Groundhog meat is considered a delicacy, because you must admit that not every day you will find a shop with this unusual product. Contrary to humanity, the groundhog is the only animal that can be hunted at any time of the year. Unfortunately, in many regions of Russia, this steppe resident is listed in the Red Book. There is only one reason: groundhog provides valuable fat, and fur, and nutritious meat, so hunting for animals is common in many parts of the world. Let's find out how to cook a groundhog at home.
A groundhog is ...
A groundhog is a rodent that lives in holes. In appearance it resembles a squirrel, muskrat or mink. Since this animal lives in the northern steppe zones, it has thick fur and a thick layer of subcutaneous fat. The main feature of the groundhog is that this rodent lives in colonies, among which you can find both small offspring and the oldest individuals. In winter, rodents go into hibernation, and wake up when heat comes. In some corners of the planet, the departure from the winter hibernation of the steppe animal indicates the arrival of spring. For example, on this occasion, Canada celebrates Groundhog Day.
Rodent meat: features
A marmot is an unusual animal. The rodent is finicky in food, although it eats herbs and roots. The task of the animal is to find only clean and fresh food that will enrich its small body with all the necessary substances and minerals. To learn how to cook a groundhog, you need to pay attention to all the features of a steppe resident:
- The animal has a thick layer of fat, which allows it to hibernate for a long period. Initially, steppe groundhog fat was the main reason for hunting.
- Rodent meat is difficult to digest in the human body due to high fat content. If you plunge into the past, we will see how the meat of the animal was actively used by the steppe inhabitants, who were in the cold for a long time. Rodent meat and fat helped people to avoid not only hypothermia, but also prevented the development of colds and cancers.
- To prepare a steppe groundhog, it must be pre-processed. Like many rodents, the groundhog has odorous glands both for protection and for communicating with representatives of its species. If you do not remove such glands during cooking, the meat can exude a completely unpleasant odor. An excellent comparison can be the steppe hare, which when cut, has a very caustic aroma.
How to process rodent meat?
How to cook groundhog at home? First you need to go through multi-stage processing:
- Firstly, you should not store the whole carcass of a rodent for a long time. Butchering is best immediately after the hunt.
- Secondly, use only a sharp knife, which gently and quickly removes the dense groundhog skin, and then the fat layer. But do not rush to throw lard, because with the help of a water bath you can extract from 700 to 1000 gr. marmot fat.
- Third, remove the odorous glands with a sharp knife. Groundhog meat itself has a darkish color, where the glands have a beige hue. If this is your first time cutting a carcass, you will find odorous glands in the armpits. Glands must be cut with a "margin" and not spare meat.
- Fourth, in order to start cooking, the meat must be soaked in cold water. As a rule, groundhog meat is cut into small pieces, filled with cold water so that it completely covers the prey. You can start cooking exactly one day later.
Braised Groundhog with Vegetables
For those who do not know how to cook groundhog meat, this recipe will be a real gift. Rodent stew is popular because after several hours of cooking it will be soft, juicy and tender.
Ingredients:
- Groundhog (processed) - 2-3 kg.
- Onions (medium) - 4 pcs.
- Carrots (medium) - 3 pcs.
- Eggplant (large) - 1 pc.
- Milk - 500 ml.
- Bell pepper - 2 pcs.
- Garlic cloves - 5 pcs.
- Greens (dill, cilantro, parsley, oregano) - optional.
- Spices (pepper, salt) - optional.
- Mustard (pasta) - 1 teaspoon.
- Honey (not candied) - 2 teaspoons.
- Soy sauce - 3 tablespoons.
- Ginger (small root) - 1 pc.
- Vegetable oil for frying - 30 ml.
Stages of preparation:
- Processed meat must be cut into small pieces and marinated in milk with spices (optional). It must be kept up to 15 hours, so it will be stewed faster and soft.
- Cut carrots, eggplant, onions and peppers into small cubes.
- Mustard mixed with honey and soy sauce.
- Pour oil into a deep pot or cauldron, heat, and then add the onions. Fry it until golden brown, then add chopped ginger, garlic and carrots to the dish. Stew for a few minutes, then add the chopped meat (no milk).
- Sauté the slices over medium heat until the meat has a golden color. Then add the mustard and honey mixture, mix thoroughly.
- Simmer for 1.5-2 hours over medium heat, remembering to stir and add water as it “sticks”.
- Try the meat to taste, then add the remaining chopped vegetables and herbs, simmer for another 20 minutes.
Groundhog marinade
How to cook groundhog on a fire or grill? To do this, you need to make a special marinade. First of all, rodent meat must be soaked in cold water, and then cut into small pieces.
Add chopped onions (2 large heads per 1 kg of groundhog), spices (salt, pepper, herbs), mayonnaise, lemon juice to the bowl with meat. Mix thoroughly and let the meat marinate for 8-13 hours.
Interesting facts: those who do not know how to cook a groundhog should be careful, because the meat of a rodent must be subjected to lengthy heat treatment. Rodent skewers often turn out to be dry and tough, so many gourmets recommend stewing such meat with vegetables and just in a cauldron with spices.
Gentle paste for every day
How to cook a groundhog is unusual, so that all relatives and friends ask for a recipe? We bring to your attention a gentle paste of rodent meat.
Grocery list:
- Marmot (processed meat) - 1-2 kg.
- Onion (medium) - 1 pc.
- Mushrooms (dried) - 3-5 pcs.
- Spices - optional.
- Carrot (medium) - 1 pc.
- Eggs (chicken) - 3 pcs.
Cooking process:
- Soaked meat must be stewed for 2-3 hours along with mushrooms and carrots, after adding spices to the dishes.
- Get rid of the bones, leave only the loin. Stew meat through a meat grinder along with eggs, mushrooms and carrots.
- Sauté the onion in a little oil, then add it to the groundhog paste. Mix well.
- Add garlic, aromatic greens, if desired.
Now you know how to cook a groundhog. Recipes will help to add variety to your diet, and exquisite dishes from the steppe inhabitant will make you a real culinary genius. Have gastronomic pleasure with our recipes!