No Matter What the Groundhog Says? Enjoy This Tasty Stew

Every year on Groundhog Day, we all gather around to see what a chubby little weather rodent has to say about our future if he sees his shadow, boom, six more weeks of winter. No shadow? Spring is supposedly right around the corner.

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And the most famous weather forecaster of them all? That would be Punxsutawney Phil up in Punxsutawney, where thousands of people stand around in the cold at sunrise waiting for a groundhog to blink.

Now I don’t know about you, but after dealing with freezing rain, sleet, ice, and snow here in Texas, I’m just about done letting a woodland critter decide my mood. So I came up with a solution.

If that little booger says we’ve got six more weeks of winter, fine. I’ll stay inside, keep warm, and make myself some Groundhog stew.

Yes, Groundhog Stew

Before anyone clutches their pearls, groundhogs are actually in the squirrel family, and hunting them has been a thing in rural America for generations. So whether you call it groundhog stew or squirrel stew, well, that’s between you and your stew-pot.

Fearless Fernandez Groundhog Stew

Ingredients

• Groundhog meat, cleaned and cut up
• 1 purple onion, diced
• Mixed diced vegetables (carrots, celery, potatoes, your choice)
• Salt-free chicken broth
• Wild or instant rice
• Bacon (because bacon makes everything better)
• Seasonings to taste

Directions

• Brown the groundhog meat in a skillet with diced purple onion and chopped bacon.
• Once browned, remove the meat from the bones and set aside.
• In a stew-pot, combine diced vegetables and chicken broth. Bring to a simmer.
• Add the meat, onions, and bacon back into the pot.
• Stir in rice and let everything cook until tender and thickened.
• Season to taste, grab a bowl, and enjoy on a cold Texas day.

For the record, this is a real Fearless Fernandez recipe, but if you ask me off the record, my Dragon’s Breath chili is still my number one winter survival meal.

So Phil, go ahead and see your shadow if you want. Either way, I’ll be warm, full, and just fine right here in Texas.

Read More: Inside The Judging Criteria For Authentic Texas Chili