I have some coon-huntin' backwoods cousins
from the hills & hollers and was wondering if
anybody here had any especially interesting
recipes for either squirrel, coon or possum?

No, this is not a joke and please,
no road kill remarks. I know it might seem
odd nowadays, but way back when, folks actually
ate all three of the above and considered them
downright tasty when done right.

Thanks for any suggestions, stories or legends.

Bon vittles, SBW

On 23 Feb 2004 00:04:31 GMT, (Twangdaddy)
wrote:

>I have some coon-huntin' backwoods cousins
>from the hills & hollers and was wondering if
>anybody here had any especially interesting
>recipes for either squirrel, coon or possum?

Coon and possum are pretty dangerous to eat, or so I've heard.
I'll stick to beef and pork, and the occasional pigeon.

-sw

Twangdaddy wrote:

> I have some coon-huntin' backwoods cousins
> from the hills & hollers and was wondering if
> anybody here had any especially interesting
> recipes for either squirrel, coon or possum?
>
> No, this is not a joke and please,
> no road kill remarks. I know it might seem
> odd nowadays, but way back when, folks actually
> ate all three of the above and considered them
> downright tasty when done right.
>
> Thanks for any suggestions, stories or legends.
>
> Bon vittles, SBW

The only place I've ever seen serious recipes for these (i.e. not
in an episode of The Beverly Hillbillys or something) is in old
editions of The Joy of Cooking. In one from the early sixties,
it basically says the following:

Opossum: "Parboil 1 hour, roast as for pork"

Squirrel: "Stuff and roast as for pigeons, barding them, or use them
in Brunswick Stew, or prepare as for Braised Chicken"

Raccoon: "Soak overnight in salted water, blanch for 45 minutes,
add 2 T baking soda, continue to cook 5 minutes. Drain and wash. Put
in cold water, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes.
Stuff with Bread Dressing. Bake covered at 350 F for 45 minutes,
uncover and cook 15 minutes longer."

Also has recipes for Muskrat and Woodchuck

--
Reg email: RegForte (at) (that free MS email service) (dot) com

You might want to give this site a try.

http://www.justgamerecipes.com/

It has all kinds of very good wild game recipes.

On 23 Feb 2004 00:04:31 GMT, (Twangdaddy) wrote:

>I have some coon-huntin' backwoods cousins
>from the hills & hollers and was wondering if
>anybody here had any especially interesting
>recipes for either squirrel, coon or possum?
>
>No, this is not a joke and please,
>no road kill remarks. I know it might seem
>odd nowadays, but way back when, folks actually
>ate all three of the above and considered them
>downright tasty when done right.
>
>Thanks for any suggestions, stories or legends.
>
>Bon vittles, SBW

Try the Just Game Recipes site:

http://www.justgamerecipes.com/

-Chef Juke
http://www.chefjuke.com
"Everybody Eats when they come to MY house!"

(Remove the CAPS from the return address when sending email replies)

"Twangdaddy" > wrote in message
...
> I have some coon-huntin' backwoods cousins
> from the hills & hollers and was wondering if
> anybody here had any especially interesting
> recipes for either squirrel, coon or possum?
>
> No, this is not a joke and please,
> no road kill remarks. I know it might seem
> odd nowadays, but way back when, folks actually
> ate all three of the above and considered them
> downright tasty when done right.
>
> Thanks for any suggestions, stories or legends.
>
> Bon vittles, SBW

The L.L. Bean Game & Fish Cookbook, Angus Cameron and Judith Jones
My copy was published in 1983, 450 pages

Has about 10 recipes for squirrel, three each for raccoon and opossum.
Also, rabbit, muskrat, beaver, woodchuck. 31 pages total on small furred
game.

James Emanuel

On Mon, 23 Feb 2004 07:48:11 GMT, Reg > wrote:

>The only place I've ever seen serious recipes for these (i.e. not
>in an episode of The Beverly Hillbillys or something) is in old
>editions of The Joy of Cooking. In one from the early sixties,
>it basically says the following:

I have those recipes/book. I didn't realize they cut them out of
the newer editions.

I like the headcheese recipe.

-sw

On Mon, 23 Feb 2004 01:11:42 -0600, Steve Wertz
> wrote:

>On 23 Feb 2004 00:04:31 GMT, (Twangdaddy)
>wrote:
>
>>I have some coon-huntin' backwoods cousins
>>from the hills & hollers and was wondering if
>>anybody here had any especially interesting
>>recipes for either squirrel, coon or possum?
>
>Coon and possum are pretty dangerous to eat, or so I've heard.

Don't know about that. Could be. I saw both for sale at the Lexington
Market in Baltimore.

>I'll stick to beef and pork, and the occasional pigeon.
>
Same here.

--
Kevin S. Wilson
Tech Writer at a University Somewhere in Idaho
"Anything, when cooked in large enough batches, will be vile."
--Dag Right-square-bracket-gren, in alt.religion.kibology

Steve Wertz wrote:

> I have those recipes/book. I didn't realize they cut them out of
> the newer editions.

It's heavily updated and reissued, in the same vein as the Fanny Farmer
Cookbook. I guess when you have a successful franchise you milk it for all
it's worth. The latest editions have lost the squirrel recipes in favor
of sushi, etc.

Their take on Possum, Squirrel, and Raccoon, it looks
like the Squirrel is the most straightforward. Their treatment
of raccoon makes me wonder if it should be eaten at all. "Boil,
wash, boil again, then soak for a week in rubbing alcohol".

--
Reg email: RegForte (at) (that free MS email service) (dot) com

Twangdaddy wrote:

> I have some coon-huntin' backwoods cousins
> from the hills & hollers and was wondering if
> anybody here had any especially interesting
> recipes for either squirrel, coon or possum?

Twangdaddy, you've piqued my interest on the subject. I now have an
idea of how to cook this stuff, which would probably only happen
after a nuclear war, but hey, it's interesting anyway.

http://www.backwoodsbound.com/zracoon.html
http://www.backwoodsbound.com/zsquir.html
http://ushotstuff.com/wg/OpossumSmp.htm

--
Reg email: RegForte (at) (that free MS email service) (dot) com

Twangdaddy wrote:
> I have some coon-huntin' backwoods cousins
> from the hills & hollers and was wondering if
> anybody here had any especially interesting
> recipes for either squirrel, coon or possum?
>
> No, this is not a joke and please,
> no road kill remarks. I know it might seem
> odd nowadays, but way back when, folks actually
> ate all three of the above and considered them
> downright tasty when done right.
>
> Thanks for any suggestions, stories or legends.
>
> Bon vittles, SBW

I can't help ya with them vittles ya want, but I just gotta ask...WHERE THE HELL
HAVE YOU BEEN? Welcome Back, Capt. Ron!

BOB

"Twangdaddy" > wrote in message
...
> I have some coon-huntin' backwoods cousins
> from the hills & hollers and was wondering if
> anybody here had any especially interesting
> recipes for either squirrel, coon or possum?
>
<SNIP>
> Bon vittles, SBW

My wife found this for her brother who coon hunts locally and has been
seeing more and more possum.

BAKED POSSUM AND SWEET POTATOES

2 young Possums, 2-1/4 to 2-1/2 pounds each, dressed
1 Baking Potato, 1/2 pound
7 cups Cold Water
2 pounds Sweet potatoes
4 teaspoon Salt
3/4 teaspoon Black Pepper
1/8 teaspoon Red Pepper
3 tablespoons Flour
1/4 cup Cold Water
2 to 3 cups Possum Broth
Parsley

Clean possum carefully and remove scent glands and any clinging hair. Pare
baking potato, wash and cut in quarters lengthwise Lay potato inside possum
Fit into a 5-quart kettle. Add water, cover kettle but leave open space on
one side for steam to escape. Heat to boiling and boil gently 15 to 20
minutes, then skim froth that collects. Pour off about half the broth. Add 3
cups fresh hot water

Return to heat, again partially cover and boil gently until meat is tender,
but not tender enough to pull away from the bone. Remember possums will not
become more tender after they are placed in a roasting pan. Sprinkle outside
well with seasonings that have been well mixed in a cup.

Make gravy by sprinkling flour over cold water, mix to a smooth paste, then
blend with 3 cups of broth drained from kettle in which possums were
parboiled. Mix and pour around possum.

Arrange pared, washed sweet potatoes around possum. Cover pan and bake until
possums and potatoes are almost tender. Now uncover and bake until possums
and potatoes are tender and beautifully browned or from 35 to 40 minutes.
Baste every 10 minutes with the gravy in the pan Remove meat and potatoes to
platter and garnish with parsley. Pour gravy into separate dish and serve
meat and gravy piping hot.

Makes 5 to 6 servings.

Hope this helps,
Darryl.

On Mon, 23 Feb 2004 10:55:02 -0700, Kevin S. Wilson
> wrote:

>On Mon, 23 Feb 2004 01:11:42 -0600, Steve Wertz
> wrote:
>
>>On 23 Feb 2004 00:04:31 GMT, (Twangdaddy)
>>wrote:
>>
>>>I have some coon-huntin' backwoods cousins
>>>from the hills & hollers and was wondering if
>>>anybody here had any especially interesting
>>>recipes for either squirrel, coon or possum?
>>
>>Coon and possum are pretty dangerous to eat, or so I've heard.
>
>Don't know about that. Could be. I saw both for sale at the Lexington
>Market in Baltimore.

Farmed in a controlled environment, no doubt. I think twangdaddy
plans to shoot them in his back yard though :-)

-sw

>From: " BOB"
>I can't help ya with them vittles ya want, but I just gotta ask...WHERE THE
>HELL
>HAVE YOU BEEN? Welcome Back, Capt. Ron!
>
>BOB

Thanks Bob! I been around, just quietly lurkin mostly. Talking recently to my
95 yr old cousin Elmo, an ace coon hunter, is what got me interested in these
type vittles.
Elmo says that the trick to tasty coon & possum is not to shoot them, but
capture them alive and then put them in a cage and feed them corn for 2-3 weeks
to both clean out their systems and also fatten them up.
He said it's also extremely important to remove all four scent glands from both
coons & possums when butchering before cooking. He said forgotten scent glands
can really mess up the flavor.

It is true that wild coons & possum can carry things dangerous to humans - heck
I learned only recently that armadillos can carry leprosy - of coarse that was
AFTER we attended the armadillo races in Texas.
We even petted a few. None I'm waitin fer my trigger finger to drop off. :-)

I will share one cool thing with y'all though.
Go out and rent the new DVD of "Once Upon A Time In Mexico" with Johnny Depp &
Antonio Banderas by film maker Robert Rodrigez. It has to be the DVD not the
VHS because on the DVD in the bonus footage section is a segment called "10
Minute Cooking Class' by Rodrigez where he shows his own personal recipe for
Puerco Pibil - a spicy slow-roasted pork.

I did the recipe as he described as it was a real hit at the Super Bowl party (
even though NC lost -damn! ) - although most of that crew has yet to meet pork
of any kind they didn't like.
But, ...later I did the same recipe for the Pibil except I slow smoked it over
an oak wood fire on my smoker grill. Man-O-man!

Hoss, lemme tell ya ...that was some tasty pig! The secret seems to be in
using the fresh ground annatto seed which seemed a bit funky at first but
blends into the pork juice to create a truly unique flavor. The dish is
somewhat like cuban Mojo Creollo pork only a bit more spicy.
Well, similar in that they use a citrus-based marinade, but adding the annotto
makes it a whole new thing.
Proper grinding of the annatto and other spices is critical too.

The other trick is in getting just the right amount of habanero & jalepeno
peppers so as not to go overboard on heat but have a little twang & kick.
Then, with habs, it's always a matter of personal taste and how much you care
about your friends tongues ;-)
Those puppies can be downright dangerous! Especially the seeds!

I've also been writing songs too.
One song called "BBQ"
can be heard for free and downloaded free as an mp3 at:

http://leodean0.tripod.com/leodean/id24.html

at www.LeoDean.com

another song I wrote about BBQ and all things Southern called "I Love The
South"
can also be heard and downloaded as a free mp3 at:

http://www.soundclick.com/bands/8/leodeanmusic.htm

at SoundClick.com

There are lots of other of my songs on both sites too, but those two are about
BBQ!
I write the songs and my buddy Leo Dean sings and plays them. Trust me, you
don't want to hear me sing.
Eat my BBQ - YES, hear me sing - NO!!!
:-)

Hope y'all will givem a listen and as always, ...may the good BBQ be yours!

Hillbilladelically yerz,
Cap'n Ron aka Stinkbait Willie

Vote the Hillbillitarian Party in 2004!
We ain't playin' possum!!!

www.cafemojo.org
www.LeoDean.com
www.SoundClick.com

On Mon, 23 Feb 2004 20:47:16 -0600, Steve Wertz
> wrote:

>On Mon, 23 Feb 2004 10:55:02 -0700, Kevin S. Wilson
> wrote:
>
>>On Mon, 23 Feb 2004 01:11:42 -0600, Steve Wertz
> wrote:
>>
>>>On 23 Feb 2004 00:04:31 GMT, (Twangdaddy)
>>>wrote:
>>>
>>>>I have some coon-huntin' backwoods cousins
>>>>from the hills & hollers and was wondering if
>>>>anybody here had any especially interesting
>>>>recipes for either squirrel, coon or possum?
>>>
>>>Coon and possum are pretty dangerous to eat, or so I've heard.
>>
>>Don't know about that. Could be. I saw both for sale at the Lexington
>>Market in Baltimore.
>
>Farmed in a controlled environment, no doubt. I think twangdaddy
>plans to shoot them in his back yard though :-)
>
Google doesn't seem to have heard of the concept of possum ranching or
raccoon farms. The signs advertising the coon and possum meat said
"During the Season" or "In Season." I assumed they referred to a
trapping season.
--
Kevin S. Wilson
Tech Writer at a University Somewhere in Idaho
"Anything, when cooked in large enough batches, will be vile."
--Dag Right-square-bracket-gren, in alt.religion.kibology

On Tue, 24 Feb 2004 09:50:16 -0700, Kevin S. Wilson
> wrote:

>On Mon, 23 Feb 2004 20:47:16 -0600, Steve Wertz
> wrote:

>>Farmed in a controlled environment, no doubt. I think twangdaddy
>>plans to shoot them in his back yard though :-)

>Google doesn't seem to have heard of the concept of possum ranching or
>raccoon farms. The signs advertising the coon and possum meat said
>"During the Season" or "In Season." I assumed they referred to a
>trapping season.

My understanding is that all game animals/meats sold for retail
must be farmed. Possum and coon are always 'in season' since
there aren't really hunting seasons for these rodents/critters (as
far as I know - maybe in some states).

In my yard, it's *always* open season on especially these two.

-sw