Hello All,
This is my first post on this site. I have been hanging around and reading since I got my OBS for Xmas. I have only smoked a few things since then because all I had was a 60pc variety pack of pucks and I blew threw it quickly. I just got my $150 worth of pucks from Amazon in the mail on Friday and I am getting ready to smoke a couple rabbits I got at a local meat locker.
I had some trouble finding any posts about smoking rabbit. I've found varying info on internal temp's (160-180) and also varying info on weather to drape with damp cheesecloth or bacon. Also, varying info on rubs & oils. So, here is what I decided I would do.
I thawed the rabbit in the fridge, brought out and washed & dried. Then I put a light coating of olive oil inside and out. Next I sprinkled with a rub I found on a Weber bullet forum(see rub below). Then I decided to drape the entire rabbit with bacon miscuts from my local grocery store. I figure why use cheesecloth if you can use bacon! I just put in the OBS about an hour ago and plan on smoking for 3.5 hours @ 210-225 with apple and maple.
I would love to hear some feedback, especially if I am doing something completely asinine!
Rub:
1 Tb ls brown sugar (I used cane sugar & brown)
1 1/2 Tb ls freshly ground white pepper
1 1/2 Tb ls dried thyme
1 1/2 Tb ls celery seed (I used celery salt instead an not nearly as much maybe 1/2tsp)
1 tsp dried marjoram
(http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c327/kirkvanatti/100_0658.jpg)
(http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c327/kirkvanatti/100_0665.jpg)
(http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c327/kirkvanatti/100_0674.jpg)
W E L C O M E to the Forum Royale!
Sounds like a great start to me!
Go forth and Smokify! ::) ::)
Hi Royale and welcome to the forum.
I couldn't agree more with your line of thinking though.... "I figure why use cheesecloth if you can use bacon!" ;)
I've never smoked rabbit before so not much help here. Certainly based on my experience I think your on the right track. ;)
Your project looks great and I'm lookin' forward to the finished pictures! 8)
Mike
These turned out pretty good. I will either use the meat for a stew tomorrow or throw some sauce on it and eat as is. If I do these again I would probably use Cherry instead of the apple and not smoke the entire 3.5 hours. Also, I checked out the USDA website for minimum internal temp of rabbit and it is 160F.
(http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c327/kirkvanatti/100_0688.jpg)
(http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c327/kirkvanatti/100_0692.jpg)
Royale, those look very tasty!! 8)
That does not look like a "wascally wabbit", it looks Gooooood!
Welcome to the forum Royale. Rabbit is good meat and it looks like you treated it just right! I'm pretty sure it wouldn't last overnight around here.
That looks tasty and thanks for the post.
I am supposed to go rabbit hunting in 2 weks here and would love to try your recipe!
That looks great. One way my dad always made wild rabbit was to cook it in a pressure cooker then using bacon grease brown it in a frying pan. Man I could of eaten that all night.
Welcome to the Forum, Royale!
It looks great! It sounds like everything you did was great, and not at all asinine!
Seemore
That rabbit looks great. Been a long time since I've gone rabbit hunting. I'd take the meat, roll it in some seasoned flour and melt some butter in a cast iron pan and fry it up just a little. Add a little raspberry chipotle sauce and dang, you'd have a great meal.
You used Bacon!! How could anything be wrong if you use Bacon? So did the rabbit make it through the night?
Welcome to the forum Royale!
That rabbit looks wonderful!
We like wrapping leaner game like doves and grouse in bacon too.
What was supposed to be the asinine part? ;)
Carolyn
Question: Does it make sense to part rabbit, as one might do with chicken or duck, to allow the different cuts to "cook" longer depending upon their respective fat content? I certainly have smoke whole chickens, duck, turkey - but find if I part them, I get a better result for the breast on turkey and chicken - and for the dark meat quarters as well - by varying the duration of time on smoke and temp. White meat a bit less than dark meat.
Any thoughts on this from more experienced folks?