BM

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

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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.

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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