Comments on: Braised Beaver, Anyone? http://corduroyorange.com/?p=403 The only Food Blog written by Jesse Sharrard Sat, 11 Apr 2026 23:49:11 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6 By: Doug http://corduroyorange.com/?p=403#comment-48116 Doug Thu, 15 Jan 2009 14:15:34 +0000 http://corduroyorange.com/?p=403#comment-48116 According to the Field Guide to Meat, "Beaver meat is dark, red, rich and soft in texture, though rather gamy in flavor", "...it my be smoked to reduce the gamy flavor" and you should "choose a young, small animal for best eating." Also: "Beaver fat has a strong flavor and odor and should be cut away completely before cooking. Soak the meat in enough salt water mixed with 1/4 cup (65ml) of vinegar to cover the meat overnight, refrigerated, to draw out excess blood. Rinse the meat in cold, clear water." For preparation (also from Field Guide to Meat): Roast it with legs trussed to belly. Place it on it's side in roaster. Cut slits in the lean meat to inserts strips of salt pork. Season with salt and pepper and dust with flour. Add a little water to pan. Roast at 325F for 1.5 hrs. with lid on. Add water as needed. Skim off fat as it accumulates. Turn beaver, add chopped onions, celery and carrots to pan. Finish roasting with lid off until meat falls of bones. (another 2hrs.) Make a pan gravy. and serve. Sounds interesting but, as a Canadian, I couldn't imagine eating one what with it being the symbol of our nation. It'd be like an American eating a bald eagle. I do love Beavertails though. A very tasty fried dough! According to the Field Guide to Meat, “Beaver meat is dark, red, rich and soft in texture, though rather gamy in flavor”, “…it my be smoked to reduce the gamy flavor” and you should “choose a young, small animal for best eating.”
Also: “Beaver fat has a strong flavor and odor and should be cut away completely before cooking. Soak the meat in enough salt water mixed with 1/4 cup (65ml) of vinegar to cover the meat overnight, refrigerated, to draw out excess blood. Rinse the meat in cold, clear water.”
For preparation (also from Field Guide to Meat):
Roast it with legs trussed to belly. Place it on it’s side in roaster.
Cut slits in the lean meat to inserts strips of salt pork.
Season with salt and pepper and dust with flour.
Add a little water to pan.
Roast at 325F for 1.5 hrs. with lid on. Add water as needed. Skim off fat as it accumulates.
Turn beaver, add chopped onions, celery and carrots to pan.
Finish roasting with lid off until meat falls of bones. (another 2hrs.)
Make a pan gravy.
and serve.

Sounds interesting but, as a Canadian, I couldn’t imagine eating one what with it being the symbol of our nation. It’d be like an American eating a bald eagle. I do love Beavertails though. A very tasty fried dough!

]]> By: Pesto http://corduroyorange.com/?p=403#comment-46581 Pesto Tue, 02 Dec 2008 02:38:44 +0000 http://corduroyorange.com/?p=403#comment-46581 My 1964 edition of Joy of Cooking has a Game section with recipes for the following: Rabbit Squirrel Opossum Bear Raccoon Muskrat Woodchuck Beaver Beaver Tail Peccary Wild Boar Venison (including elk and moose). There is no Russian-accented recipe for "moose and squirrel", unfortunately. There is, however, a sort of cartoony set of drawings showing you how to skin a squirrel by making an incision under the tail, stepping on the tail, and pulling on the body until the skin comes off over the rodent's head. Irma Rombauer came from St. Louis, just like your correspondent, which probably still had a feel for the frontier West back in her day, possibly explaining all the weird game meats. You guys are both right about beaver, if we can trust Rombauer (and who am I to doubt her?). She says that you should hang beaver in the cold for several days, poach in salt water for 1 hour, and braise as for beef. Her advice for the tail is to burn the skin over an open flame, peel when cool, and then "roast over coals or simmer until tender". My 1964 edition of Joy of Cooking has a Game section with recipes for the following:

Rabbit
Squirrel
Opossum
Bear
Raccoon
Muskrat
Woodchuck
Beaver
Beaver Tail
Peccary
Wild Boar
Venison (including elk and moose).

There is no Russian-accented recipe for “moose and squirrel”, unfortunately. There is, however, a sort of cartoony set of drawings showing you how to skin a squirrel by making an incision under the tail, stepping on the tail, and pulling on the body until the skin comes off over the rodent’s head.

Irma Rombauer came from St. Louis, just like your correspondent, which probably still had a feel for the frontier West back in her day, possibly explaining all the weird game meats.

You guys are both right about beaver, if we can trust Rombauer (and who am I to doubt her?). She says that you should hang beaver in the cold for several days, poach in salt water for 1 hour, and braise as for beef. Her advice for the tail is to burn the skin over an open flame, peel when cool, and then “roast over coals or simmer until tender”.

]]> By: SamChevre http://corduroyorange.com/?p=403#comment-46321 SamChevre Mon, 24 Nov 2008 16:31:42 +0000 http://corduroyorange.com/?p=403#comment-46321 I have eaten beaver; in West Tennessee, it was a pest and we shot and ate them. Beaver is the most beef-like game meat that I've eaten (and I've eaten many). As such, I'd say cook it like lean beef--the above suggestion sounds good. Note that it has a slightly fishy flavor, and you can either try to hide that or try to capitalize on it. If you're butchering it yourself, it has musk glands between the front leg and the rib cage. Beaver tail is a notable delicacy and is distinctly odd. (I did not like it.) It is somewhat sweet tasting, and has a gelatinous consistency like thoroughly cooked tendons. I have eaten beaver; in West Tennessee, it was a pest and we shot and ate them.

Beaver is the most beef-like game meat that I’ve eaten (and I’ve eaten many). As such, I’d say cook it like lean beef–the above suggestion sounds good. Note that it has a slightly fishy flavor, and you can either try to hide that or try to capitalize on it. If you’re butchering it yourself, it has musk glands between the front leg and the rib cage.

Beaver tail is a notable delicacy and is distinctly odd. (I did not like it.) It is somewhat sweet tasting, and has a gelatinous consistency like thoroughly cooked tendons.

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