Groundhog Day. Every year, we submit to the tyranny of, to quote legendary meteorologist Phil Connors, "a large squirrel predicting the weather." Well, no more! We need to take back February 2nd. Six more weeks of winter? Early spring? Guess what, whiskers, either way you're going to end up browning in our ovens before being washed down with a nice house red. That's right - this year, we're celebrating Groundhog Day with our favorite Groundhog recipes. Bon appetit!

 

Groundhog Pie
- 1 groundhog skinned and cleaned
- 1/4 cup onion
- 1/4 cup green pepper
- 1/2 tablespoon minced parsley
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon pepper
- 4 1/2 tablespoon flour
- 3 cups broth

Pie topping:
- 1 cup flour
- 2 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoon bacon fat
- 1/4 cup milk

Cut groundhog into 2 or 3 pieces. Parboil for 1 hour (editor's note: "parboiling" means to cook food in boiling water for only a short amount of time to retain the color, to help preserve nutrients and to firm foods, such as vegetables).
Remove meat from bones in large pieces. Add onion, green pepper, parsley, salt, pepper, and flour to the broth and stir until it thickens. Add the meat to the broth mixture and stir thoroughly.
Pour into baking dish.
Sift flour, baking powder, and salt together. Cut in the fat and add the liquid. Stir until the dry ingredients are moist.
Roll only enough to make it fit the dish. Place dough on top of meat, put in a hot oven (400 degrees F.) and bake 30 to 40 minutes or until dough is browned.



Groundhog in Sour Cream
- 1 Groundhog, skinned & cleaned
- 1/2 cup vinegar
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 2 quarts water
- 2 tablespoons baking soda
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1/2 tablespoon allspice
- 1/2 cup bacon fat
- 3 onions
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 cup sour cream

Skin and clean the groundhog. Wash and dry and put in an earthen crock. Cover with water and a half cup of vinegar and 1 tablespoon of salt. Let stand in a cool place overnight.
In the morning, remove from brine, wash and pat dry with a damp cloth. In a large soup kettle combine 2 qt. of water and 2 tablespoons of soda. Bring to a boil, lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes, removing the scum as it rises to the surface.
Drain and rinse the groundhog meat and cut into serving pieces. Combine the flour, salt and allspice and dredge the pieces of meat in the mixture. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Melt the bacon fat in a heavy iron frying pan until smoking. Brown meat on all sides. Transfer the browned meat into a greased 4 qt. casserole.
Arrange sliced onions on top, add water, cover and bake in a preheated oven for 2 hours or until the meat is tender. Transfer the meat to a heated platter to keep warm. Put the casserole on top of the stove over medium heat and spoon in the sour cream stirring constantly. Do not let the sauce come to a boil. Put the meat back into the casserole and simmer for about 15 minutes.

 

Fried Groundhog
- 1 groundhog
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 cup flour
- 3 tablespoons fat

Clean groundhog and cut into 6 or 7 pieces. Parboil in salted water for 1 hour. Remove from broth, roll in flour and fry in hot fat (deep fat may be used) until brown. Serves 6.

 

 

Oriental Groundhog
- 1 groundhog
- 2 quarts water
- 1/4 cup salt
- 1/2 cup soy sauce
- 2 cloves garlic, whole
- 1/4 onion
- 1/4 teaspoon paprika
- 1/4 bunch parsley, whole
- 4 beef bouillon cubes
- 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
- 1 cup beef or chicken broth
- Teriyaki glaze

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Cut meat into serving pieces and soak in 1 qt. water and salt for 3 hours. Transfer meat to 1 qt. clear water and soak 4 hours. Drain and dry meat.
Place in a baking pan meat with beef broth, soy sauce, garlic cloves, onion, paprika, parsley, bouillon cubes and white pepper. Cover lid and bake at 350 degrees for 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Baste frequently.
Brush with teriyaki glaze while cooking.