Sweet Pickled Beaver

We at The Belly swear that we were surfing one day and found this honest to God recipe on the net (so you know it must be real). We wouldn’t steer you wrong, so we verified that you can (snicker) eat beaver and although we admit we’ve never tried this one, we just had to include it so we could all share in the laughs as you read the cooking procedure.

Ingredients:
• 1 Beaver, skinned and cleaned
• 1/2 cup of vinegar
• 1 pound of salt
• 2 teaspoons of soda
• 2 tablespoons of dry mustard
• 3 tablespoons of mixed pickling spice
• 1 teaspoon of cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon of ground cloves
• 1/2 cup of brown sugar
• 1/2 cup of dry white wine or apple juice
• 1 cup of pineapple juice
• 1 juiced and grated rind of a lemon

Wash your beaver thoroughly with salt water, then let it soak overnight in enough cold water to cover, adding 1/2 cup vinegar and 1 tablespoon salt to the water.

The next day, remove your beaver from the brine. Wash and cover your beaver with a solution of 2 teaspoons soda to 2 quarts of water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes.

Drain and rinse your beaver, then place it in a clean pot. Add water just to cover. Sprinkle mixed pickling spice on top, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes.

Drain and rinse your beaver again, pat it dry and place it in a roaster.

Mix mustard, spices, sugar, wine and fruit juices and spread it over your beaver.

Cover and roast your beaver at 325 degrees F. until it is tender (or to your liking), basting it frequently.

Eat Beaver.