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Preparing groundhog for the table ?

Posted By: kyron4

Preparing groundhog for the table ? - 08/06/19 03:36 AM

Caught a groundhog that was living under my shed today. Got it skinned and quartered up. What is the best way to prepare it ? Do you want to remove all the fat ? Slow cook ? grilled ? baked ? -Thanks
Posted By: Albert Burns

Re: Preparing groundhog for the table ? - 08/06/19 11:06 AM

This is just my personal observation, having tried to cook a young one years ago in PA on the farm. We did as you have done, then trimmed all the fat off of it. Then we seasoned it and slow cooked it on the grill. Did not turn out too good at all. My friends wife took it inside and then par boiled it for a long time, till what we had hoped would tender it up. Put it back on the grill, and still not too good. Actually pretty nasty. Decided the hunting dogs could have what was left, they politely declined and refused to eat it also. Not sure what finally became of it, but know for sure nothing would eat it. I am sure there are much better ways to cook it, that might even make it palatable enough the dogs would eat it, but not me. Just my experience with them.
Posted By: Ronaround

Re: Preparing groundhog for the table ? - 08/06/19 11:24 AM

Buzzards seem to have a hankering for them after your dispatch them grin
Posted By: l1ranger

Re: Preparing groundhog for the table ? - 08/06/19 12:30 PM

make sure you remove the glands - then soak in saltwater overnight

fried, they can be a bit tough - so like a squirrel, we parboil, then bread and fry - make gravy

or crockpot, pot roast style with onions, potatoes, etc

make sure you remove the glands

also, make srue you remove the glands
Posted By: Wild_Idaho

Re: Preparing groundhog for the table ? - 08/06/19 01:08 PM

Times they must be sad and pitiful for us trappers in August. Yesterday I see a thread about eatin' coyotes and foxes. Now this mornin' I see a thread about eating oversized gerbils. Think I'll go make me some fried eggs, bacon (from a pig) and toast with huckleberry jam
Posted By: Jurassic Park

Re: Preparing groundhog for the table ? - 08/06/19 01:18 PM

Originally Posted by kyron4
Caught a groundhog that was living under my shed today. Got it skinned and quartered up. What is the best way to prepare it ? Do you want to remove all the fat ? Slow cook ? grilled ? baked ? -Thanks


HUH??????
Posted By: l1ranger

Re: Preparing groundhog for the table ? - 08/06/19 02:41 PM

Originally Posted by Wild_Idaho
Times they must be sad and pitiful for us trappers in August. Yesterday I see a thread about eatin' coyotes and foxes. Now this mornin' I see a thread about eating oversized gerbils. Think I'll go make me some fried eggs, bacon (from a pig) and toast with huckleberry jam



you can't say times must be sad and pitiful for others - then brag about eating huckleberry jam laugh
Posted By: E.Shell

Re: Preparing groundhog for the table ? - 08/06/19 03:01 PM

I have eaten several little ones and they are marginal at best - taste like they smell. I imagine a big one would be downright disgusting. Don't you have snakes or rats or something else better to eat where you are?

Originally Posted by l1ranger
make sure you remove the glands - then soak in saltwater overnight...a bit tough...
My grandmother saw me soaking birds in saltwater and gave me quite the lecture on how tough that will make them.

Also the commercial crabbers often use "poultry necks" for trotline bait and they salt them to make them tougher to stay on the line better.
Posted By: Kent Smith

Re: Preparing groundhog for the table ? - 08/06/19 03:10 PM

Follow the directions that have been given for cleaning.

I use an old twist top pressure pan. It has a grate in the bottom that holds the meat above the juice. I put enough water in the bottom below the grate to make steam and add a beef bullion cube.

Season the meat with what ever you use. I use garlic, salt, pepper and Cavender's Greek seasoning.

The time I pressure it is the same for a beef roast, if a young one cut back on the time. It will be good eating.

If you put a bowl in the bottom of a crock pot to keep it above the juice it would do the same thing.

The reason I keep it above the juice is, so it is not cooking in animal fat and don't add other liquid like cream of mushroom is, I want to taste the flavor of the animal itself.

I use the same method on bobcat, coon and armadillo.

Some times I hickory smoke the bobcat.

Share it with others. If you don't tell them what it is they will brag on the taste and enjoy it.

TrapperKent
Posted By: rex123

Re: Preparing groundhog for the table ? - 08/06/19 04:24 PM

When I was young MANY years ago my brother and I were cutting cord wood in the ozarks on a retired army sargent's farm and he shot and barbecued a ground hog for dinner one day .After all these years I will still say it was some of the best barbecue I have ever had . Maybe the secret was the sauce?
Posted By: kyron4

Re: Preparing groundhog for the table ? - 08/07/19 03:39 AM

Originally Posted by Wild_Idaho
Times they must be sad and pitiful for us trappers in August. Yesterday I see a thread about eatin' coyotes and foxes. Now this mornin' I see a thread about eating oversized gerbils. Think I'll go make me some fried eggs, bacon (from a pig) and toast with huckleberry jam



LOL. Well I enjoy a good beaver stew so why not groundhog, just a beaver with a bobbed tail lol. Some of you guys must be going soft, spoiled by your store bought pink slime hamburger and steroid feed chicken. I've eaten squirrel, beaver, and muskrat, can't imagine groundhog would be much different.
Posted By: Trapper Dahlgren

Re: Preparing groundhog for the table ? - 08/07/19 10:32 AM

let us know how it turns out smile
Posted By: grayfox54

Re: Preparing groundhog for the table ? - 08/07/19 11:23 AM

I’ve eaten groundhog lots of times they’re good eating! I was told to boil them first and like someone said take all the glands off. Boil, them simmer them until the meat falls off the bones. Add some beef boullion cubes to the broth then make pot pie out of flour and water. Throw them in and simmer until done
Posted By: loosegoose

Re: Preparing groundhog for the table ? - 08/07/19 11:24 AM

I love groundhog meat, I eat every one I can shoot or catch. I've made general tso's whistle pig before, just use a general tso's chicken recipe grin The taste like beef with a hint of grassiness to me. I've made them into a stir fry, stew, fried up chunks, and ground wood chuck. Use your imagination, if you're unsure about how you might like it, it's best to put it in something rather than just having a chunk of meat.
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