownunder.com Be sure to check out other game as well. __________________ Gee, I'd love to see your data!

October 10, 2002, 07:38 PM	#22
Borf Senior Member Join Date: February 24, 2001 Location: Middle Tennessee Posts: 424	Only tried grilling a time or two - I find it kind of hard to get the little buggers evenly done. Ribs are burned and dry, legs are raw, etc... The crockpot is a wonderful thing __________________ A great many people think they are thinking when they are merely rearranging their prejudices. -- Wiliam James If a nation values anything more than freedom, it will lose its freedom; and the irony of it is that if it is comfort or money it values more, it will lose that, too. -- W. Somerset Maugham

October 11, 2002, 11:03 AM	#23
Poodleshooter Senior Member Join Date: August 7, 2000 Location: Floating down the James River in VA Posts: 2,599	Gravy, stew or if all else fails slather in oil or italian dressing and grill. If all else fails, wrap the little bastard in bacon. Bacon never fails!