There are lots of
recipes available for preparing rabbit dishes. Basically, any recipe you
use with chicken can be used for rabbit with a few minor modifications. Because of the lower fat levels, rabbit meat is dryer than chicken so less
cooking time and a lower cooking temperature are both necessary to
consider when preparing.
I have fixed many
rabbit dishes over the years but the one that my family prefers the most
is a sweet-and-sour dish. It requires a little more prep time than, say,
an easier crock-pot-type meal but the taste is definitely worth the extra
effort that it requires.
If you would like to
try the sweet and sour rabbit dish you will first need 2 ½ - 3 lbs of
rabbit.
½ tsp. Each of salt &
pepper
½ cup vegetable oil
2 Tbsp brown sugar
1 ¼ Tbsp cider
vinegar
4 Tbsp horseradish
½ tsp dry mustard
Green pepper cut into
strips
1 20 oz can chunked
pineapple
1 11oz can mandarin
oranges
Brown the rabbit in
the oil for about 10-12 minutes on each side. Place the browned rabbit in
a baking dish. Drain the pineapple but keep the liquid, drain the oranges
also. Cover the rabbit with 1/3 of the pineapples and 1/3 of the oranges,
then place the green pepper strips over the fruit.
Add brown sugar and
vinegar to the reserved pineapple liquid. Pour the juice over the rabbit,
cover and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Puree the remaining
pineapple chunks and mandarin orange slices; add horseradish and mustard,
mixing well. Pour this over the rabbit, and continue baking for an
additional 30 minutes. This is an excellent dish with rice and serves 4-6
people.
Another recipe option
that my family enjoys is barbeque rabbit fixed in the crock-pot. This is
an easy favorite as it does not require a lot of effort for me. I simply
put the whole rabbit in the crock-pot set on low for the day. By evening
the meat should be separated from the bones and you can remove them. Pour your favorite barbeque sauce over the remaining rabbit and leave it
for another hour or two. Spoon out plates with some baked beans and you
have another hearty meal.
You now have all the
basics to start raising rabbits for your family table. Rabbits are easy to
raise and can be a rewarding project for the homesteader wanting to grow
their food. It takes little space and time as well as being one the most
inexpensive types of livestock to raise for food production. Rabbit is a
true bargain in today’s economy and food market for those wanting to grow
and produce healthy meals.
