back in the bunny buisness

[big game cook]

some of ya all might remember threads from me long ago with some domestic rabbit. smoked, grilled, uds'd, lol. well i also went through an almost BIG D but i straightened up my act grew up a bit ect... so i got rid of the stock i had as i lost the drive. put it toward kepping the family happy.

 anyway. im back in buisness. met with a breeder tues last week. got some purebreed pedigreed californinans. the trio with the dark smut are a 2 buck and doe trio and the others are a 1 buck and 2 doe trio. there not ready for breeding yet but wont be long.

working in the 95 degree heat today building a new hutch system. used to have single wire old bird cages wooden with chicken wire ect. this time going with the good welded wire. this one will house 4 does and young comfortably. 80"w x 16" tall by 30" d. divided into 20"x30" hutches. ran out of j clips so i got 2 done. the rest is cut and ready for assembly tomorrow after i get more clips (they attach wires togather)

im sweating my rear off in the sun while the bunnies are set up all togather in a hutch in my AC'd shop lol. till there a few weeks older anyway.

 

[chef jimmyj]

They are so cute...But...These are Smoker Fodder!...JJ

 

[diggingdogfarm]

Yummy!!!

I raise rabbits too.


~Martin

 

[daveomak]

Big Game Cook, morning....  I raised rabbits too, years ago.....  Nice cages.. Good design....  there was nothing better than fried and braised rabbit with chicken gravy and spuds....  Never smoked them though...  Dave  

 

[lght]

Interesting thread.  I never knew anyone who raised rabbits for food, but I love eating rabbit stew.  Can't wait to see pics of the smoke!

 

[smokinhusker]

Nice!

 

[roller]

I raise them also. I have 4 Does and a Buck. New Zealand. To Hot here now for breeding..I will breed them again in the Fall.

 

[scarbelly]

I love rabbit. Hard to find in the local grocers here

 

[biteme7951]

We got out of rabbits last fall after all the kids left and the work got to be too much for the wife and I.  We had 130 cages of Minirex's (show and pet breed). Being a 4 lb breed they were nice eaters, so whatever didn't make it on the show table ended up on the dinner table! We boned and ground alot of it and used it the same as ground turkey, but also smoked alot of it too.

Barry.

 

[thoseguys26]

there was nothing better than fried and braised rabbit with chicken gravy and spuds....  Never smoked them though...  Dave

Dave, I'd love to hear a bit about your fried braised rabbit recipe.

Does anyone else want to share some rabbit recipes?

I know a few places in the mountains that are full of cottontails and I plan on harvesting some this winter. I've heard to wait till mid winter so the diseased ones die off and the healthy ones are still alive. Any truth to that?

big Game cook, I can't wait to hear some smoked rabbit recipes and Q view!

 

[roller]

Gary I would think you could fine them every where in Ca. 

 

[biteme7951]

I know a few places in the mountains that are full of cottontails and I plan on harvesting some this winter. I've heard to wait till mid winter so the diseased ones die off and the healthy ones are still alive. Any truth to that?

It is best to hunt them in the winter because they are less likely to be full of fleas, mites, ticks, and any other mc'nasties that inhabit your neighborhood.

Barry.

 

[texasfiddlefan]

They sell rabbits at. Local market here in Amarillo but they are from China. I'm not sure I want to try them.

 

[daveomak]

there was nothing better than fried and braised rabbit with chicken gravy and spuds....  Never smoked them though...  Dave

Dave, I'd love to hear a bit about your fried braised rabbit recipe.

Does anyone else want to share some rabbit recipes?

I know a few places in the mountains that are full of cottontails and I plan on harvesting some this winter. I've heard to wait till mid winter so the diseased ones die off and the healthy ones are still alive. Any truth to that?

big Game cook, I can't wait to hear some smoked rabbit recipes and Q view

Thoserguys, evening....  No problem......  First of all, butchering time came when I  would fill the feeder with alfalfa pellets and it was gone in 24 hours.... seems like it would last 2-3 days then less than 24 hours and GONE.... I knew the cost per lb was going to be too high so butcher time.... into a bucket of salt water and into the freezer.....  

Fried and braised rabbit....   I cut them into six pieces... front and rear quarters and cut the back in half....  Mix up Krusteaz Buttermilk pancake mix adding salt, pepper, garlic and onion powder.... dredge the rabbit in the mix.... 

Prep a 12-14" lidded frying pan with bacon fat and on a medium heat add the rabbit and brown on all sides.... Don't burn the pancake mix.....  Add sliced onions and crushed garlic and pour in about 1/2 beer.. ( I preferred a light American to not add too heavy a flavor)....   Simmer covered for about 45 min at 180... (guess at the temp)...  Remove the rabbit and place in the lid.... reduce the liquid to remove the water...  Add the remaining Krusteaz (3-4 tbls) and make a roux...   adding whole milk and maybe some heavy cream to form the gravy.....  Be careful with the roux.... the Krusteaz will try to make the worlds largest pancake you have seen.... It is important to continually stir and add milk to stop the pancake formation.... once the bubbling subsides, stir and cook the mix tasting and adding CBP and maybe more salt to flavor....If dinner is a ways away, put the rabbit back in the gravy and cover and add more liquid and place in an oven at 170 or on a trivet on low....  this gravy will thicken almost forever so extra liquid is not a big deal....  

This recipe came from my long time fishing and hunting buddy who was a Guide in the "Wind River Drainage" in Idaho....   He taught me to cook when I was between wives....  "Rest in peace Joe, you are missed".....  He also taught me to fry salmon and make salmon gravy...

All of these skills were employed and appreciate when I cooked on the salmon seiner in Alaska.....  

Enjoy the recipe....  It ain't worthy of Gourmet Magazine but it's a rib sticker and good..... 

Dave

 

[thoseguys26]

Thank you for sharing that. At first, I raised an eyebrow with the pancake mix & rabbit but after the whole process, gravy and all...I will try it and let you know how it went. It probably won't be until this winter but I will definitely be trying it.

I think that was a wise decision when your food, is eating too much food!

 

[big game cook]

WOW this really got some folks talking.

got it done today. now to hang it in the shed seen with the window open. thats the bunny barn and the goats sleeping quarters.

what the hck is that rabbit JJ? ive heard of flemish giants but that looks bigger yet.

heres some of my old pics from threads here.

 

[moikel]

Dave, I'd love to hear a bit about your fried braised rabbit recipe.

Does anyone else want to share some rabbit recipes?

I know a few places in the mountains that are full of cottontails and I plan on harvesting some this winter. I've heard to wait till mid winter so the diseased ones die off and the healthy ones are still alive. Any truth to that?

big Game cook, I can't wait to hear some smoked rabbit recipes and Q view!

I have a few recipes for rabbit,European ,mostly.Domestic a better plate than wild here & we have millions of them wild. French is with prunes & brandy.Spanish with chorizo,smoked paprika,bell peppers,Greek is a stifado with little onions.All braised let me know what you want. MICK