Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Going Wild

A. is on a roll lately with the killing of small animals. He has taken to walking the dogs in the woods up back and bringing his shotgun. This has resulted in a squirrel that the dogs obligingly treed for him on Sunday, and a rabbit on Monday. That he flushed from a bush himself because the dogs were too busy chasing squirrels to notice the rabbit when they charged past the bush.

They can be kind of stupid, sometimes.

ANYWAY.

This hunting prowess means, of course, that we have been having wild game for dinner this week. A. took charge of the squirrel, boiling it in a couple of changes of water before pulling the meat apart. This method was prudent because for one thing, it was a really big squirrel--an old male--which tend to be kind of tough. And for another thing, it allowed him to get rid of whatever shot might be left in the squirrel so nobody broke a tooth on a small piece of shot in their dinner. That kind of detracts from one's gustatory enjoyment.

ANYWAY AGAIN.

He chucked the squirrel into a soup with a ham bone and various vegetables. And it was good. We've had squirrel before. Provided it's prepped properly, it's really a lot better than you would think the equivalent of a large rat with a bushy tail would be.

The rabbit was made into hasenpfeffer last night, by me. And not just because hasenpfeffer is a really fun word to say. It also happens to be some good eatin'. Personally, I've never gone wrong braising any kind of meat in half a bottle of red wine.

I think tonight we'll go back to boring old ground beef, though. It lacks the excitement of a meal that was running around mere hours before being eaten, but then again, it also lacks the possibility of chewing on lead shot. And there is something to be said for that.

20 comments:

Anke said...

Growing up in Germany we ate Hasenpfeffer quite often. My grandparents raised rabbits and when they butchered one, they always invited us over for Hasenpfeffer. Now in Germany it is customary (when making "Pfeffer" of any kind) to add some of the blood to the sauce... I know it'll sound gross to a lot of people, but it really is very, very good.

Serial Swooper said...

Hasenpfeffer. Hmmm.

So what exactly then were Laverne & Shirley talking about??

"Shemeel, shamazul.
Hasenpfeffer Incorporated!"

Right? At least that's what I always thought they said.

Judi said...

This brings back memories of when I was four, and my dad gave away my pet rabbit. Have never been able to eat rabbit since.

Marcy said...

You've made me hungry for a good Brunswick Stew but I do hope A. isn't really using LEAD shot.

Chiot's Run said...

We had a wild game dinner a few weeks ago with several kinds of squirrel served. This is my favorite way to eat them, I prefer them to the rabbit that's supposed to be used for this dish: http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2008/02/cook-the-book-rabbit-stew-with-dumplings.html

Squirrel is much tastier than rabbit I find, more like dark meat chicken.

Anonymous said...

You wild woman , you !
Beth

word verification ' ressess '

snake play time

Phoo-D said...

What fun! I've never tried squirrel before but wild rabbit is delicious. Chewing gently is always part of the 'fun' with wild game.

BlackThumbGirl said...

Mmm, eating small rodent-like animals. One of the unsung pleasures of living in the boondocks. >:)

Not for this vegetarian, but as a kid I was definitely not adverse to a little squirrel stew or fried rabbit.

Haley said...

I'm curious what squirrel tastes like. I've heard like rabbit, like chicken, etc., but I've never tried it myself.

Although I do enjoy rabbit, eating it always makes me think of my best friend, who grew up in China. When she was 3, her grandmother got her a bet bunny, but one of their neighbors ate it.

FinnyKnits said...

Oh friend, shit's wild at your place alright.

Though I do love the fact that the dogs get to roam freely in the woods and chase squirrels.

My dog would be in heaven.

Daisy said...

Sure beats a piece of cheese folded into bread! :) Both sound delicious.
The Laverne and Shirley kick? Harnishfeger Incorporated, a manufacturer in Milwaukee.

mil said...

Feb 11 Update--
K's waters broke last night, and the man-cub is on the way. So far, so good--

Alicia said...

Never eaten either rabbit or squirrel...you'll have to invite me to dinner next time!

No, seriously, I can't get my hubby to boil water, let alone kill and soften my food. That's awesome you have such a manly man like that.

Anonymous said...

I was guessin' since she hadn't posted yet today that the man cub was beatin' down the door. ;) Best wishes to all of you . May her labor be short. amen.
Beth

Marcy said...

Thank you MIL for taking a moment in all the excitement to let us know. I'm just glad I thought to check yesterday's comments when I didn't see new post today... Best wishes to all.

sheila said...

Wow, how exciting. Hope everyone is doing well.

Jive turkey said...

OH MY GOODNESS!!!! She suddenly popped into my head a minute ago so I thought I'd check in and YAY!! Please give her my best. Can't wait to hear the happy news!

me again said...

I just got all tingly and excited!! Mancub is coming :-)
Thank you MIL, for the update!!!

Mayberry Magpie said...

MiL, for the love of all that is cuddly and cute, post a photo soon!

jean said...

I stopped by here this morning and thought that today was the day. Thanks MIL for keeping us posted. Good luck to everyone.