Rabbit Recipe

Unknown · November 2006

Wanted to try something exotic tonight and decided on rabbit. Does anybody have a good recipe for rabbit on the BGE? I know it dries out fast so I'm going to brine it first. Not sure to hot or slow n low. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Richard · November 2006

KPE,
Here is one to replace a turkey.[p] Rabbit, Egged, Gdenby
[p]*******Horseradish Bartbecue Sauce********
1 cup melted butter
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup ketchup
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup prepared horseradish
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp hot sauce
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp black pepper

1 I egged a couple of rabbits on the 4th.They turned out quite well. I'd cooked rabbit twice before, once in the oven, and once in a water smoker. Both times the meat was passable, but because it is extremely lean and is mostly sheathed in a fine membrane, the meat was rather dry and a little tough.
2 So this time I did everything I could to ensure a moist and tender result. I brined the whole rabbits for a day in a salt/ginger/lemon juice mixture. Then I marinated it in a "fine" apple flavored wine for six hours.
3 I started a load of Black Canyon lump, which comes from Paraguay. Its smoke is quite pleasant, and so I decided it would be the only source of smoke for the cook. After lighting it, I quickly rubbed the rabbits with EVOO, a few shakes of salt, and a generous dusting of fresh ground pepper. As soon as the starter cube fire went out, I put down the lower grill, an improvised aluminum foil drip pan, the upper grill, and the rabbits. I quickly closed the vents down, but the heat rose briefly to 230. After 10 minutes it dropped to 220, where I wanted it, and so I left them go for 2 hours.
4 After two hours, I checked the rabbits. With such a low and indirect fire, they were just barely warming up. I pushed the foil aside, turned the rabbits over, and smeared some butter on them. After a half an hour, I turned them again, added butter, and opened up the vents so that the dome came up to 290. I repeated the turning and buttering 3 more times at half hour intervals. On the last turn, one of the rabbits began to break apart, so I took them off 15 minutes later.
5 The result were good. The meat wasn't fall off the bone tender, but not at all chewy. There was a good deal of moisture in the meat, and the black pepper was quite sharp. I added a horseradish sauce on the side, which really finished off the flavor with a high note.
6 Served with honey-ginger glazed yams and fresh black cherries.
*********Horseradish Sauce********
1 Place all ingredients in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and allow sauce to simmer for 10-15 minutes.
2 I should have also mention, that as I was turning the rabbits, I'd give a little tug with the tongs at the thin flesh at tho bottom of the ribs. As that began to tear loose, I knew I was getting close to done. Then, as I said, when one began to break up I knew I was almost there.

Recipe Type
Meat

Recipe Source
Author: gdenby[p]Source: BGE Forum, Gdenby, 07/05/06[p]I don't know where I found the horseradish babeque sauce recipe, but I give all credit to whoever originally made it.

[p]

gdenby · November 2006

KPE,[p]First, I'll thank Richard for hunting up my report from the archives. I've done rabbit twice more, but don't have my notes at hand. However, there's 3 things I'd mention. The first 2 cooks I did, I did the rabbits whole, The third time, I quartered them. It made them a lot easier to handle, and they cooked more evenly. There was negligable fat in them, and they are so thin that I think anything above 250 grill would burn them. The last ones I did, which were the best, I did much like ribs, turning and mopping frequently, with some foil underneath to block direct heat. I was careful to pull them off just before 160, which is when they are safe cooked.[p]Have fun. I can't say the rabbit I've had so far was great, but its never been a failure, and the saddle, however tiny, was always good.[p]gdenby

BobS · November 2006

KPE,
The best rabbit I ever had was floured, and then browned in a pan and then put inside a dutch oven to slow cook in an oven -- basically in their own juice. You might be able to use that general approach with the Egg -- going for a rather brief time to brown and add a little smoke and then finish in the oven (or in a dutch oven in your Egg).[p]I think that the brining recipes sound good.

Rabbit Recipe

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