Cold Smoking Rabbit Questions

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zotie

Newbie
Original poster
Jul 14, 2014
20
11
Santa Ynez California
All-

My wife and I have been raising meat rabbits for a little over three years now, so we have access to plenty of nice rabbit meat.  I got into smoking about a year and a half ago and Rabbit was one of the first things I tried, and well every time its just OK usually the meat is pretty dried out nice smoke flavor but dry meat.  My preferred method for cooking Rabbit is either braised in a dutch oven at low temps or  Sous Vide at about 140 for 6+ hours then a quick sear after it comes out.  Its always really juicy and tender. 

I want to try and get some smokiness in there just to mix it up so I was thinking about curing one and then cold smoking over night for about 12hrs with an AMNPS in my lang, and then doing it sous vide on it the next day.

As long as I cure it properly am ok here?

Any thoughts?

Thanks,

RZ-
 
I would try curing with Pop's brine with cure #1. Do like you would poultry but maybe extend the curing time as rabbit is a little denser than chicken. I think I would start out with shorter smoke time for a first run.
 
I do wild rabbit jerky. It extremely easy because there is zero fat. If and when you do rabbits I would wrap 'em in bacon 'cause there just ain't enough fat in them. Like Mule said, its the same with ducks and pheasants.

I have never tryed curing one or brining. They make excellent jerky btw.
 
 
I would try curing with Pop's brine with cure #1. Do like you would poultry but maybe extend the curing time as rabbit is a little denser than chicken. I think I would start out with shorter smoke time for a first run.
Thanks Red Dog how much time would you give it?  I put it in pops brine on Friday night, and was planning on pulling it Tuesday. 

My in laws just threw me a curve though and it looks like they are not coming down for the holidays which means my wife and I are going up, so it actually might have to sit in the cure until the 5th 18 days.... Is that going to be too long?   From the research that I've done extra time isn't a factor but I will probably have to soak it in ice water for two hours to desalinate it a bit.

We are leaving Sunday night which might not be enough time for it to have sat in the cure to freeze it.
 
Yes you will be safe if it is cured. I do think it will be to smoky. I do this with Cornish hens and about 5 hours is to much smoke for a lot of people. I do finish them it a higher temp smoker.

Happy smoken.

David
Thanks for the advice, I'll back it off to 6 hours for the first go.
 
All-


I want to try and get some smokiness in there just to mix it up so I was thinking about curing one and then cold smoking over night for about 12hrs with an AMNPS in my lang, and then doing it sous vide on it the next day.

As long as I cure it properly am ok here?

Any thoughts?

Thanks,

RZ-


RZ, evening.... Pops cure/brine for 15 days is fine.... Instead of sous vide, which would be good, wrap it in bacon like Kevin suggested and smoke it at 150 ish for 24 hours... should come out moist and tender.... just like sous vide... the rabbit will probably only get to 140, which is fine... check your sous vide tables for pasteurization time/temp just to be sure...


Temperature Time Time Time Time Time Time
°F (°C) 1% fat 3% fat 5% fat 7% fat 9% fat 12% fat
136 (57.8) 64 min 65.7 min 68.4 min 71.4 min 74.8 min 81.4 min
137 (58.3) 51.9 min 52.4 min 54.3 min 56.8 min 59.7 min 65.5 min
138 (58.9) 42.2 min 42.7 min 43.4 min 45.3 min 47.7 min 52.9 min
139 (59.4) 34.4 min 34.9 min 35.4 min 36.2 min 38.3 min 43 min
140 (60.0) 28.1 min 28.5 min 29 min 29.7 min 30.8 min 35 min
141 (60.6) 23 min 23.3 min 23.8 min 24.4 min 25.5 min 28.7 min
142 (61.1) 18.9 min 19.1 min 19.5 min 20.1 min 21.1 min 23.7 min
143 (61.7) 15.5 min 15.7 min 16.1 min 16.6 min 17.4 min 19.8 min
144 (62.2) 12.8 min 12.9 min 13.2 min 13.7 min 14.4 min 16.6 min
145 (62.8) 10.5 min 10.6 min 10.8 min 11.3 min 11.9 min 13.8 min
146 (63.3) 8.7 min 8.7 min 8.9 min 9.2 min 9.8 min 11.5 min
148 (64.4) 5.8 min 5.8 min 5.9 min 6.1 min 6.5 min 7.7 min
150 (65.6) 3.8 min 3.7 min 3.7 min 3.9 min 4.1 min 4.9 min
152 (66.7) 2.3 min 2.3 min 2.3 min 2.3 min 2.4 min 2.8 min
154 (67.8) 1.5 min 1.5 min 1.5 min 1.5 min 1.5 min 1.6 min
156 (68.9) 59 sec 59.5 sec 1 min 1 min 1 min 1 min
158 (70.0) 38.8 sec 39.2 sec 39.6 sec 40 sec 40.3 sec 40.9 sec
160 (71.1) 25.6 sec 25.8 sec 26.1 sec 26.3 sec 26.6 sec 26.9 sec
162 (72.2) 16.9 sec 17 sec 17.2 sec 17.3 sec 17.5 sec 17.7 sec
164 (73.3) 11.1 sec 11.2 sec 11.3 sec 11.4 sec 11.5 sec 11.7 sec
166 (74.4) 0 sec 0 sec 0 sec 0 sec 0 sec 0 sec
Table C.2: Pasteurization times for a 7D reduction in Salmonella for chicken and turkey (FSIS, 2005).
 
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