Thought I'd ask if any here have eaten Beaver?  Any parts of it at all?  I thought I read of Justine Kerfoot eating them along the Gunflint in her book.

They are thick around my homestead and I'm going to thin them out when on my property.  Four trees down and one hit the house!  Took the pelt off it (gonna try hoop it....then on the wall)....and I got to say that after washing 4 times to rid the stench....I'm not sure I could eat any part of that critter.  When you add to that, that they're crawlling with Giardia......

Who's tried 'em?  What parts are the "delicacies"?  Perhaps a few bits of freeze-dried Beaver liver to chew on during your next BW/Q trip.....to make it more authentic!???

Wally,
These recipes are from a Wild Game cookbook my late father passed on to me. He got it from a old buddy who was a lifelong hunter and trapper, who married a Native American women. She could cook ANY wild game and make you think you were eating a gourmet meal.
This was one of her favorite cookbooks.
 
There's a recipe for MOOSE NOSE that calls out to an adventurous palate

  ROAST YOUNG BEAVER: Strip all possible fat from beaver. Preheat oven to 450, season with salt and pepper, and place on rack in roaster. Cook high heat for 15-20 minutes to sear outside then lower to 325-350 and roast for 30 minutes a pound.

   CHICKEN FRIED BEAVER: Cut a young beaver into serving portions. Parboil in salted water with onion until beaver is nearly tender. Parboiling will helps remove excess fat. Drain beaver pieces and roll in bread crumbs or flour seasoned with salt,pepper,thyme or sage, and brown slowly in a heavy skillet with butter or drippings. Make gravy with pan juices and flour.

  BEAVER STEW: 3lbs boned beaver, cut into cubes. Potatoes, onions, Turnips and cabbage, Flour,salt and pepper, Bay Leaf , Dash of Worcestershire sauce, water to cover and carrots.  Strip ALL possible fat from beaver meat. flour cubes and brown on all sided in a little fat in a Dutch oven. Season with salt and pepper, add water to cover, Bay leaf and Worcestershire sauce. Cover and simmer until tender. When  meat is nearly tender, and the diced potatoes, carrots,onions, and whatever else is available?
Simmer until vegetables are tender but still recognizable. Thicken gravy with flour and water paste.

   Recipes from a WILD GAME COOKBOOK, out of print now.

Wally;
Extreme History with Roger Daltrey, Surviving the Lewis & Clark Expedition
Original Air Date: November 02, 2003

Cooking and eating beaver, the tail was relished it's fat content! Something the was missing from the expedition's meals.

butthead

Ooops meant;
Cooking and eating beaver, the tail was relished for it's fat content! Something that was missing from the expedition's meals.

From what I've read, later in the expedition they relied on venison for food. Several pounds per person each meal! Very little fat content!

'Confused'? I usually am!!

butthead

Thanks so much for the recipies....Maybe in the future???

Here's the little guy without his jacket on....Looks like I could make a nice toupe for my dome.  You'll see there's not much meat on the rat.  Looks like haunch and hindquarters are where the "steaks" are.

If I would have stayed out of the castor glands...I might have tried it....but that stench is still hangin' in my nose.  It'll be a long time till I decide to munch on one of these water rats.

By the way....the little dude had only 3 legs...."Did I ever tell you the one about the 3-legged beaver..."!  Was missing the forelimb on his right.  Since he's a youngun...and I don't know of any trapping....and the limb was normally developed under the skin.....I must assume that something got ahold of it and took his leg for a snack!

(3-legged beaver without his coat)... (You need to Login or Register to view media files and links)

Wally that looks like almost enough to make a fur panel for those bibs of yours...might be kind nice on those cold dayz---out on the trap line

Eat the tail?  Perhaps I'll look inside the tail of the next one that takes my trees down.....man, I think I'd have to be aweful hungry!

PETA....who needs 'em....but many of my customers would not appreciate me stealing the little rats coat.  Leave my ugly mug out of it I say.   I did call the DNR to make it legal....any MN property owner can take them via any means if on their property and causing damage.  No season...any time is fine.  Only requirement is notification to a local conservation officer within 24 hrs.  Mine was a simple phone call.  She reminded me that although the carcass and pelt were mine...I could not legally transfere the pelt (I didn't ask about "gifting" it to someone).

I forgot I have this pic...but there was a time when I had a "manly" furry tummy.  If only I still had this "man pelt" to go with my bibs
(wallys man-pelt)
(You need to Login or Register to view media files and links)
Well my mug is partialy disguised!

I thought J. Kerfoot also ate the tail when she was surviving on the Gunflint?  Dried beavertail on my next paddle trip would indeed be unique!  Do you think they are crawlling with Giardia...or just carry it in their feces?  I wore latex just handling the beast and my mind is thinking of a tail packed with the Giardia critters....the tail is located near the exit you know!

Here you go Wally, cooked over the fire in the backyard and dried in the sun or dehydrator

BEAVER TAIL BEANS  

Blister tail over fire until skin loosens or dip in boiling water for a couple of minutes. Pull skin off. Cut up and boil with a pot of beans. Add salt and pepper to taste. Some chopped onions adds to the flavor. Beaver tail is also good roast over a campfire or in the oven.

BARBECUED BEAVER  

Remove all fat from beaver and cut in serving pieces. Soak 3-4 hours in water to which has been added 2 rounded tablespoons salt. Place beaver in large kettle; cover with water, add 1 tablespoons salt. Slowly simmer 1 hour. Remove from kettle and rinse meat. Place in roaster. Pour over Barbecue Sauce and bake, covered, at 200 degrees for 3 hours. Turn every half hours. Serves 4-6.

BARBECUE SAUCE:

3 tbsp. butter, melted
1 med. onion, chopped
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. garlic salt
1/4 tsp. paprika
1/4 tsp. hot pepper sauce
1/4 tsp. dry mustard
1/4 c. catsup
3 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
3 tbsp. cider vinegar
1 tbsp. celery flakes
1/8 tsp. thyme
1/4 tsp. marjoram

Mix first 10 minutes, pour over meat. Over this scatter celery flakes, thyme and marjoram.

Beaver Jerky

1 cup Worcestershire sauce
1 cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon garlic
3 tablespoons minced onion
2 tablespoons liquid smoke flavoring
1 tablespoon salt
1-1/2 cups brown sugar
2 teaspoons of pepper
and for a hotter taste you can add all the hot sauce you can handle

All you need to do is mix well and pour over meat and let stand for 24 hours turning the meat about every 4 hours and then drain and dehydrate.

This will make about 12 servings

In the amazing book "The Land of Feast and Famine" the author goes into great detail on a number of occasions about consuming beaver meat.  It seems both he and the First Nations men and women he travelled with both relished the opportunity to eat this "delicacy"