Louisiana Creole Rabbit (Bunny)

Cpt'n Cook · December 2009

First attempt at this recipe and haven't had Rabbbit in many years.

It was good but maybe a little spicy for Rabbit, kind of overpowering for Bunny.

I haven't had Rabbit since I was a kid and hunted Cottontails with my little beagle Corporal. My Mom used to pan fry them with a little breading and thy were delicious. The recipe I used was a little too spicy for such a delicate meat. Will try another rabbit recipe though though.

Richard Fl · December 2009

Here is one foar the future.

Rabbit, Egged, Gdenby

INGREDIENTS:
Horseradish Barbecue 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

Directions:
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

Source: BGE Forum, Gdenby, 2006/07/05

I don't know where I found the horseradish babeque sauce recipe, but I give all credit to whoever originally made it.

2006/11/21---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.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.

Mike in Abita · December 2009

Here is one that I like. This recipe goes well with all game.

Rabbit sauce piquante
Makes about 6 servings
2 rabbits (about 4 pounds), cut into serving pieces
Salt and cayenne to taste
¾ cup vegetable oil
¼ cup all-purpose flour
2 cups chopped yellow onions
2 cups chopped green bell peppers
1 cup chopped celery
2 teaspoons chopped garlic
1 (16-ounce) can whole tomatoes, crushed in their juice
1 (10-ounce) can Ro-Tel tomatoes
3 tablespoons tomato paste
2 bay leaves
¼ cup red wine (optional)
3 to 4 cups chicken broth or water, as needed
3 tablespoons chopped green onions
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
Season the rabbit pieces with salt and cayenne. Heat a half cup of the oil in a large, heavy pot over medium-high heat. Brown the rabbit, in batches, for about 6 minutes on each side. Transfer to a platter and set aside. Drain the oil from the pot and clean it well.
Return the pot to stove, and, over medium heat, combine the remaining quarter cup of oil and the flour. Stirring slowly and constantly, make a dark brown roux. Add the onions, bell peppers and celery, and cook, stirring often, until the vegetables are soft and golden, about 10 minutes.
Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, red wine (if using), the bay leaves and 3 cups of the broth or water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, until the oil rises to the surface and a paper-thin skin forms, about 30 minutes. Stir occasionally.
Return the rabbit to the pot and adjust seasoning to taste. Continue to cook over medium-low until the meat is tender, about 2 hours. If the mixture becomes too thick, add the remaining cup of broth or water during the cooking time. Remove the bay leaves and add the green onions and the parsley. Serve over steamed rice.

Hoss · December 2009

I got a buddy that marinates them with green onions and other veggies,S,P EVOO .Flours em up,browns em in a CI skillet finishes em off in the oven(or egg)then makes gravy outta the pan drippins.Serves with Homemade BUTTERMILK biscuits and rice or mashed taters.OMG!!!DELISH!

Grandpas Grub · December 2009

Looks great from this end.

Where you getting the rabbit?

If we go hunting we have two choices. Jack Rabbit and Jack Rabbit and never eat them.

GG

SkySaw · December 2009

That reminds me of the Bugs Bunny episode where Bugs becomes the cook to a mean Austrian Emperor who constantly demand HassenPfeffer. I looks like you've finally made it :woohoo: !

Seriously Capt'n, you have been posting some great looking meals lately.

Mark

Little Steven · December 2009

Cpt'n Cook,

I find domestic rabbits a little bland. Love wild ones brined though.

Steve

Hoss · December 2009

They gotta have some nice size backstraps!Try one!

Rolling Egg · December 2009

Great post. Always good to see something different. looks pretty tasty to me. I love spicy things!

Grandpas Grub · December 2009

Uhhhh, no, not wild. They have disease's known to man and some diseases not known to man.

GG

Little Chef · December 2009

GG...Please help shed some light here if you will kind sir? I understand that wild rabbit CAN contain Tularemia and Trichinosis. The main concern with the Tularemia is encountered in the butchering, and is only found in approximately 1% of wild rabbit. Tularemia can be avoided simply by wearing rubber gloves while butchering. (Sounds a LOT safer than our domestic chicken breeding, where up to 100% can be infected with salmonella!! Thats scary! :blink: ) It is also my understanding that these rabbits that DO harbor Tuleremia also exhibit seizures and such, and are unable to "scatter" like a normal bunny would do when alerted. So in other words...the rabbit already looks sick before the shoot. This also becomes evident in the butchering....in that the liver is genuinely diseased looking...white spots, etc.... The trich....well, although virtually extinct now in our pigs, is the main reason we cook pork to a minimum internal of 137*. Both of the above are killed with proper cooking. Could you please tell me what I am missing here? I sure do love bunny.....and would eat a wild one in a heartbeat....but maybe I have missed something?? Thanks so much!! Looking forward to your reply.

Cpt'n Cook · December 2009

Thanks, I'll try that the next time, looks like a good method. I do wish I had brined this one. I did marinate it over night.

Cpt'n Cook · December 2009

Thanks Mike, I guess I am going to get a few more bunnies.

"Quiet, I'm hunting for wabbits" E. Fudd

Cpt'n Cook · December 2009

That's about the way my Mom used to do them, the little Cotton Tails were delicious but tiny, I could eat two or three of them.

I used to head to the woods after school with my 13 inch beagle and my 20 guage and come home with two or three every time. In season. . . or not. :evil:

Cpt'n Cook · December 2009

We have a pretty good meat Market here in Worcester. They sell them whole frozen. About three pounds.

Cpt'n Cook · December 2009

Thanks Sky

Cpt'n Cook · December 2009

As I recall they were a little tastier, my Mom was an excellent cook, so I thought it must have been her cookin'.

Cpt'n Cook · December 2009

Yeah, we love spicy food too, Rabbit is so mild in flavor, milder than chicken and no skin, I thought this one was a bit overpowered.
Experimenting with food is the fun part of cooking for us, doesn't always work out though :unsure:

Grandpas Grub · December 2009

"rabbits that DO harbor Tuleremia also exhibit seizures and such, and are unable to "scatter" like a normal bunny would do when alerted."

Ok, lets see if I understand this correctly. The rabbits that are sick are the ones that I will be able to catch, all the healthy ones will be able to get away. Great. :laugh:

All kidding aside. Out here it is pretty hard to find cotton tail rabbits in the wild. Jack's on the other hand, well depending on the year, can be driving hazards in some areas. I have always been told that Jack's are fun to hunt but not good to eat. It would be nice to know the 'correct story'.

Neverthless, sometime I would like to try some rabbit. People say it tastes just like chicken

(it's good).

Other than that I have no idea about wild rabbit, more specifically Jack's.

GG

Humphrey Chimpden Earwicker · December 2009

try paella. probably 'the' original meat used in paella

(this was from 2007)

Cpt'n Cook · December 2009

Looks like it would be good!

Haven't tried to make Paella yet. Got to get me a good pan someday.

Little Chef · December 2009

:laugh: Too funny! :laugh: Anyways GG, here is some reading for both of us....Jack Rabbit was new on me as well. Bottom line...looks like they are just fine to eat...with the precautions mentioned before. The question still remains though if you "want" to or not.... :blink: :huh:

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&source=hp&q=eating+jack+rabbit&rlz=1R2SKPB_enUS334&aq=2&oq=eating+jack+&aqi=g3g-s1g2

On a side note, the jack rabbit seems to have the same sort of "stigma" as the wild boar. Florida has an estimated 1 million ferile boar, and hunting is encouraged year round! Just cooked two hogs this past weekend....it was absolutely amazingly good! But I am in no rush to go hunting for any....

Take care GG!

Grandpas Grub · December 2009

"ferile boar" is that what you cooked and did you cook it on the egg? I have been wondering about getting a Feril Boar to cook.

Last time I went (jack) rabbit hunting was when my middle daughter was about 7 or 8 years old. We went out to Topaz mountain on Easter weekend hunting Topaz and Trilobites. Over the weekend I decided to go rabbit hunting with the kids. Mostly walking. My middle daughter was right by my side continually yelling "run easter bunny, my dad is coming after you. To my daughter's pleasure we didn't see any rabbits. She is real animal lover.

From that time on I never personally hunted for sport. If I am going to eat something I have no problem hunting. Otherwise, I like to go hunting with others, me with the camera and I do enjoy cooking for the camp.

Interested to hear about your boar cook.

Merry Christmas to both you and Tim.

Kent

Louisiana Creole Rabbit (Bunny)

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