Muskrats look sort of like small versions of nutria (to which they are not related), and they too get eaten. Though the fastest time ever recorded for skinning was 52 and nine-tenths of a second—and by a Louisianan, no less—a minute is about the fastest anybody else has been able to manage skinning five rats in competition. Add 1 tablespoon vegetable oil to medium-sized, heavy bottom pot. She was out into the cool dark now, which smelled of nothing but an earlier rainstorm. Garnish with assorted fresh herbs. Admitting that he had never traveled that far south but that he had in fact tasted muskrat, my colleague warned me that muskrat was the only thing he’s ever eaten that made him vomit. "It was like computers versus pencils." Muskrat, MARYLAND People in Louisiana eat giant rats too but at least they don’t brag about it by holding a massive festival. She was planning to bring three recipes to this year's bout: a spicy sesame muskrat stir-fry that her husband particularly liked, a barbecue muskrat, and something she called son-of-a-gun stew, which was also spicy, with tomatoes and onions and peppers. He confirmed that they were already cleaned, musk glands already removed. Finally, I didn’t have any confidence that butchering the ‘rat after soaking conferred any great benefit. The BBQ rat wasn't my style, but as far as the other two dishes were concerned I agreed wholeheartedly with the judges—each was well-flavored and pleasantly spicy. In 1955, Louisiana and Maryland found each other and now send representatives each year to the other's show. A skinned muskrat in a display case at a country market looks like … well, let’s just say that it does not resemble a New York strip steak. Hold corner of bacon lattice, and roll the entire mat tightly. There were two lined sheets of paper at the registration point. After paying a six-dollar entry fee and receiving a stamp on our hands (the image of a muskrat), my brother and I went to register my dishes for the cooking competition. This meant leeching lingering blood and trimming excess fat from the meat. Occasionally, when food is scarce, muskrats will consume other animals such as crayfish, snails, mussels, frogs, insects and fish. Three of the four dishes in the specialty category were Aaron's, and her mother, Nellie Flowers, entered one of the two dishes in the traditional category. 3. … I took a few notes that week. I found it utterly frustrating, and so I called it quits for the weekend, and resolved to do more research before my next attempt. During the colder months, these muskrats are trapped in the swamps and brackish water of the Chesapeake Bay where locals sell their pelts in an international commodity fur market. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. 12. 4 tablespoons plain yogurt That is, unless they are from the Eastern Shore. She has been featured in a documentary film and on television not only for her multi-year sweeps of the muskrat cooking competition but also for her reign as one of the top women’s muskrat skinning champions in the history of Dorchester County. Somebody who I'd later deduce was an Abbott boarded the bus holding a bag that contained four dead muskrats and then holding in her own hand a fifth muskrat that wouldn't fit in the bag. My mind raced. "It's not going back, I don't think. Nowadays in Maryland, women skin muskrats differently than they used to. The creature has lean, dark meat, full of tiny bones. The muskrat’s flavor, like many flavors that we acquire through culture and convention, is really not for everyone. It came in third place in the specialty category, with Aaron's Son of a Gun Muskrat Stew and Sesame Muskrat Stir-Fry taking first and second, respectively. Epicurious may earn a portion of sales from products that are purchased through our site as part of our Affiliate Partnerships with retailers. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. 1 tablespoon distilled vinegar Not all of the skinners were adults. Now I know. Add chopped olives, diced tomatoes, diced potatoes and vinegar. I placed him in a bowl to cool. In that case, they’ll tell you that you are in for a treat. I figured that if I could work a tail into this log, it could actually look like a muskrat. But if history teaches us anything, it’s that approval ratings are a fickle mistress. What I was actually hearing were the throngs of local men and boys who, from inside the school building, were practicing their repertoire of calls for the goose-calling competition. "My brother would go out in the ditches and catch just a few rats and Mom would show us how to skin them." From a fellow Cantonese North Carolinian who likes to learn obscure, primarily culinary, things: thanks for such a fun read! (The 2014 Second Place Muskrat Cooking Competition trophy, by the way, is nearly two feet tall and features a gilded print of a muskrat in a chef’s hat holding a wooden spoon. Somebody has come to challenge Rhonda Aaron, the queen of Dorchester County. Classic roasted muskrat with salt, pepper, and sage. Add the potatoes, red wine, tomato paste and spices. (Carve/twist second half for optimal tail-like aesthetics.) This is Officers second time trying muskrat. As a point of reference, this woman can skin three muskrats in one minute and twenty-four seconds. We imagine the world beyond the Beltway simply as a collection of other cities reachable from D.C., but the interstitial space rarely even registers on our radar. So they said, 'My family can beat your family skinning,' and they started a competition.". There are a few flavors I’ve worked with in the past that I think do a great job concealing and simultaneously complementing meat. The meat gets eaten at the show, and some is sold in markets in the nearby town of Cambridge. The skinners tied the beavers to a pole by one leg, and at some points tried so aggressively to pull their pelts off that the legs separated from the rope that was holding them. There were a lot of dead animals in the room, some having been relieved of their pelts, others about to be. I could tell, however, that the smiling ladies had only one thing on their mind. In the garage behind her little ranch-style house on the Eastern Shore, Rhonda Aaron got out an old newspaper photograph, which she'd blown up and mounted, to show off how they did it in the olden days. After removing from oven, stir heavy cream into the remaining bourbon glaze, and pour into the bottom of the baking dish. (Points docked if they picked up the fake fish.) Slice one smoked sausage in half lengthwise, and lay the halves diagonally across the bacon square, the second half hanging over the edge to form tail. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. 2. Someone may have squealed. Press/spread layer of green onion evenly over chopped bacon and mushrooms. More to the point, what is a muskrat and how does it compare to the cultural touchstones of beef, chicken and pork? Usually slow-cooked in a festival that features competitive muskrat skinning championships to a boil, and pour into the of. 2 packages puff pastry into six-inch disks ( you can make a little funky notwithstanding... Is, unless they are not related ), and pour into the cool now... 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