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Other topics for members => FOOD! FOOD! FOOD! => Topic started by: bigred1951 on August 23, 2017, 12:22:16 PM

Title: Coon, possum, horse?
Post by: bigred1951 on August 23, 2017, 12:22:16 PM
Was wondering what meats have people tried. I've heard many say that coon and possum meat was greasy but good if cooked right. Another old guy I know said he ate horse once and it was good. I've never tried them but wouldn't be against it. About the only meat I can think of I don't care much for is hamburger. I love steak but just hamburger itself don't care. Or beef jerky but love deer jerky. Beaver and ground hog looks good from pictures and tv I've seen.
Title: Re: Coon, possum, horse?
Post by: thecfarm on August 23, 2017, 02:19:56 PM
I had beaver only once, Wife cooked it like a pot roast. If someone would of blind folded me I would of thought it was the regular pot roast she always cook. The meat is a dark brown,only difference that I could tell. I would eat it again. digin_2
Title: Re: Coon, possum, horse?
Post by: Banjo picker on August 23, 2017, 02:25:53 PM
Coon is very good.  I have tried possum once.  I didnt like it....it was greasy like you spoke of.  We cooked it for my grandpaw, and it could be that my mom didnt know how to fix it right....slicks over in your mouth.  I would have to be pretty hungry to try it again.  A trapper at work says bobcat is good.  Banjo
Title: Re: Coon, possum, horse?
Post by: reelman65 on August 23, 2017, 02:33:35 PM
I have had rattlesnake (eastern diamondback), stingray, elk, pronghorn. snake was fine, real white. stingray was fine too, sort of like scallops. elk was ok but not as good as people said, pronghorn was ok, but not as bad as people said.

I always heard that cougar/puma/mountain lion  was really good, but i never tried it.

gator is not too bad.
Title: Re: Coon, possum, horse?
Post by: Woodcutter_Mo on August 23, 2017, 06:24:45 PM
 Raccoons and snapping turtles are good when cooked right, I've eaten possum one time that I can remember and I didn't care for it. Never have eaten horse (that I know of), if someone cooked one up I'd probably try it but I don't think I would ever consider acquiring it and cooking it myself.
Title: Re: Coon, possum, horse?
Post by: sandhills on August 23, 2017, 06:38:39 PM
My late uncle was a WW2 vet and they ate a lot of horse meat, he always said once you get past the thought of eating old Trigger it was really good.  Never had it myself, as far as wildlife goes squirrel, deer, rabbit and about all game birds is as far as it goes. 
Title: Re: Coon, possum, horse?
Post by: Dave Shepard on August 23, 2017, 06:57:44 PM
I'm not too adventurous when it comes to eating strange foods.  :-\

My grandfather did Morbark pulpwood debarkers up into Canada and he said some places the hamburger was very sweet.  He was told it was horse.

My sister picked up a couple of cans of snapping turtle soup this week. I think she's going to feed it to our father and see what he thinks if it.  :D
Title: Re: Coon, possum, horse?
Post by: Texas Ranger on August 23, 2017, 07:50:03 PM
Had horse in Europe, less fat than cow and not bad.  Had a taste of cat, no thank you.  Growing up we killed and ate most anything, mostly rabbit and Squirrel, and fish, and quail, and lots of chicken.  Tried other stuff but there must a secret to cooking some of them.  Coon and possum are two that never was good.
Title: Re: Coon, possum, horse?
Post by: sawguy21 on August 23, 2017, 08:02:58 PM
I didn't grow up on wild game, my parents had too much of it during the Great Depression, but am pretty adventurous when trying new foods. Even ate raw oysters which were not too bad, I love them breaded and deep fried or smoked. Bear is the only one I won't go back for seconds, too greasy and gamey for my taste. Moose is quite good if properly tenderized and cooked, otherwise it's like chewing an old boot.
We have coon and possum but I don't know anybody that eats them. Most people would shy away from horse meat, they view them as pets, although apparently it is popular among the Dutch.
Title: Re: Coon, possum, horse?
Post by: Woodcutter_Mo on August 23, 2017, 09:17:13 PM
 Groundhog is another critter I've eaten a few times, when cooked just right they are not too bad.
Title: Re: Coon, possum, horse?
Post by: Logger RK on August 23, 2017, 09:57:23 PM
A neighbor brought me over some snapping turtle burgers the other day. It was pretty good.
Title: Re: Coon, possum, horse?
Post by: DelawhereJoe on August 23, 2017, 09:58:12 PM
I remember a few years ago Ikea had to pull all of there Swedish meat balls off the shelf due to horse meat in the food, I just see a horse as a fast cow and would have no problems eating it. I would rather eat horse then some stinky little creature crawling around in the woods eating bugs.
Title: Re: Coon, possum, horse?
Post by: rjwoelk on August 24, 2017, 12:02:55 AM
Did some guiding in the mountains in BC.We had goat sheep moose deer, and cougar.  The cougar if they had served it with cranberries i would have thought it was wild turkey. Lynx was used as a substute for turkey at christmas in the  northwest territories, in the early 1900s. or so I read in school.
Title: Re: Coon, possum, horse?
Post by: coxy on August 24, 2017, 07:03:02 AM
I want to try turtle but all the old timers that cooked it around here are gone    would never eat horse I hate them living couldn't imagine eating one  I have had beaver the back straps and hind quarters had a friend that tried telling me the snake he was cooking was eel i told him iv ate a lot of eel and the meat was never that white    i like clams and oysters better raw than cooked   rabbit, squirrel, grouse, pheasant ,deer and turkeys was a norm when growing up    i have eaten bear as long as its not a garbage bear its not bad   my dad said when he was about 9-10 the old guy that rented a room from my gma  was cooking a skunk but he never tried it  they say muskrat is good i ate a cricket one time covered with something  steve_smiley never again 
Title: Re: Coon, possum, horse?
Post by: WV Sawmiller on August 24, 2017, 10:18:45 AM
BR51,

   Deer is staple diet here. Grew up eating squirrel, rabbit and quail killed or trapped. Ate lots of goat at old neighbor/mentor as a kid and when working in the mid-East. Camel was commonly served in Saudi - okay as a swarma sandwich. The milk is real good but very rich. Tried bear - okay but I won't shoot one for the meat as not that great IMHO. I have eaten coon many times. Used to boil it tender then make hash out of and served a bunch at a church dinner we made into BBQ. One lady liked it till she found what it was after several helpings then got sick when found what it was. Tried making a roast out of an old boar coon cooked in a brown'N bag and so bad the dogs would not eat the taters off it. Used to eat a lot of alligator snapping turtle in Albany Ga regularly. Wife even made turtle egg brownies out of eggs found in big snapper there. It was pretty good. Soft-shelled turtle fried was much better. Have eaten beaver and armadillo at wildlife suppers. Armadillo tasted like good roast pork the way it was fixed. Rattlesnake was okay but a little dry. Ate porcupine and Nile Monitor Lizard (called Varans) in Africa was okay. Ate alligator in Fla and Black Caiman in Peru and Ecuador that was pretty good. Saw lots of horse meat in markets in Mongolia - real dark meat. Never knowingly ate it. They also ate wolf for medicinal and other reasons over there.

   Used to catch lots of possums with my little squirrel/coon dog. Pulled lots out of old animal carcasses and such. Times never got hard enough for me to try to eat any.
Title: Re: Coon, possum, horse?
Post by: sandhills on August 24, 2017, 11:23:06 AM
Thank you BigRed for starting this thread, it's fun.  Coon and especially possum are 2 I'd pass on, other than that I'll try anything once (old saying)  :).
Title: Re: Coon, possum, horse?
Post by: bigred1951 on August 24, 2017, 11:55:41 AM
I'm fairly picky eater myself but usually willing to try something. Sadly I've never tried squirrel or rabbit or turtle growing up as nobody hunted. I've gigged and clean a lot of frogs but never got to try them. I know I'm not a big fan of lamb.  If I can talk the wife into eating the wild life I'd love to hunt and get some other then deer. Deer fixed anyway is good.
Title: Re: Coon, possum, horse?
Post by: coxy on August 24, 2017, 01:33:46 PM
never had frog but my 10 year old daughter had them a likes them so every frog we see she wants to chop there legs off and eat them :)
Title: Re: Coon, possum, horse?
Post by: WDH on August 24, 2017, 03:33:29 PM
When I was a young sprout, we would catch possums on the dirt roads just before dark.  There was a family that was down on their luck that my Dad let live in an old tenant house on the property.  We would give them the possums, and they would put them under a wash tub and feed them table scraps for a month or 6 weeks to clean them out, them cook them up.

I have never ate any possum and never will unless I get destitute or go crazy.  At least crazier than I am now  :).  I have ate coon.  A coon skinned and cooked whole with head on and teeth exposed looks nasty.  Looks like a skint dog.  Not very appetizing, but I guess that would not matter so much if one was poor and hungry.  Right now, I am not real poor or bad hungry, so no more coon for me until I go crazy. 
Title: Re: Coon, possum, horse?
Post by: Stoneyacrefarm on August 24, 2017, 04:46:04 PM
Have had most wild game around here.
Lots of deer , squirrels and rabbits.
Have had muskrat and beaver that we trapped.
Both were dark meat. We would make a garlic and herb marinade.
Had the texture of dark turkey meat I thought. Pretty tasty.
The bear around here are mostly corn fed so they taste good as well.
Title: Re: Coon, possum, horse?
Post by: coxy on August 24, 2017, 07:46:46 PM
that's funny how the meat from the same animal will change in color indifferent parts of the country our beaver meat is red red and stringy like corn beef  guess it all depends on what they eat 
Title: Re: Coon, possum, horse?
Post by: Stoneyacrefarm on August 25, 2017, 10:55:54 AM
I thought that about the ducks around here.
They tasted quite a bit different depending on where they came from.
Title: Re: Coon, possum, horse?
Post by: JV on August 25, 2017, 11:17:50 AM
When I was a kid I hunted and fished every chance I got.  Squirrel and rabbit were very good.  We ate most fish we caught and occasionally went frog gigging.  My grandmother fried them up in a cast iron skillet.  Good eating.  We had turtle and quail on occasion both very good.  We raised ducks and geese and had their eggs for breakfast.  The yolks were a little tough but I didn't mind.  We tried possum once and couldn't eat it.  My dad said the only way to cook it was on a board.  Throw the possum out and eat the board.  I'm pretty sure I had horsemeat hash overseas, not to my taste.  I guess it pretty much depends on what you were exposed to growing up.
Title: Re: Coon, possum, horse?
Post by: sawguy21 on August 25, 2017, 12:09:01 PM
One man's meat is another man's poison. ;D Our ancestors learned to eat what was available or starve so that food became the norm for succeeding generations. Coon and possum are common in some areas but never caught on as a human food source here, probably because larger game was so plentiful. After seeing coons raid the garbage can I don't want to eat them. Garbage habituated bear is inedible, man does it stink.
Title: Re: Coon, possum, horse?
Post by: ppine on August 25, 2017, 06:16:24 PM
I grew up in the East and ate some possum, but we gave away the groundhogs. Moved West in 1972, and have had lots of game feeds. We have served buffalo for Thanksgiving at least 10 times. I like it a lot and elk, antelope, caribou and moose.  Ducks, pheasant, chukkar, quail, doves are all good. My neighbor pulled out some mountain lion once which was pretty good. A guy cooked a roast in the ground once on a pack trip and claimed it was a ham off a burro.
Title: Re: Coon, possum, horse?
Post by: sawguy21 on August 25, 2017, 08:04:57 PM
Buffalo is good but needs fat added to cook, it is very dry and fine grained. Sure makes good burgers. I like elk too but again needs fat added. Had mountain lion at a fish and game banquet, it was quite tasty.
Title: Re: Coon, possum, horse?
Post by: TKehl on August 26, 2017, 12:12:39 PM
I think WV sawmiller wins.  I'm pretty open to eating a lot of things.  A few I would turn down.  Armadillo was the only one I saw that made me  :o!

I've had elk, antelope, alligator, moose, buffalo, rocky mountain oysters, real oysters, squid, octopus, eels, crab, goose, goat, coon, squirrel, roadkill turkey, and all the normal wild and tame stuff.  I don't think the coon was cooked right, but it was the end of the game dinner and may have been in the warming tray too long.  Would try it again. 

The mountain oysters were the most interesting.  They were fried for lunch for the farmer I was working for.  Halfway through the meal he asked if I liked the beef nuggets.  I said yes, then he told me what they were.  I took a look at my fork and thought, "well, they've been good this far", and kept eating.   :D

I'd try possom just to say I did, but don't want to cook one just to say I did.   :D

I'd like to try snake. 
Title: Re: Coon, possum, horse?
Post by: WDH on August 26, 2017, 07:59:18 PM
I have had it, but, I have given up on rattlesnake.  It can smell musky as you bring the fork to your mouth  :).  That is a smell in nature that I usually shy away from  :-\. 
Title: Re: Coon, possum, horse?
Post by: ppine on August 30, 2017, 11:24:09 AM
Game meats all are lower in fat than domestic animals. There are two great ways to cook elk and buffalo. The best cuts can be grilled and served pretty rare.  A marinade and basting works well. For everythng else I like to cook them in a Dutch oven on a fire with a lot of liquid like apple juice, wine, or beer at low heat.
Title: Re: Coon, possum, horse?
Post by: WV Sawmiller on August 30, 2017, 09:31:06 PM
ppine,

   My favorite when using a Dutch oven is use mushroom soup as a base/gravy. We use it a lot with venison.
Title: Re: Coon, possum, horse?
Post by: Chris Burchfield on August 31, 2017, 08:06:22 AM
I've eaten chocolate covered ants, fried grasshopper, bear, bbq beaver about as exotic from southern raising.  Beef, lamb, deer, gator, fish (bass, catfish, brim, perch, mahi-mahi, swordfish & shark.)
Title: Re: Coon, possum, horse?
Post by: Al_Smith on August 31, 2017, 05:25:10 PM
My father was a deer hunter so I grew up on venison .Not good Ohio corn fed white tail .Colorado mule deer that eat sage brush,kinda gamey.
Other than that squirrel,rabbit ,pheasant,frogs,turtles ,crawdads ,a muskrat once,groundhog,quail ,wild duck,goose .
Title: Re: Coon, possum, horse?
Post by: gspren on September 01, 2017, 07:37:03 PM
   I've had most of what's mentioned other than the cat type critters. I will say if you only try something once it's not fair to say it's no good as I've had bear I didn't like and bear I thought was great, same for a few other things. let an Angus bull get old enough to vote and he won't be fit to eat either. When in Subic Bay, Phillipines during the Viet Nam era I had "meat on a stick" from sidewalk venders that may have been monkey or ??, but after a few beers it wasn't bad.
Title: Re: Coon, possum, horse?
Post by: Ianab on September 03, 2017, 03:16:49 AM
Well, we have now tried Crocodile.

Caught up with my younger son in Wellington last night, that's about 4 hours away, so we don't get to see him that often. Anyway, not knowing the city we ask him where he wanted to go for tea. He consulted his workmates and suggested a pizza and bar place on the waterfront. It wasn't cheap, but at least the pizza and service was good. Anyway, scanning the menu Lil spies Crocodile, marinated in tequila and lime, on a pizza. She decided we had to tick that one off the list, and ordered one.

Made a perfectly good pizza, although the croc chunks were a bit chewy.

They also had a "make your own" option for the kids, where they bought out a small base, and little bowls ingredients. Taylor and Lara had a ball loading up ingredients, then they took it away and cooked it. It was kids ingredients, ham, chicken, tomato, onion and of course pineapple. But if they didn't want onion, they didn't have to put it on.
Title: Re: Coon, possum, horse?
Post by: sandhills on September 04, 2017, 12:16:44 PM
A small town 10 miles away (Petersburg) has an annual event called "Bash in the burg", they have a rib smoking contest and live music plus a few other activities.  The cookers also get a mystery meat to cook and get judged on that also, alligator was the meat last time we went, they hand out samples all night, sort of a peoples choice sort of thing.  Some did good with it, others turned it into leather, but I didn't mind the better cooked stuff.
Title: Re: Coon, possum, horse?
Post by: tree-farmer on September 04, 2017, 04:09:40 PM
All this makes me think of the story about the diffrence between northern zoo's and southern ones. Both have descriptions of the animal, the southern ones list serving suggestions :D
Title: Re: Coon, possum, horse?
Post by: coxy on September 04, 2017, 08:25:39 PM
how true  :) :)
Title: Re: Coon, possum, horse?
Post by: PC-Urban-Sawyer on September 17, 2017, 11:04:04 PM
I married a girl from Newfoundland, Canada. That fact is directly responsible for what I consider my most unusual dining options.

First, I've had moose several times. The better the cook, the better the moose tasted.

Second, I've had pickled pork tongues. They're "pickled" in salt-brine and are actually very good, much like ham.

Third, I've had cod-fish tongues. Battered and fried they are delicious.

Lastly, I turned down the chance to have seal "flippers". My mother-in-law loves them but neither my wife or I can even stand to be in the house when they're being prepared.
Title: Re: Coon, possum, horse?
Post by: coxy on September 18, 2017, 07:45:42 AM
I remember doing pickled pork tongue they where in the jar for about 2 months and said to my buddy lets open a jar of them we started to eat one and it was like the tongue was biting you back after we looked at them we realized we for got to peel the skin off them before putting them in the jar  :o :D that's what happens when to many adult beverages are involved   :D     
Title: Re: Coon, possum, horse?
Post by: moose207 on September 19, 2017, 10:24:53 AM
Havent had much of the weird stuff but i like moose over bear, bear is not very good unless you get all the fat off when cutting it up. My stepdad guy growing up was\is a maine guide and im pretty sure if you could kill it he would make it into jerky.
Caribou has to be my favorite wild game but moose buger\ saugage sos is hard to beat!
I was always told that beaver tail was very popular amoung the loggers and trappers up north, apparently after you skin the tail its just like a steak.
Title: Re: Coon, possum, horse?
Post by: Logger RK on September 23, 2017, 09:18:28 AM
A trapper friend of mine tells me,usually the raccoon carcasses don't get ate by the critters. He say if they don't eat them,he won't. But I guess if there's a good way to cook them maybe. And I would image older ones wouldn't be as good.
Title: Re: Coon, possum, horse?
Post by: barbender on September 23, 2017, 10:46:03 AM
I ate some porcupine once. I wouldn't recommend it👎
Title: Re: Coon, possum, horse?
Post by: sawguy21 on September 23, 2017, 11:04:57 AM
I am sure if you were hungry enough you wouldn't be picky. I once had bear, I didn't particularly like it but we were a long way from home or the nearest restaurant so I managed to get it down. It might be alright properly cooked
Title: Re: Coon, possum, horse?
Post by: Magicman on September 23, 2017, 12:12:56 PM
In 1973 a rancher in Wyoming told me that it once was illegal to kill a porky because it was deemed as a food source that a person in a survival situation could easily kill with a stick.  I think that he was glad that he had never been in a survival situation.   :-X
Title: Re: Coon, possum, horse?
Post by: bigred1951 on September 24, 2017, 05:57:12 AM
I'm surprised this has had a lot of posts. It's fun reading about everyone different experiences. Seen that this thread was moved to the woodshed for what I don't know but it's now still here? So much talk about food now I'm hungry
Title: Re: Coon, possum, horse?
Post by: LeeB on September 24, 2017, 06:02:50 AM
I saw that too and couldn't figure it out or why. Maybe the guy who moved it will give us a clue.
Title: Re: Coon, possum, horse?
Post by: thecfarm on September 24, 2017, 06:14:23 AM
I betcha the guy pressed a wrong button.  :)   I saw that too and than a few minutes it was back. I was upset,because this is a good thread and did not want to see it gone.
Title: Re: Coon, possum, horse?
Post by: WDH on September 24, 2017, 07:42:18 AM
OK.  I am the culprit.  There was a new member that I approved.  He immediately posted in this thread about removing rabid raccoons and provided a link to his website promoting his raccoon removal business.  Joining the FF to advertise for your business free is no allowed.  So, I wanted to remove his post as is protocol, but instead of just removing that post, I had a senior moment and removed the entire thread, which sent it to the Woodshed.  Realizing the mistake, I moved it back to the Food board where it should have stayed and then removed the post that I originally intended to remove in the first place  :-[. 
Title: Re: Coon, possum, horse?
Post by: bigred1951 on September 24, 2017, 08:07:22 AM
So it's safe to say I've been to the dark dreaded wood shed and made it out unscathed 🙂
Title: Re: Coon, possum, horse?
Post by: POSTON WIDEHEAD on September 24, 2017, 12:12:58 PM
Quote from: bigred1951 on September 24, 2017, 08:07:22 AM
So it's safe to say I've been to the dark dreaded wood shed and made it out unscathed 🙂

Yes, but you now have a chip in you for tracking purposes.  ;D
Title: Re: Coon, possum, horse?
Post by: Texas Ranger on September 24, 2017, 12:30:42 PM
Perhaps some of the admins have become, ahem, a little long in tooth?    ;D
Title: Re: Coon, possum, horse?
Post by: WV Sawmiller on September 24, 2017, 01:10:37 PM
Quote from: bigred1951 on September 24, 2017, 08:07:22 AM
So it's safe to say I've been to the dark dreaded wood shed and made it out unscathed 🙂

   That's what you think. Wait till you try to reproduce. :o :D :D
Title: Re: Coon, possum, horse?
Post by: sawguy21 on September 24, 2017, 01:57:57 PM
 :D :D Now that is funny.
Title: Re: Coon, possum, horse?
Post by: WDH on September 24, 2017, 04:52:30 PM
TR,

At least I have some teeth  :D. 
Title: Re: Coon, possum, horse?
Post by: Coltbodi on September 24, 2017, 05:26:30 PM
Racoon is actually very tasty if you know how to cook it. When I was in high school I would trap them and sell them for $20. I had a guy at school bring me some his dad cooked, it was really good, but they have glands in them, I'm not sure where, that have to be removed when you skin them. If you don't remove those glands then it ruins the entire thing. I'm sure a google search will show you how to remove the glands.
Title: Re: Coon, possum, horse?
Post by: Magicman on September 24, 2017, 06:44:38 PM
In order to sell coons for meat here, the skinned carcass must have a foot attached to prevent the trapper from substituting a house cat.  It's not a law but no one will buy it if it doesn't. 
Title: Re: Coon, possum, horse?
Post by: WDH on September 24, 2017, 07:00:42 PM
I will pass on both the coon and the cat. 
Title: Re: Coon, possum, horse?
Post by: Magicman on September 24, 2017, 07:15:16 PM
I had an uncle that said that he made is spending money as a youngster selling cats to the hot tamale man.   :-X
Title: Re: Coon, possum, horse?
Post by: DelawhereJoe on September 24, 2017, 07:43:43 PM
It all tastes like chicken right...
Title: Re: Coon, possum, horse?
Post by: trapper on September 24, 2017, 11:32:48 PM
Quote from: Magicman on September 24, 2017, 06:44:38 PM
In order to sell coons for meat here, the skinned carcass must have a foot attached to prevent the trapper from substituting a house cat.  It's not a law but no one will buy it if it doesn't.
Same here.  I had a furbuyer friend  that sold freezers full of them to a black man who was also my friend and coworker.  He took them to milwaukee and resold them.
Title: Re: Coon, possum, horse?
Post by: Josef on September 26, 2017, 01:13:37 PM
On my wife's first trip to France with me on a work trip she decided to visit a local street market and shop for dinner, her comment about the experience was that all the butchered rabbits were hung with their hind feet still attached, the vendor said it was a hold over from WWII when it was not uncommon to sell cats as rabbits, not possible if the feet are still there.

I've eaten most anything that is served around the world but some of the most memorable were probably sea urchins served fresh in the shell, picking them out of the shell with chopsticks was an experience, kind of like trying to pick up animated spaghetti. Drunken shrimp where they are served in a liquor bath, they drown in the alcohol and are cooked at table side. I remember at one dinner in Singapore when the young lady seated next to me asked if my rice had "eyes" too, on closer inspection it turns out the rice was peppered with newly hatched fish fry, eyes and all. And dog on a stick in Korea at 3 am from a street vendor (maybe alcohol was involved....). Horse is pretty good, a little known fact about Friesian horses is that the biggest market for them, until us crazy americans discovered them with the movie Ladyhawk, was as table fare.

Have had good bear and very bad bear. Ate way too much venison early on so now don't really care for it, would rather a good cut of beef. Wife loves lamb, have to leave the house when she cooks it but will eat it under duress. Seems most gator I've eaten was over cooked and tough. Draw the line at possum and coon, but most other wild game or seafood is open for tasting. Love raw oysters and clams, cooking them just ruins them. Mountain oysters on the other hand need to be cooked and are quite good. Have had rat, tasted just like squirrel, but tougher, not something I'll try again. Various snakes, the bigger the better as table fare. Being in an industry that kept me in foreign countries definitely expanded my palette. And owl does taste just like chicken. Got lots of kin in WV, dinners were always an adventure.

Joe
Title: Re: Coon, possum, horse?
Post by: sandhills on September 26, 2017, 01:38:26 PM
Other than I'd definitely pass on the rat, coons, opossum, I'd pretty much try anything else you mentioned if only once  :).  I go to mountain oyster feeds every once in awhile (yes we have those around here), even though I might be the one to "deliver" the meat for them, when cooked right they're good, snake is one I'd like to try, around here it'd be rattlesnake from West of us. I think it boils down to (no pun intended) what our ancestors had to do to survive, hard times call for hard measures, old saying.  I'd still would prefer a nice T-bone though  :D.
Title: Re: Coon, possum, horse?
Post by: WDH on September 26, 2017, 08:15:49 PM
The rattlesnakes around here are musky smelling.  You can smell the musk when you bring the fork to your mouth.  I have ate my last one.  Life is short. 
Title: Re: Coon, possum, horse?
Post by: Weekend_Sawyer on September 27, 2017, 08:07:47 AM
 I lived in Beijing China back in the mid 80's.
We had a lot of "Mystery Meat" meals.

The 2 things I had that I don't care if I ever have again are
sea cucumber, which is some type of large worm that lives in the ocean
and tripe, didn't like the smell, didn't like the taste.

I was raised on venison and still love it. Venison has to be handled correctly from shot to table.

Love elk, moose, buffalo. Haven't had nearly enough of these.

We ate a racoon once. It wasn't bad but I don't need it.

We eat rattle snake at least once a year. Our rattlers in WV are quite tasty.

Wild turkey is another favorite of mine. I'll take it over store bought any day.
Again has to be handled properly from shot to table.

Jon
Title: Re: Coon, possum, horse?
Post by: starmac on January 22, 2018, 11:56:42 PM
Have eat a lot of wild game, drew the line on possum and nutria rats, I won't even skin them so they would be hard to eat. Mountain oysters are good eating, so are fried regular oysters. I tried a raw oyster once, actually probably about 15 times, but it finally got back up far enough I could spit it out. So far I have not had lamp I liked, but do like goat if handled right, and mountain sheep (dall) is some of the best eating there is. Had coon, not terrible, but wouldn't want a steady diet of it. never been around any cat, but everyone claims linx is good groceries, so will try it if I get the chance.
Title: Re: Coon, possum, horse?
Post by: Banjo picker on January 24, 2018, 11:50:23 AM
That part about the oyster gave me a good laugh.  Banjo
Title: Re: Coon, possum, horse?
Post by: petefrom bearswamp on January 24, 2018, 06:38:26 PM
Yeah weekend, venison is king in my house
Managed to put 3 in the freezer this yr, all anterless.
Cant ever understand the term "gamey"
If processed and prepared properly. all game meat is delicious.
My favorites are in descending order,
Whitetail, Moose Muley, Elk, caribou and antelope.
Maybe because whitetail is what we mostly consume and I have gotten the price down to about 129.95 bucks per pound now.
The other s are much more expensive.
Title: Re: Coon, possum, horse?
Post by: coxy on January 24, 2018, 07:31:14 PM
if only 129.95 a pound you must live in the poor part of NY  ;D :D cause I pay a lot more than that  :)
Title: Re: Coon, possum, horse?
Post by: starmac on January 24, 2018, 07:45:50 PM
It all depends on how creative you get with the accounting. maybe if I told the wife I just had 129.95 a pound in it, it would make her happy.
Title: Re: Coon, possum, horse?
Post by: charles mann on January 16, 2019, 09:13:11 PM
i grew up poor, mostly bc my dad used all our money to pay for the 20ac of land we lived on, which was an investment. so we lived off the land, hogs, coon, tree rat, nutria rat, beaver, possum, rabbit, deer, quail, duck and frogs. if it slithered, it was off limits. during my military yrs, my trip to korea allowed me to try cat, or at least that is what the restaurant said it was, and of course dog. you just picked the puppy out, they cut it up, fried it, then stirred it in with rice or noodles, some kind of "pray for ice cream" peppers, which after the first bite, couldn't taste the food. after the first bowl of dog, when we went back on payday (2x a month), i ordered my dog, but with NO peppers. here recently, iv tried elk, and it was ok, but not like deer. iv heard mnt lion is good, hopefully will be able to take a lion hunt in id 1 yr, and I'm not a fan of killing if I'm not going to eat it, so ill definitely try lion. 

iv also tried gator, and LOVE me some mud bugs, but will NEVER eat an oyster. iv eaten what was called palm cabbage, was told it was the heart/bulb of a small palm tree, that grew below the ground. mixed in with blue crabs out of the brackish creek running through the property, fresh scallops, shrimp, taters, onions and corn. 
i have gotten to where i can't even eat pork out of the market stores anymore. to many yrs of eating feral hogs, or pen raised, grain fed feral hogs has made domestic pork nasty and gut churning. 
Title: Re: Coon, possum, horse?
Post by: WV Sawmiller on January 16, 2019, 10:23:55 PM
   We grew up eating swamp cabbage in central Fla along the Suwannee River area. I assume that is what you are talking about. What we had was heart of sable palm. The perfect size to cut was about waist high although the heart was the same in one that size or one 100' tall. You peeled away the tough, woody outer areas till you got to the tender white heart then cut the bottom tender part off then when it got tough you peeled off a few layers like an artichoke and started again. Dad said it was best to use a dull knife to avoid getting the tough part. The tough part was bitter from quinine which I am told was why the Seminole Indians did not get malaria because it was part of their staple diet. My grandma liked a little bitter in hers but would add a table spoon of sugar or so to offset that bitter taste. I grew to like it especially fried in a little bacon grease. We built the US embassy in Haitii and I was there in 2006 and Swamp cabbage was sold in the bigger markets there. My number two, a local lady, was very familiar with and said she liked them too.

 Earlier some one mentioned Sea urchin. I was invited to a Harvest Moon Festival about October 1986 in the village of Henoko Okinawa when I was stationed next door at Camp Schwab. They had a wide selection of sea food dishes. The best IMHO was a fish wrapped in a banana leaf and stuffed with a rice and sea urchin mixture. They had some raw sea urchin people ate with chop sticks but I noticed the big 7-8 liter bottles on Saki on the table were nearly empty before anyone ate them. I don't drink so I never tried that treat.
Title: Re: Coon, possum, horse?
Post by: charles mann on January 16, 2019, 11:21:03 PM
Quote from: WV Sawmiller on January 16, 2019, 10:23:55 PM
  We grew up eating swamp cabbage in central Fla along the Suwannee River area. I assume that is what you are talking about. What we had was heart of sable palm. The perfect size to cut was about waist high although the heart was the same in one that size or one 100' tall. You peeled away the tough, woody outer areas till you got to the tender white heart then cut the bottom tender part off then when it got tough you peeled off a few layers like an artichoke and started again. Dad said it was best to use a dull knife to avoid getting the tough part. The tough part was bitter from quinine which I am told was why the Seminole Indians did not get malaria because it was part of their staple diet. My grandma liked a little bitter in hers but would add a table spoon of sugar or so to offset that bitter taste. I grew to like it especially fried in a little bacon grease. We built the US embassy in Haitii and I was there in 2006 and Swamp cabbage was sold in the bigger markets there. My number two, a local lady, was very familiar with and said she liked them too.

yes, swamp cabbage, palm cabbage. the few times i helped harvest it, i remember the heart above ground was a bit harder, even after boiling, but the below ground was like mash taters. it was all good, and i don't remember it being bitter, but who knows. I'm about 40 lbs over weight, and i didn't get this fine figure from being picky at the feed trough.  ;D
Title: Re: Coon, possum, horse?
Post by: WV Sawmiller on January 17, 2019, 08:33:55 AM
Charles,

   I'd bet if you ate more swamp cabbage you'd shed some of that excess girth. Because it is all fiber it is just about the world's best natural laxative. :D
Title: Re: Coon, possum, horse?
Post by: charles mann on January 17, 2019, 11:50:15 AM
Quote from: WV Sawmiller on January 17, 2019, 08:33:55 AM
Charles,

  I'd bet if you ate more swamp cabbage you'd shed some of that excess girth. Because it is all fiber it is just about the world's best natural laxative. :D
They dont have those here in central tx. 
Title: Re: Coon, possum, horse?
Post by: WDH on January 17, 2019, 12:31:09 PM
This child won't be eating any puppy with noodles :)  
Title: Re: Coon, possum, horse?
Post by: Texas Ranger on January 17, 2019, 03:55:56 PM
Quote from: WDH on January 17, 2019, 12:31:09 PM
This child won't be eating any puppy with noodles :)  
Not bad with Tabasco.
Title: Re: Coon, possum, horse?
Post by: WV Sawmiller on January 17, 2019, 04:50:45 PM
Danny,

   You better go check on your beagle! This could get ugly. Sampson may have to start sleeping in the house. I sure wish I had completed his house-training now.
Title: Re: Coon, possum, horse?
Post by: Texas Ranger on January 17, 2019, 05:07:55 PM
Quote from: charles mann on January 17, 2019, 11:50:15 AM
Quote from: WV Sawmiller on January 17, 2019, 08:33:55 AM
Charles,

  I'd bet if you ate more swamp cabbage you'd shed some of that excess girth. Because it is all fiber it is just about the world's best natural laxative. :D
They dont have those here in central tx.
but we have grits
Title: Re: Coon, possum, horse?
Post by: rjwoelk on January 17, 2019, 06:33:15 PM
Gives a all new meaning of walk the dog. ???
Title: Re: Coon, possum, horse?
Post by: charles mann on January 17, 2019, 07:04:36 PM
Quote from: Texas Ranger on January 17, 2019, 03:55:56 PM
Quote from: WDH on January 17, 2019, 12:31:09 PM
This child won't be eating any puppy with noodles :)  
Not bad with Tabasco.
even w/o tabasco, it is UMMMMM UMMMMM GOOD. 
Quote from: WV Sawmiller on January 17, 2019, 04:50:45 PM
Danny,

  You better go check on your beagle! This could get ugly. Sampson may have to start sleeping in the house. I sure wish I had completed his house-training now.


I'm sure they are edible, but for the most part, in korea, it was certain breed of dog, raised specifically for eating. just like beef. as where all types of beef can be eaten, some are better than others, some are more chewy than others. its the same for dog. 
on the weekends after night of drinking in the ville, strolling through the gate, seconds before curfew with a coke in hand and 4 egg samiches in the other. the next morning, i would be woken up to puppies bawling in pain, from being whooped. i was told by a local girl, that is how they tenderize the meat just before slaughter, they beat the dogs, bruising the meat, making them more tender, especially for the toothless elderly.
Quote from: Texas Ranger on January 17, 2019, 05:07:55 PM
Quote from: charles mann on January 17, 2019, 11:50:15 AM
Quote from: WV Sawmiller on January 17, 2019, 08:33:55 AM
Charles,

  I'd bet if you ate more swamp cabbage you'd shed some of that excess girth. Because it is all fiber it is just about the world's best natural laxative. :D
They dont have those here in central tx.
but we have grits
that we do, and boy does it make a turd. i guess if it was legal in the US to eat dog, I'm betting dog and egg samich with a side of grits would make fine breakfast.

Title: Re: Coon, possum, horse?
Post by: Skip on January 18, 2019, 10:10:03 AM
That is truly upsetting. :o
Title: Re: Coon, possum, horse?
Post by: thecfarm on January 20, 2019, 10:42:14 AM
Yes,that got me too.  :o   :(   >:(