LBL Opener

[Hawk]

Is the season squirrel season open now? LBL used to open a week before Tennessee's regular opener.

 

[Rjratliff1975]

Yes , squirrel season opened yesterday at LBL.

 

[KPH]

I was going but got sick so maybe later.

 

[pullemfar]

How does LBL accommodate small game/big game hunters? Is it like on post (Campbell) where they have TA's designated (dictated by training, etc...) for just small game, etc....

I love back strap but I have yet to have anything beats a tree rat hash and biscuits. Now that I have the time again, it's back to beating brush looking for ol' bushy tail, I just hate to mess up a deer hunter while doing so.

 

[gat51]

Tell me a little more bout that tree rat hash? How do you prepare it?

 

[pullemfar]

Tell me a little more bout that tree rat hash? How do you prepare it?

Sorry it took so long to post it. Didn't see it till this morning at work, had to get my daughter to text me a pic of the recipe. So here it is, hope you enjoy it.


Squirrel Hash

5-6 squirrels (deboned = approx 4 1/2 cups of meat) (I like to soak my squirrels for 12-24 hours in the fridge in lightly salted water with a couple drops of raw cider vinegar, makes them real tender and draws out most the blood that causes all the foam when you boil them)
2.5 qts water for boiling the tree rats (add a little olive oil and that help keep it from boiling over)
1 +/- tablespoon table salt to taste (You can add while boiling and when it hits the skillet)
1/2 +/- teaspoon meat spice (your personal preference, I use whatever I have on hand, most the time it's a Cajun seasoning/rub)
1/2 +/- teaspoon ground black pepper or fresh ground peppercorn
4 +/- cups of squirrel broth saved to make the gravy (again your preference, less for a stew like thickness or a little more for soupy)
2 +/- tablespoons of real butter (helps thicken things up a bit. I use unsalted Irish butter)
2 +/- tablespoon bacon drippings (I like bacon so I use a tad more)
1 + cup chopped red/yellow onion (I like onions)
1/3 cup all-purpose flour (helps thicken it up along with the butter)

(Note: this is a fully tweakable recipe that you can make your own with little chance of screwing it up.)

Add squirrels and salt to the water and place on medium/high heat and low boil till meat comes easily off the bone with a fork or fingers, don't burn yourself. You can debone prior to cooking but it's much easier after cooking. You can also use a pressure cooker, but it's not necessary, grandma never did. Remove squirrels from broth and allow squirrels to cool before handling and debone. Set aside at least 3-4 cups of squirrel broth.

Place a large skillet on medium/high heat add butter, bacon drippings and flour and cook mixture about 15 minutes, stirring constantly until gravy is a light brown and thickens up. Add 3-4 cups of squirrel broth to gravy and reduce heat to medium. Add chopped onions and sauté 10-15 minutes until onions soften up. Add squirrel meat and simmer 15 minutes or so, stirring occasionally to prevent it from sticking. Add black pepper, meat seasoning to taste and additional salt if needed. Now for the good times, Pour it over biscuits or mashed taters with a side of your choice, My side of choice is fried taters and onions, did I mention I like onions. Now chow down, don't share cause it's addictive and you'll never have more than a plate of your own cause it'll all get eaten by everyone else in the house, withdrawal's will set in and life will start to suck, then you start to plot against the other people in the house. Sorry, bad memories started to resurface.

Hope you enjoy it as much as my family and I do. My grandma cooked it for us growing up and I cook it for my kids, wife is a bit strange cause she doesn't eat it. Nothing cooler than seeing my College and Highschool Sr. daughters taking squirrel hash to school for lunch. Hell, they even take fried squirrel legs, frog legs, gumbo, deer chili, fried catfish and whatever else I cook up with whatever sides I have made up. They think other kids are weird cause they don't eat like that, I love it.

Will post this over in Recipes.