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Groundhog, also known as woodchuck, whistle-pig, or land-beaver, is considered a pest by many, but it has been eaten for years, including during the Great Depression. The meat is comparable to rabbit but with a mildly gamier flavour. While groundhog recipes may be challenging to find, the meat can be cooked in a variety of ways, including baking, grilling, braising, smoking, and stewing. One popular method is to cook it in a crock pot, which is a slow cooker that uses low heat over an extended period to tenderize the meat.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Crock Pot Type | Large crock pot |
| Cooking Time | 8 hours |
| Temperature | Low |
| Ingredients | Groundhog, bacon, onion, potatoes, carrots, salt, pepper, garlic, basil, rosemary, bay leaves, thyme, red pepper, water or red wine |
| Preparation | Cut groundhog into 3/4" squares, stir-fry bacon, layer vegetables, add groundhog meat, add seasoning, water or wine, thicken gravy |
| Notes | Groundhog meat can be tough, so a long, slow braise is recommended. |
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What You'll Learn
Braising groundhog meat
Braising is an excellent way to tenderize groundhog meat, making it moist and flavourful. Before braising, the meat should be marinated and browned. Young groundhogs are preferred for their tenderness and taste. It's important to remove the scent glands found under the armpits and on the lower back of the groundhog, as well as as much fat as possible, during the cleaning and deboning process.
To braise the meat, heat ghee or another high-heat oil in a Dutch oven and sear the groundhog on all sides until browned. Once the meat is sufficiently browned, pour in a quart of stock to deglaze. Depending on the size of the groundhog, you may need to add more than a quart to cover the meat. Bring the stock to a boil, then cover and lower to a simmer for 3-4 hours or until the meat is tender.
For a groundhog stew, you can follow a similar process, browning the meat in bacon fat and then braising it in stock. After braising, remove the meat from the bones and stir-fry it with a bit of oil tempered with coriander and cumin. Then, mix the meat back into the stew, adding diced vegetables, rice, and seasoning.
Groundhog braised in a Dutch oven with stock can be used for tacos. Pile the boneless meat in a bowl and assemble your tacos with meat, chopped radishes, microgreens, fresh herbs, and salsa verde. Alternatively, braise the groundhog with mushrooms and white wine, and serve over pasta or potatoes.
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Stewing groundhog
Stewing is a great way to cook groundhog, and it can be done in a crock pot or Dutch oven. It is a tried and true method of cooking that is suitable for any night of the week. Here is a step-by-step guide to making a delicious groundhog stew:
Preparation:
Firstly, you will need to prepare your ingredients. For a basic groundhog stew, you will need:
- Bacon
- Groundhog meat cut into 3/4" square pieces
- Onion
- Potatoes
- Carrots
- Salt
- Freshly ground pepper
- Garlic
- Basil
- Rosemary
- Bay leaves
- Thyme
- Crushed red peppers
- Water or red wine
Cooking Instructions:
- Start by dicing the bacon and heating it in the bottom of your crock pot or Dutch oven. You want the bacon to be cooked but not crispy.
- While the bacon is cooking, prepare your vegetables by slicing the onion, cubing the potatoes, and dicing the carrots.
- Once the bacon is cooked, add the vegetables to the pot and stir.
- Add the groundhog meat to the pot and stir to combine.
- Season the stew with salt, freshly ground pepper, garlic, basil, rosemary, bay leaves, thyme, and crushed red peppers.
- Pour in 1 cup of water or red wine, depending on your preference.
- If using a Dutch oven, place the lid on the pot and maintain 11 coals on the bottom and 17 coals on the top for 8 hours. If using a crock pot, simply press the "ON" button and let it cook until the meat is tender.
- Once the cooking is done, thicken the gravy as desired.
Tips:
- Some people recommend removing the scent glands from the groundhog before cooking, but this is not necessary if the groundhog is young and not noticeably smelly.
- You can marinate the groundhog meat before cooking to add extra flavour. A simple marinade of wine, garlic, and herbs will do the trick.
- If you want to make your stew even heartier, you can add mushrooms and extra bacon to the pot.
- Groundhog meat can be a tad dry, so slow cooking or using a pressure cooker is a great way to ensure tender results.
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Groundhog pie
Groundhog, also known as woodchuck, whistle-pig or land-beaver, is a type of meat that people have been consuming for years. It is comparable to rabbit, but with a mildly gamier flavour. The meat is a little darker, and as such, some even compare it to a cross between duck and rabbit. When properly prepared, groundhog is a subtle and tender meat.
To prepare the groundhog for cooking, it must be skinned, gutted, cleaned, and butchered. When gutting or dressing a groundhog, look for small grey or reddish-brown kernels of fat located under the forelegs, on top of the shoulder blades, along the spine in the small of the back, and around the anus. These should be cautiously extracted.
To cook groundhog in a crock pot, you can make a groundhog stew. Here is a recipe:
- Cut the freshly killed groundhog into pieces about 3/4" square.
- Dice and heat one pound of bacon in the bottom of a crock pot.
- Stir the bacon and layer sliced onion, cubed potatoes, and diced carrots in the crock pot.
- Add the groundhog meat.
- Add salt, fresh ground pepper, garlic, basil, rosemary, bay leaves, thyme, and crushed red peppers.
- Add one cup of water or red wine.
- Place the lid on the crock pot and cook for 8 hours.
- Thicken gravy as desired.
Now, here is a recipe for groundhog pie, also known as woodchuck pie:
- Cut the groundhog into 2 or 3 pieces.
- Parboil for 1 hour.
- Remove the meat from the bones in large pieces.
- Add onion, green pepper, parsley, salt, pepper, and flour to the broth and stir until it thickens. If the broth does not measure 3 cups, add water.
- Add the meat to the broth mixture and stir thoroughly.
- Pour the mixture into a baking dish.
- Prepare the biscuits by stirring together flour, baking powder, salt, fat, and milk. Stir until the dry ingredients are moist.
- Roll the biscuit dough out and place it on top of the meat and broth mixture in the baking dish.
- Bake until the biscuit topping is golden brown and cooked through.
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Groundhog jerky
Groundhog meat is comparable to rabbit but has a mildly gamier flavour. It is a little darker, and some compare it to a cross between duck and rabbit. When properly prepared, groundhog is a subtle and tender meat.
Groundhog can be cured just like any other meat. Jerky is one such example. While making jerky from gamey meat can intensify the gamey flavour, adding a decent amount of spices can combat this effect. Try swapping groundhog for rabbit in a jerky recipe. You can also experiment with curing groundhog in the form of salami or sausage.
- Cut the freshly killed groundhog into pieces about 3/4" square.
- Layer sliced onion, cubed potatoes, and diced carrots in the bottom of a crock pot.
- Add the groundhog meat.
- Add salt, fresh ground pepper, garlic, basil, rosemary, bay leaves, thyme, and crushed red peppers.
- Add 1 cup of water, or red wine.
- Place the lid on the crock pot and cook for 8 hours.
- Thicken the gravy as desired.
For a more intense flavour, you could try marinating the groundhog meat before adding it to the crock pot. A mixture of garlic, rosemary, thyme, and fresh bay leaves would make a spectacular spice marinade.
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Groundhog tacos
Groundhog meat is comparable to rabbit but with a mildly gamier flavour. The meat is a little darker, and as such, some compare it to a cross between duck and rabbit. When properly prepared, groundhog is a subtle and tender meat. Braising is a great way to tenderize groundhog meat, making it moist and flavourful.
To make groundhog tacos in a crock pot, start by cutting the freshly killed groundhog into pieces about 3/4" square. You can also choose to remove the scent glands, although this is not necessary, especially if the groundhog is young and not noticeably smelly. Next, brown the meat in a large crock pot. Depending on the size of your groundhog, you might need to add more than one quart of stock to cover the meat. Bring the stock to a boil, then cover and lower to a simmer for 3-4 hours or until the meat is tender.
Once the meat is tender, remove it from the crock pot and strip the meat from the bones. You can now assemble your tacos with the meat and your desired toppings and fillings. Some suggested toppings include chopped radishes, microgreens, fresh herbs, and salsa verde. You can also serve the tacos with corn tortillas, cilantro, and black beans on the side.
If you're looking for a quicker option, you can try making crock pot taco meat with ground beef, which doesn't require any pre-cooking or chopping. Simply add the ground beef, salsa, garlic powder, cumin, paprika, chili powder, and salt to your crock pot and cook on high for 2 hours or low for 4 hours. You can then use this taco meat to make tacos, burritos, nachos, and more.
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