1 md Beaver, about 8 lbs 1/2 c Vinegar 1 tb Salt 2 ts Soda 1 md Onion; sliced 4 Strips bacon or salt pork 1/2 ts Salt 1/4 ts Pepper
Wash beaver thoroughly with salt water then let soak overnight in enough cold water to cover. Add 1/2 cup vinegar and 1 tb salt to the water.
The next day, remove the beaver from the brine, wash and cover with a solution of 2 ts soda to 2 quarts water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes.
Drain, then place beaver in roasting pan. Cover with sliced onions and bacon; season with salt and pepper. Place lid on roaster and bake at 375 until tender. Serve with a tart jelly.
2 Beaver tails 1/2 c Vinegar 1 tb Salt 2 ts Soda 1/4 c Flour 1/2 ts Salt 1/4 ts Pepper 1/4 c Butter 1/4 c Sherry or cooking wine 1 ts Dry mustard 1 ts Sugar 1 tb Worcestershire sauce
Skin beaver tails, clean thoroughly and wash well in a solution of salt water. Let soak overnight in cold water to cover, adding 1/2 cup vinegar and 1 tablespoon salt to water.
The next day, remove from the brine, wash, then cover with solution of 2 teasoons soda to 2 quarts water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes. Drain.
Dredge beaver tails in seasoned flour.
Melt butter in heavy fry pan and saute tails at low heat until tender.
Mix wine with mustard, sugar, garlic powder and Worcestershire sauce.
Add to beaver tails and simmer gently for 10 minutes, basting frequently.
This tid-bit of the old time trappers will be tasted by few of the younger generation. Broil the beaver tail over hot coals for a few minutes (or in one of those new electric ovens). The rough scaly hide will blister and come off, leaving the tail clean, white and solid. Then roast or boil until tender. This is considered very strengthening food (use only young beaver). For a special treat, cool, souse in vinegar, add raw onion rings, salt and pepper to taste.
Place whole beaver tails on barbecue or oven broiler rack until scaly skin blisters. Let cool in freezer compartment. Remove cold blistered skin and discard. Put white meat aside. In shallow roasting pan, saute onion in butter until clear, stir in mustard to coat onions, then stir in sherry, tabasco sauce and half of barbecue sauce, making sure bottom of pan is covered. Spread out beaver tails in pan, cover with remaining barbecue sauce, sprinkle with cheese, and bake in 450-degree oven for 45 minutes. Serve hot with wild or ordinary rice topped with generous spoonfuls of remaining sauce.
1 md Beaver 1/2 c Vinegar 1 tb Salt 2 ts Soda 2 tb Dry mustard 3 tb Mixed pickling spice 1 ts Cinnamon 1/2 ts Ground cloves 1/2 c Brown sugar 1/2 c Dry white wine or apple juice 1 c Pineapple juice Juice and rind of 1 lemon
Soak, brine and parboil in soda as for roast beaver. Drain and rince the beaver, then place it in a clean pot; add water to cover. Sprinkle pickling spice on top, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes. Drain and rince beaver, pat dry and place in roaster. Mix mustard, spices, sugar, wine and fruit juices and spread over beaver. Cover and roast at 325 until tender, basting often.
Beaver is a fine textured red meat. Fat deposits are found outside or between muscles, much like venison. While the meat will not dry out while cooking as fast as venison it will dry out faster than most lean cuts of beef. Unlike venison, the fat is not as likely to become rancid. Removal is however recommended, especially deposits inside both the front and rear legs which contain glands. The castor glands are found in the lower abdominal cavity. As with other internal organs, fluids escaping will give the meat an off or bitter flavor. Castor glands should be frozen and sold or given to a trapper who can in turn sell the glands to be used by the perfume industry.
Also unlike deer, beaver needs to be soaked overnight in salt water to remove blood from the meat. Trapped beaver do not have a chance to bleed out.
Cutting up a dressed beaver requires special attention to bone structure or most meat will end up on soup bones. Meat tends to cut easier when it contains some ice crystals. Most of the best meat on the beaver will be found on the hams and along the back bone. The larger muscles attest to the powerful back legs and tail. The tender loin or back strap found along both sides of the top of the back is wider at the shoulders and tapers to a point near the hams. The tender loin is found inside the body cavity at about the middle of and to either side of the back. Steaks are difficult to cut from the ham area. Most meat will be chunks or strips. The flanks, between ribs and the hams, are often strong tasting either by nature or contamination by body fluids.
Many of your favorite venison recipes will probably work with beaver.
1 small beaver (20 lbs.), cleaned and skinned, cut into serving pieces, strips or cubes 6 slices bacon 1 tsp. seasoning salt
Remove fat from beaver and soak overnight in cold water. Drain. Cook in small amount of water until tender, then fry with bacon and seasoning salt. Variation: substitute hickory-smoked seasoning salt for plain seasoning salt.
1 beaver (8-10 lbs.) 1 bay leaf 2 med. onions 1-2 garlic cloves Celery leaves - optional Flour Salt and pepper
Remove all fat from beaver. Cut up as you do rabbit. Soak overnight in salt water. Parboil until about half-cooked in water with the bay leaf, onions, and garlic. Celery may or may not be added. Drain, roll in flour and brown in hot fat, season with salt and pepper. Bake in covered pan in a moderate oven until tender. Gravy may be made from the drippings. Plan the same number of servings as from a similar weight of pork (8 oz. per serving). Beaver is very rich.
2-3 lbs beaver steaks 1/2 inch thick Bacon grease 2 cups flour 1 tsp salt 1 tsp pepper 2 medium onions 1 can cream of mushroom soup 1 can or 1/2 lb mushrooms
Combine flour, salt and pepper in a closable bag or 2 quart closable plastic container and shake until mixed. Add beaver and shake until well coated. Save remaining flour. Dice onions. Melt enough bacon grease in the bottom of a fry pan to saute onions and beaver. Saute onions and floured beaver in bacon grease, adding more grease as needed. Place beaver aside.
Combine soup and mushrooms in frying pan. Dissolve 2 to 3 heaping tbsp of seasoned flour in 2 cups cold water. Add to soup mix and simmer 5 minutes. Add beaver and onions to mix and simmer covered for 30 minutes.
1 small or medium size beaver, cleaned and skinned Baking soda Sliced onions Bacon
Remove all surface fat. Cover meat with a weak solution of soda and water (1 tsp soda to 1 qt water). Boil 10 minutes and drain. Cover beaver with bacon and onions and roast until tender. This will taste like roast goose and will fool anybody.
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