Was at my local meat market and I saw a bunch of frozen rabbit?I thought what the?anyone ever cook this.
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Oh yes. I love rabbit in my Smokette.
I rinse under cold water, pat dry, break the back where they will lay flat, rub with some favorite spices, put them in on 250* with an ounce of apple wood until done. I think the last ones I did was 4 hours, notes at home. My favorite meat to do in the smoker, wild or tame. Those in the store will be young and tender. They usually keep them on the Mommas for 6 weeks and then feed them out with alfalfa pellets for 6 weeks. A truck comes and gets a big load then and takes them to a processing facility. We have a few rabbitries here and there and the processing facility is at Springdale in NW Arkansas. They are some very yummy critters !
I rinse under cold water, pat dry, break the back where they will lay flat, rub with some favorite spices, put them in on 250* with an ounce of apple wood until done. I think the last ones I did was 4 hours, notes at home. My favorite meat to do in the smoker, wild or tame. Those in the store will be young and tender. They usually keep them on the Mommas for 6 weeks and then feed them out with alfalfa pellets for 6 weeks. A truck comes and gets a big load then and takes them to a processing facility. We have a few rabbitries here and there and the processing facility is at Springdale in NW Arkansas. They are some very yummy critters !
I have eaten many a rabbit ,wild and domestic.
They are so very lean that i would personally not choose them as candidates for the smoker.
Good luck if you try it.
dick
They are so very lean that i would personally not choose them as candidates for the smoker.
Good luck if you try it.
dick
Sorry Dick. I don't want to be argumentative, but I have done several hares in my Smokette and they are indeed very well suited to smoking. Not necessarily low and slow, but excellent candidates for the smoker.
Hey Buddy, how much fat does salmon and other fish have? How about loin ? Folks smoke them regularly, just as I smoke rabbit regularly, with excellent results.
Again, I don't want to sound argumentative, just don't want rmd1969 or anyone else to think his rabbit won't be good in the smoker.
Hey Buddy, how much fat does salmon and other fish have? How about loin ? Folks smoke them regularly, just as I smoke rabbit regularly, with excellent results.
Again, I don't want to sound argumentative, just don't want rmd1969 or anyone else to think his rabbit won't be good in the smoker.
I don't find your comments at all argumentative.
Your experience with rabbit is obviously favorable.
I have not smoked it and probably won't.
Based on your experience you were certainly right to encourage rmd1969 to try it.
I smoke salmon regularly and find it wonderfully oily.
As to loin i have not been impressed with it
smoked and slow cooked. My loins are done no cooler than 325/350 in the oven or indirect on the grill at the same temps.
I cook only to 150 and rest to about 155-158.
While i'm an old hand at cooking, as a Q'er
My experience does not compare to that of the "regulars" here.
I willing defer to you on rabbit.
dick
Your experience with rabbit is obviously favorable.
I have not smoked it and probably won't.
Based on your experience you were certainly right to encourage rmd1969 to try it.
I smoke salmon regularly and find it wonderfully oily.
As to loin i have not been impressed with it
smoked and slow cooked. My loins are done no cooler than 325/350 in the oven or indirect on the grill at the same temps.
I cook only to 150 and rest to about 155-158.
While i'm an old hand at cooking, as a Q'er
My experience does not compare to that of the "regulars" here.
I willing defer to you on rabbit.
dick
From notes:
Brined with 1/2 cup dark brown sugar, 1/4 cup kosher salt, 1 TBLS. each of several different spices, 12 oz. red wine vinegar, 3 qts water. approx. 24 hours.
rinsed, patted dry with paper towels, sprinkled with Cajun cowboy, put on middle rack of Smokette with 1 oz. apple wood on 225*F.
3.5 hours later, took out and wrapped in HD foil and towels, put in small cooler for 3 hours, unwrapped and ate. Meat was firm, but tender and moist. Smoke good. Spice a tad bland and mild. Will use a regular poultry rub next time.
another entry:
Brined with 1/2 cup kosher salt, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/4 cup olive oil, 1 TBLS each several different spices, 2 quarts water. approx. 22 hours.
rinsed, patted dry. sprinkled with Cajun Cowboy, put in smoker with 1 oz. muscadine and 1 oz redoak on 225* for 3.5 hours on middle rack. YUM YUM YUM !!!
The tame rabbits I have raised are white New Zealand types called Florida Giants. They usually have some fat on them, especially around the back area. I have eaten them up to 1 year of age and never encountered a tough one. Of course, they only eat alfalfa pellets and don't have much room to move around in 3'x4' wire cages.
Brined with 1/2 cup dark brown sugar, 1/4 cup kosher salt, 1 TBLS. each of several different spices, 12 oz. red wine vinegar, 3 qts water. approx. 24 hours.
rinsed, patted dry with paper towels, sprinkled with Cajun cowboy, put on middle rack of Smokette with 1 oz. apple wood on 225*F.
3.5 hours later, took out and wrapped in HD foil and towels, put in small cooler for 3 hours, unwrapped and ate. Meat was firm, but tender and moist. Smoke good. Spice a tad bland and mild. Will use a regular poultry rub next time.
another entry:
Brined with 1/2 cup kosher salt, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/4 cup olive oil, 1 TBLS each several different spices, 2 quarts water. approx. 22 hours.
rinsed, patted dry. sprinkled with Cajun Cowboy, put in smoker with 1 oz. muscadine and 1 oz redoak on 225* for 3.5 hours on middle rack. YUM YUM YUM !!!
The tame rabbits I have raised are white New Zealand types called Florida Giants. They usually have some fat on them, especially around the back area. I have eaten them up to 1 year of age and never encountered a tough one. Of course, they only eat alfalfa pellets and don't have much room to move around in 3'x4' wire cages.
Thanks.
If i see a domestic rabbit locally i just might try one.
Those we used to raise were Belgians.
Much better than cottontails.
We simmered quarters and back till tender then breaded and fried in drippings.
We were dirt poor but we ate just fine.
dick
If i see a domestic rabbit locally i just might try one.
Those we used to raise were Belgians.
Much better than cottontails.
We simmered quarters and back till tender then breaded and fried in drippings.
We were dirt poor but we ate just fine.
dick
I hear ya, but I never passed on a cottontail or a young swamper. I have sure had some mighty fine rabbit and dumplings. Wild ones have very little fat, and so are more suited to stew and dumplings, less suited to smoking. Hey, those young tender tame bunnies are very good on the hot grill also ! Like I say, I just splay the whole rabbit out flat.
Wow what a response for rabbit!Hey GLH do you always brine your rabbit or have you ever just put it in the smoker?
I'm sorry, but I can't handle rabbit. We used to get it sometimes in the chow hall when I was in Taiwan.
I know it's mental, but I can chew it, and it tastes fine, but when it comes time to swallow I just can't do it. I get a picture in my mind of those old West Texas jackrabbits with ticks as big as grapes, and my throat just closes up.
I know it's mental, but I can chew it, and it tastes fine, but when it comes time to swallow I just can't do it. I get a picture in my mind of those old West Texas jackrabbits with ticks as big as grapes, and my throat just closes up.
Thanks alot for that, EZ. 
No, I do not always brine them, but I could not find a journal entry for one I did not brine. I most times just use a good poultry type rub concoction and add heat to it, put 1 CS chunk into the woodbox, turn up to 250*, go at least 3 hours. Go too long and you will have rabbit jerky. Not a good spot to insert a probe, really.
No, I do not always brine them, but I could not find a journal entry for one I did not brine. I most times just use a good poultry type rub concoction and add heat to it, put 1 CS chunk into the woodbox, turn up to 250*, go at least 3 hours. Go too long and you will have rabbit jerky. Not a good spot to insert a probe, really.
quote:Originally posted by GLH:
Thanks alot for that, EZ.
No, I do not always brine them, but I could not find a journal entry for one I did not brine. I most times just use a good poultry type rub concoction and add heat to it, put 1 CS chunk into the woodbox, turn up to 250*, go at least 3 hours. Go too long and you will have rabbit jerky. Not a good spot to insert a probe, really.
Sorry.