Any one do squirrels in a pressure cooker to tender them up a bit?I have always found them kind of tough.My grandsons want to do some squirrel hunting,,but I would like a way to make them edible.If any one has tried the pressure cooker,,for how long and at what pressure? Thanks.

In my experience, squirrels are like chickens. You have "boilers" and "fryers." I know that a couple of folks in my family have used a pressure cooker on them with success. I'll see what they say.

OK thanks.

For most my life I parboiled squirrels same as my mother did in just regular pot. Cook until meat was almost falling off bone...
Some years back I started using the small pressure cooker I have and it works great. Cuts cooking time way down. Problem is haven't used it now for couple years and be honest can't recall the run time?? I first started using the cooker after someone here suggested it. So I'm sure some one here will chime in with a cook time. I hope so anyway because I'll have to write it down somewhere too.
I've always boiled then pan fried in oil of your choice with just Salt and Pepper..

Mac

No, just fried...sorry no help

we had very good results 1 squirrel 2 sheets alluminum foil , a pat of butter or drizzel of oil and some of your favorite BBQ sauce wrap in foil , flip , wrap in second sheet we did this on the coals at scout camp this worked out well and the boys could cook it and eat it right from the foil. rake the coals out and lay right on the coals it really didn't take that long maybe 30 minutes flip something about trapping that moisture inside the foil sort of steamed it , the meat fell of the bones.

I was watching a video yesterday where they were cooking squirrel and brown rice in a instapot 28 minutes at pressure is what they used . https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hF7iQCtT89E


my wife just bought one of these instapot things , it is really just a pressure cooker but one you hardly have to watch at all it keeps the heat right , but it can also be a slow cooker

Soak the squirrels in milk overnight, that really tenders them up good. I think its the acid in the milk that breaks down the meat. Almost as tender as chicken when battered and fried.

Or slow cook them til the meat falls off.

When I use the pressure cooker I throw in the squirrels cut up.


Then I put about 3 inches of water in and bring up the pressure, on 10lbs. Cook them for 12 minutes, after first jiggle and let them cool down on there own. Then I roll them in flour and S&P, or any other seasoning you want. Drop them in a skillet with the bottom covered in hot oil and brown to your liking on each side. Delicious and tender every time. Enjoy.

I have always pan fried them, then put into pressure cooker with a little water. Makes a great gravy too.

As far as time I start with 15-20 minutes once the pressure builds up.

The grey squirrels are almost always tender that way The big old red fox squirrels I leave in a little longer.

The really old ones that are really tough I use to make dumplins.

I'm following this thread. My son wants to go squirrel hunting after the deer season is over. Hopefully we can find a receipt and cooking method that's makes him want to go after them a second time.

The above pressure cooking methods will work.
I use 15 lbs of steam for 12 minutes. Most times, I just season salt them before cooking and enjoy them just like that.
After cooking you could add just a little BBQ sauce to them.
After pressure cooking, One of my friends loves to egg wash them, Roll them in white corn meal with a little red pepper and garlic powder added, then quick fry them only to brown the meal.
You can, after pressure cooking, pull the meat from the bones and make chili. It's good!
Or, you can add the boned meat with cream of celery and cream of mushroom soup. This will make a rich sauce. Pour this sauce over your favorite pasta. I like a 3 cheese tortellini.

For skinning instructions you can try this method.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NMNuLAsXnuk&feature=youtu.be
The varmint doing the skinning is me and it was quite a few years ago. It was a time of phone modems and 10 minute downloads. It was also before cell phones.

We pan sear, put in the crock pot with a little water, BBQ sauce and add veggies, and Lipton cup of soup mix. Yak! I need to get to the woods.

Lot of great ideas here!!Thanks for all the input.I love the taste of them,,but could never get them tender.I will be trying some of these methods.

Put in a PC and fry in a cast iron pan. That is the way my wife as done for 52 years.

What do you mean "put in a PC"?

Nice quick skinning there squacks !!

pressure cooker

My wife uses an "instant Pot" pressure cooker for them and it works great. It is a more automatic set- and- forget unit . Basically any pressure cooker will work, but there is no exact time to go by--it depends on how old (and tough) they are. If you pressure cook a young of the year squirrel enough to tenderize an old tough male in the same batch-- the young one will be mush.

When you are skinning the squirrels you can tell how tough they are by how hard it is to peel the skin off. Separate the easy ones from the holy- cow- how- old- is- that- thing types. Very young squirrels some people call "fryers" because may need no tenderizing at all.
To get a feel for how long to cook them , try 20 minutes. If the meat is still holding fast to the bones and the joints stay intact, i would cook them longer. I like the meat tender before it is fried. The last ones I remember fixing were cooked 40 minutes before frying, but if their sticktight hide is any indication Davy Crockett may have passed them up.

killin me now im hungry for squirrel gravy

take the boy out and go wack a few squirrels Steve.