Squirrels, rabbits and rats as food?

They are a problem now in the UK. So why do we not eat them? Lots of recipes for rabbit but how do I prepare and cook squirrel and rat. My first attempt at eating rat was not to good, it was a stringy meat but then I only microwaved it. If I knew how to cook them properly maybe they would be OK.


The cookery books are no good, just the same things all the time, no guide to cooking different meats..Squirrels, rabbits and rats as food?
Hi there,


Below I have typed two honest-to-God recipes I have in a book full of recipes from the southern United States, where people do eat squirrels on occasion. I've never tried it. As far as rats, I'm not sure that would be a good idea to try. They can carry lots of diseases and are rather dirty animals because they eat garbage and dead things alot. %26gt;:P





Broiled Squirrel


Squirrel is one of the finest and tenderest of all wild meats. It's flavor is mild, rarely gamey. There is no need for soaking, and seldom any need for parboiling. They should be cleaned as soon as possible after shooting, but skinning may wait until they're ready to be cooked. Clean squirrels and rub with salt and pepper. Brush with fat and place on a hot broiling rack. Broil 40 minutes, turning frequently and basting with drippins every 10 minutes. Serve with gravy from drippins and season with 1 to 2 tablespoons of lemon juice.





Fried Squirrel


Make sure all the hair is cleaned off the squirrel. Cut it up. If it's old and tough, put it in the pressure cooker for about 15-20 minutes. Salt and Pepper it. Cover with flour and fry in a cast iron skillet on a medium fire until brown and tender. This is a real sweet meat. You can smother a squirrel just like a chicken.





Enjoy.Squirrels, rabbits and rats as food?
Rats carry disease and are pretty nasty. There is a reason why they are considered to be vermin.


Squirrel and rabbit, on the other hand, are excellent food sources, both low in fat and high in protein.





SQUIRREL/RABBIT/CHICKEN SMOTHER FRIED


Both squirrel and rabbit can be cooked the same way. Cut up into pieces as you would chicken. Mix flour, salt, and pepper in a shallow dish. Dredge the pieces of meat in the mixture then drop into hot oil, about 1/2'; oil in a large skillet. Cook over medium heat until the underside browns, turn over and cook other side. Remove meat from skillet to platter. Pour off all but about 2 T of the fat and residue in the skillet. Add 1/4 c. flour to drippings, stir over medium heat until brown. Add 2 c. milk/water mixture, a little at a time, stirring constantly til all is incorporated. Add meat, cover, turn down to simmer and simmer about 30- 45 minutes until meat is succulently tender. Great over rice!





Time saving version: brown meat as indicated, remove from skillet, pour off oil into tin can and discard. Add 1 can cream of mushroom soup and a can of water to skillet, add meat. Bring to boil, stir, cover, lower heat to simmer, cook as indicated.
I know some people eat rats but don't think I'll be one of them, however squirrel and rabbit are good. We make squirrel dumplings, stew or boil squirrel, remove from cooking liquid to cool, reserve liquid, mix 2 cups self rising flour with 1/4 cup oil and 1 cup milk, re heat reserved liquid and add meat picked from squirrel, 2 tablespoons of butter, 1 cup milk and enough water to have room to cook dumplings, bring liquid to a boil and drop dumplings by teaspoons, add dumplings until liquid is thickened. turn to low and cook for about 20 minutes until dumpling are done inside when cut. enjoy
Typically, you want to cook meat until a meat thermometer reaches 150 degrees F in the center.





However, there are recipes for these meats. YouTube has many mini cooking shows people put up, including for these meats.





Rabbit: http://www.youtube.com/results?search_qu鈥?/a>





Squirrel: http://www.youtube.com/results?search_qu鈥?/a>





Rat (I found only one for a large rat in the Louisiana called ';Nutria';): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IuXEaNdwr鈥?/a>
Don't eat rat, they are scavengers and eat poop and rotten things. Squirrel meat is good, it can be cooked like rabbit, pan seared or stewed. Lots of recipes out there for it.
OMG DO NOT EAT RAT!!!! JUST KILL THE $#%%26amp;*@$!!!!


As far as rabbit and squirrell I know people that eat them. Just look up sites that are about eating wild game.
didn't you pay attention in history your people got the bubonic plague from eating rats.
This is a joke question, Right! Rabbits are fine, but Rats and squirrels are just nasty. How low can you go!