Rabbit

Ellyn

Ellyn

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Joined
27 Apr 2014
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Between a frying pan and a fire
I used to keep a rabbit, a duck, and a chicken... all as pets, and not at the same time. At least two were given as well-meaning gifts and meant for meat, but I'd named it and used to be very intensely sensitive to suffering and death.

Now that I'm a lot more accepting of the circle of life, and I'm curious about rabbit meat but seem to be about 60 years too late to find this at the grocery, so I'd have to raise (and kill and butcher...eep!) meat rabbits myself.

Although that might be far too much trouble to sate a culinary curiosity or craving, I've been reading up in case I live somewhere with a lawn and a backyard some day.

Like lambs, it seems that younger rabbits (3 months old) are more in demand for meat, being fryer-sized, those older than 6 months considered roasters. This appears to be more of a size category (also applies to poultry) than literally bigger/older rabbit meat can't or shouldn't be fried but can only be roasted, unless I'm mistaken? It seems that really old rabbits are considered stew rabbits.

I've heard that it tastes like chicken...but better, somehow.

So, those who are more experienced with rabbit meat: Any recipes, or popular condiments?
 
I've never eaten it, but I do know from having only ever lived in the countryside that they are a pain and a very destructive pest.

You mention you don't have a lawn or backyard. Have you looked at the option of a house rabbit? You can train them to use a cat litter tray etc. I know of a few people who have and I know my brother-in-law still eats rabbit & pheasant plus pigeon etc and buys them from his local butchers. He has to order them in advance and the rabbit and pigeon at least are always frozen. Pheasant seems to be more easily available fresh (during the shooting season).
 
Alas, I wouldn't want to keep a house rabbit, not only for the rabbit's sake, but because the room I live in doesn't have a lot of ventilation if I want to butcher it myself. I don't live in the sort of town where I can see the same butcher every week and make conversation. Sport/meat hunting isn't popular where I live, either.

The proprietor of my boarding house does keep pigeons, though, and I actually have no idea why. We don't get pigeon meat, or eggs, or carrier pigeon messages instead of e-mail, and they aren't exactly songbirds. The proprietor's never around when I remember to ask.

I would have thought that rabbit meat was a good solution to the pest-level population problem, but then I remembered that the thing about wild food is that you never know what they've been eating... If someone's poisoning rabbits to keep the population down, and somebody else is eating the same rabbits to keep the population down, it could end unfortunately for the cook.
 
I have never had it but it is my understanding that it is a very lean meat with a low protein content. I have no idea on how to cook it or what it tastes like. On the whole I would say that I am probably going to be eating it in the near future.
 
Back when I was very young I had rabbit meat. I do not remember how it tasted. At the time I was only around four. I can remember my aunt making a big deal out of it because she refused to eat it. I have wanted to raise our own rabbits as well and butcher them for meat. I have looked into this process and I am still trying to convince my hubby that it would be a worthy venture.

Here are some links to online recipes.

http://www.mybunnyfarm.com/Rabbitrecipes/
http://www.food.com/recipes/rabbit
http://www.cooks.com/rec/search/0,1-0,rabbit_meat,FF.html
http://allrecipes.com/recipes/meat-and-poultry/game-meats/rabbit/
 
Some butchers do sell rabbits at certain times of the year. I also have a local fishmonger who sells some game- pigeons, rabbits, pheasants, etc. My children loved rabbit stew until I told them it was rabbit. Now I just call it stew and don't tell them. I slow cook the rabbit first and then remove the bones. I find it easier to remove the bones once cooked because the bones in rabbits are fairly small and brittle. I then return the rabbit to the slow cooker to cook in its own juices with carrots, celery and swede. Sometimes I add a dash of red wine too. Experiment with herbs and flavorings to see what you like. I tend to just add black pepper and sometimes a touch of oregano. You can leave the bones in, but I have four children and they find it a bit fiddly to eat.
 
I'm a professional chef and we serve about 10 portions of rabbit a week ,people either love it or loath it,in a past life I had to give demonstrations for survival courses of dispatching and preparing live rabbits even fully grown men trembled at the sight,the Royal Marines used to keep a rabbit and then have to kill it and eat it as a survival exercise,like many foods it down to social conditioning if you are bought up yo rear,dispatch and eat animals it's a normal occurrence
 
Berties said:
I'm a professional chef and we serve about 10 portions of rabbit a week ,people either love it or loath it,in a past life I had to give demonstrations for survival courses of dispatching and preparing live rabbits even fully grown men trembled at the sight,the Royal Marines used to keep a rabbit and then have to kill it and eat it as a survival exercise,like many foods it down to social conditioning if you are bought up yo rear,dispatch and eat animals it's a normal occurrence
Click to expand...

I have found many links on how to dispatch rabbits and I have a few books but when it comes right down to the actual killing and skinning/cleaning of the animal I am unsure if I could manage to eat it after having my hands in the processing part. I am struggling with this very question at the moment. It is great that you know how to accomplish this feat. Even though I was raised that we owned animals for food I never got to witness first hand the killing and processing.
 
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