Roasted Beaver Tail Recipe | The Filson Journal (2024)

If you were a trapper back in the frontier days, a beaver tail was something that would have you licking your lips. Long, hard winters were filled with lean, wild game meals, which led to a scarcity of fat in a trapper’s diet. One of the more sought-after sources of high-quality backcountry fat was beaver tail.

Roasted Beaver Tail Recipe | The Filson Journal (2)

“As this was my first time cooking beaver tail, I deferred to the trappers who were so fond of this meal and cooked it the same way they did: fire roasted. To improve on the original slightly, after roasting the tail in this recipe, the fat was seasoned and re-grilled to toast the outside. Under the scaly skin, a beaver tail is made up of a spongy fat with a tail bone running down the middle. The flavor of the fat is very mild with only a hint of fishiness if you go searching for it, but it is in no way off-putting. The biggest hurdle to eating beaver tail is coming to grips with the idea of eating a rodent’s tail—and the texture, which is unlike anything else out there.”

Connor Gabbott, Hunter & Backcountry Chef

Roasted Beaver Tail Recipe | The Filson Journal (3)

  • Trap a beaver according to your local game regulations and remove the tail.
  • Build a rock fire ring with a channel off-shoot that will fit a grill across the channel.
  • Start a fire in the main fire ring and create a base of coals.
  • Pull coals from the fire into the grilling channel and place the beaver tail onto the grill.
  • Roast the tail for approximately 20 minutes, rotating it every couple of minutes to get an even roast. Some charring on the skin is okay.
  • As the tail roasts, the skin will bubble and pull away from the tail.
  • Remove the tail from the grill and cut the skin off.
  • Run a knife down either side of the tailbone and remove chunks of fat.
  • At this point, the fat can be consumed as is, or it can be seasoned and grilled to crisp the outside.

Roasted Beaver Tail Recipe | The Filson Journal (4)

Roasted Beaver Tail Recipe | The Filson Journal (5)

Roasted Beaver Tail Recipe | The Filson Journal (6)
Roasted Beaver Tail Recipe | The Filson Journal (2024)

FAQs

What's the best way to cook a beaver tail? ›

Pull coals from the fire into the grilling channel and place the beaver tail onto the grill. Roast the tail for approximately 20 minutes, rotating it every couple of minutes to get an even roast. Some charring on the skin is okay. As the tail roasts, the skin will bubble and pull away from the tail.

How long does it take to cook a beaver? ›

I decided on a low and slow cooking method and brought out the Dutch oven. I seared the seasoned beaver meat hams in olive oil, then added sliced onions and chicken broth. After 4 hours in the Dutch oven, the beaver meat was falling off the bones.

What is traditional beaver's tail pastry? ›

BeaverTails are deep-fried dough pastries that are stretched to resemble the shape of a beaver's tail. So don't worry, no part of actual beavers are used! It is topped with either sweet or savory ingredients, but the classic BeaverTail is dipped in a combination of cinnamon and sugar.

How to smoke a beaver tail? ›

Here's how you do it: Rub the beavertail with salt, pepper and olive oil. For all the toughness of the skin, it will allow seasoning and smoke through. Feed the Weber Grill with a lot of charcoal and hickory — more than you'd think — and get it really, really hot.

What does real beaver tail taste like? ›

The tail of a beaver is mostly meaty. It is difficult to describe the taste, though. It has similarities with other large rodents, like porcupines, but that wouldn't be particularly helpful if you've never tasted porcupine meat. It tends to be rich and oily, in the way that pork is, but the flavor is nothing like pork.

What is special about a beaver tail? ›

A beaver's tail not only helps it swim faster, but can also be used to make a loud alarm call when slapped against water. In addition, the large tail helps the beaver balance when carrying a heavy log or tree trunk.

How healthy is beaver meat? ›

Land-based animals are less likely to build up high levels of contaminants than marine animals (like beluga or ringed seal). BEAVER IS GOOD FOR US! Beaver meat, liver and feet are excellent sources of protein. The tail has less protein but is still a good source of this nutrient.

Is beaver white or dark meat? ›

Beaver Meat is red, rich, and delicious. Wild Beaver Meat should be marinated for at least 24 to 48 hours and cooked slowly in crock pot with broth.

How old is a 30 lb beaver? ›

The beaver has only one mate and the pair produces two to four kits in late May or early June. This pattern is true for almost every year. A mature beaver, usually two or three years old, will weigh from 30 to 60 pounds.

What country invented beaver tails? ›

The chain originated in Killaloe, Ontario in 1978 and opened its first permanent store in Ottawa two years later.

Why do people eat beaver tails? ›

Beaver tails are made up nearly entirely of fat. What a treat this fat must have been in the frontier days. Trappers who lived off the land for long, hard winters subsisted on lean, wild game, and the fat from the tail of a beaver tail was likely a welcome treat.

Where is beaver tail a delicacy? ›

With stores spread throughout Canada, with other locations in the United States, Japan, France, and the United Arab Emirates, BeaverTails is serving up these sweet treats around the globe.

What can you put on a beaver tail? ›

The best part about a Beaver Tail is you can customize it however you like. You can add any glaze or sauce you like, cookies, fresh fruit, and so much more. The maple flavor was my favorite because I love maple doughnuts the most so that's what we will recreate today.

What oil does BeaverTails use? ›

According to its makers, BEAVERTAILS® pastries are whole wheat pastries that are stretched by hand to resemble the tail of one of our best known symbols: the beaver. The pastries are then fried in oil (or, as described by BEAVERTAILS®: “float cooked on high quality canola oil”) and then served pipping hot.

What does it mean when a beaver slaps its tail at you? ›

Beaver families are territorial and defend against other families. >> In order to warn family members of danger, beavers slap their tails against the water, creating a powerful noise. >>

Are BeaverTails good to eat? ›

Beaver tails are made up nearly entirely of fat. What a treat this fat must have been in the frontier days. Trappers who lived off the land for long, hard winters subsisted on lean, wild game, and the fat from the tail of a beaver tail was likely a welcome treat.

How do you soften a beaver tail? ›

Soak the beaver tails in a cleaning solution. Remove hair using a chemical solution, then rinse off remaining stray hairs. Conduct chrome-tanning to convert animal skin into leather. Use vegetable-based extracts to re-tan and soften the thinned skins.

Is beaver meat greasy? ›

Beaver meat is very low in fat (10%) when compared to beef, pork and chicken (33 – 55% fat) but the feet and tail contain a lot of fat.

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