Don't know if this is the correct forum, but here goes.

In addition to the poultry we're raising, we've got some meat rabbits as well. What's good about them is that we'll be able to raise a fair portion of our red meat here in a relatively small area. Of course, I'll still want my fair share of NY Strip and such... :drooling:

Has anyone here done anything with rabbit? I'm thinking I'll use some for sausage, as that would hide the fact of what they had been. That was the original intent, but I've found our kids, 6YO boy and 3YO girl, aren't really bothered about eating the chickens we've raised.

Many thanks.

We'll call 'em "Wild Game" altho they ain't really wild heh!. Curious Arrdvark has a few rabbit posts. Excellent meat... can beni from brining as well... sausage? Why not?

cut them up bread and fry em up tell the kidling its chicken....:lol:

I find it an EXCELLENT stew meat as well... treat like a pot type roast. Yum!

Or an Italian variation, in a tomato/pepper/olive sauce served over polenta. Double Yum!

Rabbit on the Q is excellent, smoked or grilled. Good in gumbo too (anything is).
You can cook rabbit just about the same as you would cook chicken. No it doesn't taste like chicken.

this is my all time favorite Rabbit recipe. My uncle raised them when I was young and we cooked them lots of different ways. Its not Q but its very good.

BRAISED RABBIT
1/2 LB SALT PORK, DICED
3 TABLESPOONS OF BUTTER
1 YOUNG RABBIT, CUT IN SERVING PIECES
3 TABLESPOONS OF BRANDY
3 CARROTS, DICED
4 WHITE ONIONS, DICED
2 CLOVES OF GARLIC, CRUSHED
1 1/2 GLASSES RED WINE
SALT AND PEPPER
8 SMALL NEW POTATOES, PEELED

FOR THIS DISH YOU MUST HAVE A HEAVY CAST IRON POT WITH A TIGHT FITTING LID. SAUTE SALT PORK IN POT OVER MEDIUM HEAT FOR SIX MINUTES, ADDING BUTTER. WHEN BUTTER FOAMS, BROWN THE RABBIT
USING TWO WOODEN SPOONS OR FORKS TO TURN THE PIECES SO YOU DON'T TEAR THE FLESH. WARM THE BRANDY, POUR IT OVER THE RABBIT. IGNITE
IT, LET IT BURN OFF. STIR IN THE CARROTS, ONIONS, GARLIC AND RED WINE GENEROUSLY SEASON WITH SALT AND PEPPER. BRING THE POT TO A BOIL ON TOP OF THE STOVE, COVER IT TIGHTLY WITH A PIECE OF ALUMINUM FOIL, THEN PUT THE LID ON THE POT AND PLACE IT IN A 300 DEGREE OVEN, ALLOWING
1/2 HOUR FOR EACH POUND OF RABBIT.
EVERY FIVE MINUTES DURING THE FIRST 20 MINUTES TURN THE RABBIT PIECES. DURING THE LAST HALF HOUR OF THE S.MMERINO ADD THE NEW POTATOES, SPOONING THE POT GRAVY OVER THEM. TWO SECRETS ARE HERE: ONE IS THE SLOW COOKING THAT IMPARTS TO THE RABBIT THE FLAVOR OF THE VEGETABLES, AND THE SECOND IS A COMPLETELY TIGHT POT LID. MY FRENCH
FRIENDS USED A PASTE OF FLOUR AROUND THE LID OF THE POT TO SEAL
IT DURING THE FINAL COOKING.
WITH THIS RABBIT - A FAVORITE IN COUNTRY MARKETPLACES OF FRANCE-
IT IS NECESSARY THAT YOU DRINK THE RED WINE LEFT OVER FROM THE COOKING, AND ADD TO IT AT LEAST ONE OTHER BOTTLE. OH YES, THAT TRICK OF EATING THE ONIONS TO STAY SOBER - IT SEEMS TO WORK FOR FRENCHMEN.



this one is also very good....

Rabbit in Mustard Sauce
Ingredients
· 1 rabbit, cut into serving pieces
· Salt
· 4 tablespoons butter
· 2 large shallots, chopped
· 1/2 cup white wine
· 1/2 cup water
· 1/2 cup grainy country mustard, like Dijon
· 1 teaspoon dried thyme
· 1/2 cup heavy cream
· 4 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
Method
1 Salt your rabbit pieces well and set aside at room temperature for 30 minutes to an hour.
2 Heat the butter over medium heat in a large sauté pan with a lid. Pat the rabbit pieces dry and brown them in the butter. Do this at a moderate pace – you don’t want the butter to scorch – and don’t let the rabbit pieces touch each other. Do it in batches if you need to.
Once the rabbit is browned, remove it to a bowl. Add the shallot and brown it well. This will take 3-4 minutes.
3 Pour in the white wine and turn the heat to high. Scrape off any browned bits on the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Add the mustard and water and bring to a rolling boil. Taste the sauce for salt and add some if needed.
4 Add the rabbit pieces, coat them with the sauce, then drop the heat to low. Cover and simmer gently for 45 minutes. You want the meat to be nearly falling off the bone. It might need more time, but should not need more than an hour total. Wild rabbits sometimes need more time.
5 When the meat is ready, gently remove it to a platter. Turn the heat to high and boil the sauce down by half. Turn off the heat and add the cream and parsley. Stir to combine and return the rabbit to the pan. Coat with the sauce and serve at once.
Serve this dish with crusty bread and a big white wine, such as a white Bordeaux, white Cotes du Rhone blend or a buttery California Chardonnay. If you prefer beer, try pairing this with an unfiltered wheat beer.

I could have sworn someone on here did some rabbit sausage :noidea: Erain maybe????
That's what so cool about sausage making. Your not really limited to anything as far as what you make it out of. But rabbit being as lean as it is would surely benefit from a good ratio of pork in the mix or some trimmings. Or heaven forbid, pieces of bacon :drooling::drooling::drooling:

http://i634.photobucket.com/albums/uu65/montec125/homerpic.jpg

Thanks all for the responses.

Many thanks PBSmokin! Looks I'm going to have to get a nice, big Le Creuset pot!

One of my females kitted this morning. Nine bunnies, six have survived 'til now. I'll definitely need to research some recipes. :bounce:

One of my females kitted this morning. Nine bunnies, six have survived 'til now. I'll definitely need to research some recipes. :bounce:

If you get the chance I'd love to see some pics of the bunnies. :banana_smiley:

I've never tried rabbit. Those I know who have really seem to like it. Looking forward to seeing the creative recipes!

Thanks all for the responses.

Many thanks PBSmokin! Looks I'm going to have to get a nice, big Le Creuset pot!

Cast Iron not coated! Trust me.

Mother bunny isn't taking to being a mama. She's not taking care of the babies. So far I've lost 5 out of the 9 she had this morning. These things happen.... Fingers crossed the remaining four make it.

http://www.smoked-meat.com/forum/showthread.php?p=154463#post154463

best damn "chicken" I ever had...

nice to have fresh rabbit available like that.

As others have said rabbit can be substituted for chicken in gumbo's, stews, etc.

I had a killer rabbit and dumplings @ Cochon in NOLA in January, rich, hearty, rustic...

http://i754.photobucket.com/albums/xx181/jimswside2/nola/nola043.jpg

Mother bunny isn't taking to being a mama. She's not taking care of the babies. So far I've lost 5 out of the 9 she had this morning. These things happen.... Fingers crossed the remaining four make it.

Many years ago, I raised rabbits until I ran out of money.:lol: I had a couple of the does that wouldn't take care of their young. They were next in line for the stew pot. I didn't waste that much time with the breeding and waiting, just to watch them die off. Hope you have better luck with this one.:noidea:

Mother bunny isn't taking to being a mama. She's not taking care of the babies. So far I've lost 5 out of the 9 she had this morning. These things happen.... Fingers crossed the remaining four make it.

Really... weird. Is there anything you can do to intervene? I got nuthin... :noidea:

Really... weird. Is there anything you can do to intervene? I got nuthin... :noidea:

If she doesn't take next time around, she's going in the pot!

If she doesn't take next time around, she's going in the pot!

heh..well of course... I meant for the "kits"? Brabbits? I dunno the babies?

If she doesn't take next time around, she's going in the pot!

I know nothing about raising rabbits, is that a common thing for the mothers to ignore their babies?

I've raised cattle and if a first time mother had a particularly hard labor she would turn on her calf and I would have to bottle feed.

They're born without hair so keeping them warm would be hard. Feeding them with a milk substitute with a nipple feeder is possible but not all that feasible. If mama doesn't take care of them, they're done.

Gotta say ... Rabbit pot pie is the bomb! Better on a cool evening, but any time is great.

If the doe won't care for the kits you'd be better off to let them go this round and wait for her to be ready to breed and try again. And as said if she won't take or won't care for the young ... give her the axe

lol as it happens dave dropped 4 bunnies round yesterday - 3 babies and 1 adult. I'm doing a bbq for 16 today so the 3 babies are going on the smoker and the big one's in the freezer :-)
Whole.
Gave him a bunch of cp's spicy italian sausage in exchange and he says: 'what do I owe you for the sausage'. I figured 4 skinned, gutted rabbits was a pretty good sawp :banana_smiley:

Last time I did it with herb butter and a bacon wrap - I think today I might try something a little different.
Still keeping them whole. When they're this small not much point jointing them up.
I'm also cooking some wild game sausage. With rabbit, pigeon & venison in. (if it ever defrosts so I can stuff the bloody casings)

And I wouldn't worry about the kids carriage, once the head's gone with the big cute eyes and long floppy ears and the skins gone with the soft fur. And they've got no feet...
They just look like something out of a resident evil film - not cute at all :bounce:

Pics later :-)

Now where was that bbq sauce recipe I wanted to try...

My other doe, the better one, had her litter a couple of weeks ago. Had nine, lost one. She and the remaining eight are doing well. Pretty cool to see. It looks like my rabbitry is well under way. :thumb:

I raised rabbits for meat once. Started with one and took her to a buddy's place and had her bread by one of hi males. Then there were 7. Wife and kids named them and started playing with them and there went my rabbit meat!

Then there were 13! And I had a bunny orgy going on in my backyard. :faint:

Took a long time to find homes for all the rabbits. :sweating:

I raised rabbits for meat once. Started with one and took her to a buddy's place and had her bread by one of hi males. Then there were 7. Wife and kids named them and started playing with them and there went my rabbit meat!

Then there were 13! And I had a bunny orgy going on in my backyard. :faint:

Took a long time to find homes for all the rabbits. :sweating:

Hehehe... yeah... it's not as easy as it seems sometimes, eh. Ah well... at least the kids got some responsibility taking care of them...err... maybe? :lol:

lol I couldn't raise my own meat, way too soft.
Fortunately round here rabbits raise themselves and then become pests to the people who's land they are on and my dad and dave go and shoot them :-)
result: freezer regularly stocked with rabbit meat.

Took a long time to find homes for all the rabbits. :sweating:

I'll take half a dozen... :whistle:

Won't be a problem here. Our kids know the deal. We're raising these livestock for the table. They're not pets. When we processed our 67 meat chickens this past Memorial Day weekend, our six year old son did the deed on half of them and ran the plucker the whole day. He wasn't blood thirsty or gleeful about it. I wouldn't allow that. He was respectful, as he should be.

It'll be the same when we dispatch our two American Guinea Hogs. These animals are being raised to feed our family. Simple as that.

Now, I'll admit that the first time I had to dispatch one of our chickens, a favorite roo who'd gotten ill and had to be dispatched, I had to steel myself to do the job. It wasn't easy, but necessary and I did it. Now, after having done the deed numerous times, you have a different perspective. Respectful always, except when I dispatched the mean old roo that kept going after my wife and kids. Now that one......:shooting:

When I was a kid my Dad and Uncle raised rabbits by the hundreds. Home grown rabbit is wonderful! My favorite is just fried rabbit - a bit of oil in the pan, salt, pepper and garlic and cook until tender. My favorite meat!

I have a funny story about a lady that ordered two dressed rabbits for easter. Dad and I butchered them and cleaned them nice and put it in our special boxes with the clear celopane windows and into the fridge until she came. When she got to the house she handed Daddy the money and he sent me back to get the rabbits. When I handed them to the lady, she threw the box in the air and ran down the walk screaming her lungs out! Guess you had to be there but it was really funny to see. Dad and I just looked at each other and laughed. The ad in the paper said LIVE OR DRESSED! What did she think? :faint: