Rabbit

[Royale]

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

[FLBentRider]

W E L C O M E  to the Forum Royale!

Sounds like a great start to me!

Go forth and Smokify!   ::) ::)

[Mr Walleye]

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

[Royale]

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.

[cowgirl]

Royale, those look very tasty!!  8)

[FLBentRider]

That does not look like a "wascally wabbit", it looks Gooooood!

[stillsmoking]

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.

[Buck36]

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!

[pensrock]

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.

[seemore]

Welcome to the Forum, Royale!
It looks great!  It sounds like everything you did was great, and not at all asinine!
Seemore

[Smoking Duck]

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.

[Tenpoint5]

You used Bacon!! How could anything be wrong if you use Bacon? So did the rabbit make it through the night?

[Caribou]

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

[CB]

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?