Squirrel Picadillo

During the 35 or so years I lived in the Tampa Bay area, I ate a lot of Cuban food. One of my favorites was the Cuban version of Picadillo. It is usually made with ground beef but I decided to make it with pulled squirrel. This will be 1 of several squirrel dishes that will be going to spring turkey camp at The Roost. Hopefully it will pass the taste test.

Ingredients:

1 can (16 ounces) whole tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cup golden raisins
1 tablespoon chopped green chilies
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2-3 deboned squirrels
1/2 cup chopped onion
Hot cooked rice
1/4 cup sliced almonds

Directions:

Step 1: Mix together the tomatoes, raisins, chilies, sugar, cinnamon, salt, cumin and red pepper in a small bowl; set aside.

Step 2: Parboil the squirrels until tender. Debone, pull, & place in a large skillet. Add the onion. Cook and stir onion 2 to 3 minutes until soft. Drain off the excess fat.

Step 3: Add the tomato mixture. Reduce the heat to medium. Cover and cook for about 15 minutes or until the squirrel is fork-tender. Uncover and cook for 5 minutes longer. Add the remaining ingredients from Step 1 & cook until hot.

Serve the squirrel & sauce over the hot cooked rice. Sprinkle with almonds.