Squirrel - The Other White Meat?

Posted by Kitty on January 8, 2009

According to The New York Times, there is a new delicacy appearing on the menus of some of Britain's poshest eateries, and its one that may seem surprising to Western tourists.

Yes, its squirrel meat. And not some fancy pedigreed European squirrel, mind you, but good, old-fashioned North American gray squirrel. It seems that a recent influx of the North American Gray have been running rampant in the English countryside, threatening the survival of the indigenous red squirrel, a British icon immortalized in the tales of England's own Beatrix Potter. Citizens responded by "culling" the grays, and a 2006 "Save Our Squirrels" campaign, which created a market for the gray squirrel meat.

Now Squirrel is popping up everywhere in Britain from farmer's markets to fine-dining establishments. Flavor is reported to be variable, and seems to be based on the individual squirrel's diet, with large differences in fat content, depending on season and age.

Think you may get the trend started on this side of the pond? Its not as simple as you may think. Squirrel is apparently notoriously difficult to skin, and may be best left to professional butchers. Another tricky problem? Actually catching one:

"If you want to grab your shotgun, make sure you have very good aim — squirrels must be shot in the head; a body shot renders them impossible to skin or eat. (You want to get rid of the head in any event, as squirrel brains have been linked to variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, the human form of mad cow disease.)"

TAGS: Squirrel Meat
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