That little bastard always has us in his clutches, making us stand in the cold waiting to see what he – a groundhog – will predict for the rest of the winter. In a surprise move, he predicted an early spring this morning, instead of telling us that it’s going to be six more weeks of winter. Here’s an idea: instead of honoring Phil, I say we pull the jerk out of his stump home and go in on him for holding us hostage every February 2nd:
| Woodhucks, groundhogs, whistle pigs, pasture pigs, whatever you call them, have dark meat with a mild flavor and adapt readily to any squirrel or rabbit recipe. The fat is unobjectionable, but generally removed anyway. The ‘chuck has scent glands high on the inside of the forelegs and in the small of the back, which must be removed. Generally only the older animals are parboiled or soaked before cooking, although some cooks soak woodchucks as a matter of course in cold salted water for 6 to 12 hours. Older ‘chucks (worn teeth and claws are a good indication of age) benefit from parboiling in water to which 1/2 teaspoon or more of baking soda has been added. An adult will weigh 6 to 8 pounds.
Jacqueline E. Knight |
=================================== Oriental Groundhog Recipe By: Hunters Information Service Amount Measure Ingredient Preparation Method 1 Ground hog 2 quarts Water 1/4 cup Salt 1/2 cup Soy sauce 2 cloves Garlic whole 1 Naga Jolokia pepper whole 1/4 Onion 2 tablespoon Uncle Steve's Mild Chile powder 1/4 bunch Parsley whole 4 Beef bouillon cubes 1/4 teaspoon Freshly-ground white pepper 1 cup Beef or chicken broth Teriyaki glaze Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Cut meat into serving pieces and soak in 1 quart water and salt for 3 hours. Transfer meat to 1 quart clear water and soak 4 hours. Drain and dry meat. Place meat in a baking pan with beef broth, soy sauce, garlic cloves, Naga Jolokia pepper, onion, Mild Chile powder, parsley, bouillon cubes and white pepper. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Baste frequently. Brush with teriyaki glaze while cooking. =================================== Waco Groundhog in Sour Cream Recipe By: "Indian Cookin'", compiled by Herb Walker, 1977 Amount Measure Ingredient Preparation Method 1 Groundhog, skinned & cleaned 1/2 cup Vinegar 1 tablespoon Salt 2 quarts Water 2 teaspoons Soda 1/2 cup Flour 1 teaspoon Salt 1/2 teaspoon Allspice 1/2 cup Bacon fat 3 small Wild onions 1/2 cup Water 1 cup Sour cream Skin and clean the groundhog. Wash and dry and put in an earthen crock. Cover with water and a half cup of vinegar and 1 T. of salt. Let stand in a cool place overnight. In the morning, remove from brine, wash and pat dry with a damp cloth. In a large soup kettle combine 2 qt. of water and 2 T. of soda. Bring to a boil, lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes, removing the scum as it rises to the surface. Drain and rinse the groundhog meat and cut into serving pieces. Combinethe flour, salt and allspice and dredge the pieces of meat in the mixture. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Melt the bacon fat in a heavy iron frying pan until smoking. jBrown meat on all sides. Transfer the browned meat into a greased 4 qt. casserole. Arrange sliced onions on top, add water, cover and bake in a preheated oven for 2 hours or until the meat is tender. Transfer the meat to a heated platter to keep warm. Put the casserole on top of the stove over medium heat and spoon in the sour cream stirring constantly. Do not let the sauce come to a boil. Put the meat back into the casserole and simmer for about 15 minutes. Delicious served with creamed dandelion leaves. via Recipe Girl |
