Rabbit, "hasenpfeffer" flavored.

gdenby

Was at a butcher shop on Sat., looking for something interesting, and noticed they had rabbit for the 1st time. The one on the top of the pile was the biggest I'd ever seen, so I got that. Weighed over 4 lbs. The ones I usually find are under 3, often more like 2. Once cut up, the hind quarters were over 9" long.

Decided to marinate it, so made a sort of "hasenpfeffer style" marinade. Used the standard cider vinegar, and dry white wine. Looked over various recipes, and decided to go beyond the standard salt, mustard and pepper. Also added allspice, cloves, ginger, stick cinnamon, juniper berries, coriander, 3 bay leaves, a bit of thyme, lemon grass powder and some red pepper flakes. All pounded in a mortar. Added in a few splashes of walnut oil.

Cooked indirect, raised, between 300 & 350, no added wood smoke. Flipped 4 times over an hour, brushing on a mix of melted butter, and strained and re-boiled marinade.

Over-all, the best rabbit I've done so far. Every bit of the meat was flavored. I did the rib cage portion by itself on the day I bought it, and thought the meat itself was the best tasting rabbit I'd had. Judging by the texture of what I made last night, the marinaded pieces were slightly mushy by comparison. Might have been better after a 36 hour soak. I used 5 cloves in the mix, I think 4 would have been better. Might have used few more juniper berries, and more mustard seed, or a more pungent kind than the yellow mustard I used.

As you might note, there isn't any fat on the pieces. About half the mild browning came from the butter mixture I added at the last turning.

Biggreenpharmacist

Nice looking 'bit. 

Fred19Flintstone

Gold Star!  Rabbit is good eats and you hit it out of the park!  I get them from time to time, but I braise them.  I've cooked them in the egg raised direct like chicken, but they dry up on me.  So I boil them like a Travis briskey. 

gdenby

Fred19Flintstone said:

Gold Star!  Rabbit is good eats and you hit it out of the park!  I get them from time to time, but I braise them.  I've cooked them in the egg raised direct like chicken, but they dry up on me.  So I boil them like a Travis briskey. 

Fine food, indeed! (I wonder how hare tastes.)

Yeah, the dry out is the problem. No fat, all really lean meat. Most rabbit recipes are stews/brasises just for that reason. Hasenpfeffer is usually considered a fricasee, first lightly breaded and fried, then braised with lots of onions. If hoped that the salt in the marinade would draw in extra moisture. It did, and lots of flavor came in w. it.

jeffwit

Now, where's mine?

Fred19Flintstone

 

gdenby

OK, clearly it is a dish fit for a king/Capt Bligh. "My dear sirs, may I present the special of the day, rabbit raised to noble stature."

Fred19Flintstone

 Hmmm.  Not the same recipe.