Brunswick stew used to be made with squirrel. Look it up — the original 1828 recipe from Brunswick County, Virginia, uses squirrel as the primary meat. Before it became a chicken-based church fundraiser staple, it was a squirrel dish. Black cooks made that stew, probably made the original version, and the knowledge of what went in it traveled through the centuries.
Squirrel hunting remains an active tradition in Black Appalachian and Deep South communities — it requires only a small-game license ($5-20 per season in most states) and a .22 rifle. Squirrel season runs mid-August through February in most states. The Black hunting tradition in Appalachia — largely unrecorded in mainstream food history — maintained squirrel consumption through periods when other game was unavailable. Community hunting groups in rural Alabama and Mississippi still gather for squirrel hunts as social events.
Gray squirrel meat is one of the leanest wild game meats available — 4-6% fat, comparable to chicken breast, with significantly higher iron content. The protein-to-calorie ratio exceeds commercial chicken by approximately 15%. Iron at 3.6mg per 3oz serving as heme iron is bioavailable at 15-35% — the most efficient dietary iron source. Niacin at 7mg per serving (44% DV) supports energy metabolism, lipid metabolism, and has documented anti-inflammatory effects on endothelium — relevant for cardiovascular disease prevention. The entire nutritional profile reflects a wild-foraging diet: acorns, hickory nuts, berries, and fungi produce a distinctive fatty acid profile with higher omega-3 content than grain-fed poultry.
Skin and clean immediately after harvest. Soak in cold salted water 2-4 hours or overnight — squirrel can be strongly flavored, soaking reduces this significantly. Cut into pieces: front quarters, saddle, rear quarters. Squirrel meat is dense and can be tough — always slow-cook or pressure cook before any other preparation. For Brunswick stew: brown squirrel pieces in a Dutch oven, add onion, corn, lima beans, tomatoes, and broth — simmer 2-3 hours until meat falls off the bone. Remove bones, shred meat back into stew.
Free, no account needed to ask.