Small Game

Grits with Squirrel Livers and Hearts

I always look forward to this time of year when I can have a breakfast of grits and squirrel livers. Good time to cook the hearts, too, as those get too tough if over-cooked.

The thing about grits is they can be a bit bland by themselves. The livers have a strong taste and this blends nicely with the grits.

I remove and discard the stomach and intestines while in the field. The liver and heart are best just left intact, as they are really not more prone to spoiling than the meat. In warm weather I always get these squirrels with livers and hearts still-in-cavity to ice before the day is over. When ready to cook the livers, remove them and the hearts at the same time, discarding the lungs and kidneys. This is a good time to do a little more clean up on the squirrels themselves, and decide if you want to freeze them.

Then it's time for breakfast! Start your livers in bacon grease just a bit before your eggs in a skillet big enough for both. After just a minute or so start the eggs and the hearts. Turn the hearts & livers once, and dump on top of the grits without draining. Medium rare is just fine! Enjoy!

The grits: please try stone ground if you havent yet. If you use 'quick grits' don't blame me if your breakfast disappoints. If you use stone ground, you need space in the fridge or freezer. A good place to order them from is in the link below. To order from this old fashioned business you use a credit card, and you have to catch them on the phone! sometimes taking more than one try.

http://fallsmill.com/store.html

(931)469-7161