Of all the recipes
that I use rabbit in, this simple grilled rabbit one is my favorite.
Grilled rabbit that has been brined is not only succulent, but the
flavor profile is out of this world. The greatness of this recipe is
it's simplicity and minimal amount of ingredients that allow the
flavor of the rabbit to shine. The one caveat is that you need to
brine the rabbit the day before you want to grill it to ensure that
the meat has timer to absorb the flavors of the brine.
Now this recipe,
although simple, contains two flavor components, the first is the
brine, and the second is the marinade and basting liquid. The
majority of the flavor inside of the meat comes from the brine, as
any spices that are placed in the brine are pulled into the meat
overnight. The marinade, is primarily used to give an additional
flavor boost (flavor to the outside of the meat), and is not really
used as a tenderizing agent as marinades often are.
The Brine
This brine is a
slight variation of my all-purpose brine used in my blog article:
Brining: Adds Flavor and Juiciness to Chicken, Turkey, and Rabbit. I
highly recommend that you brine your rabbit before grilling, the
flavor and juiciness of a rabbit that has been brined and grilled is
phenomenal compared to one that has not been brined. I promise you,
if you just try brining your rabbit once, before you grill it, you
will never grill it without brining again.
Grilled Rabbit Brine
8 cups (2 quarts)
water
½ cup kosher salt
½ cup granulated
sugar
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
8 whole allspice
berries
2 bay leaves dried
2 bay leaves dried
1-inch piece of
cinnamon
In a large stock pot
add all the ingredient except the cold water and bring to a boil,
stirring until the salt and sugar are dissolved. Remove the stockpot
from the heat and allow to cool. After cooled down completely, place
in the fridge overnight for use the next day. I try and always make a
brine the day before we are going to butcher. If you like you rabbit
with a kick, then add two whole jalapeƱos chopped with seeds to the
brine.
Chef's Note: I
personally like the taste of this brine, my wife thinks it could use
just a little less salt. I urge you to try it just as it is in the
recipe, but if you discover that it does taste to salty for you, then
decease the salt to 1/3 cup, or simply add an additional quart of
water to the stockpot.
Once the brine has
been refrigerated, add your rabbit and allow it to brine for 8 to 16
hours. I usually place the rabbit in the brine and allow it to soak
overnight or until I am ready to cook it the next day. About an hour
before you are ready to begin cooking, drain the brine from the
stockpot and add the marinade.
Grilled Rabbit
Marinade
¼ cup olive oil
4 tablespoons lemon
juice
1 tablespoon honey
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black
pepper
½ teaspoon dried
parsley
¼ teaspoon rubbed
thyme
Combine all the
ingredients into a small bowl and whisk together and set aside until
you are ready to add it to your rabbit. About an hour before you are
ready to begin grilling, drain the brine from the stockpot and add
the marinade, then prepare your grill to cook the meat.
Using A Charcoal
Grill – If using a a charcoal grill heat until coals turn ash white
then place meat on the grill and cook for 10 to 15 minutes per side
for a total of 35 to 45 minutes or until the juices run clear. The
disadvantage to a charcoal grill is that it is more difficult to cook
your rabbit using indirect heat. Having the meat directly over the
coals increases the risk of flair ups from any oil or fat from the
meat and the marinade.
Using A Gas Grill –
When using a gas grill, heat with both burners on high for 5 minutes,
then turn one burner off and place the meat on the side of the grill
in which the burner is off and cook for 15 minutes. Then turn on both
burners and turn the meat and place it on the other side of the grill
and turn the burner under the meat off and cook for another 15
minutes. Repeat as necessary until the meat has cooked for 45 minutes
or until the juices run clear.
When you grill is
ready, remove the rabbit from the marinade and place on a platter or
baking sheet. Pour the marinade into a small saucepan and bring to a
boil and cook for 1 to 2 minutes to kill off any unwanted bacteria
from the raw meat. Once the marinade has cooked for the allotted
time, remove from the heat and set aside. You will use the marinade
to baste the rabbit with each time you turn it during the grilling
process.
Conclusion
As I mentioned in an
earlier blog post, brining adds not only flavor but moisture to
rabbit. This is important as rabbit is extremely lean and can quickly
dry out when grilled. Using a brine like the one in this article is
the most reliable way to keep your rabbit from quickly becoming a
meal that is tough and chewy and something that no one wants to eat.
If you have friends and family that are skeptical about eating
rabbit, this is one of the best recipes to use to introduce them to
the joys of eating rabbit.
If you are wanting
to learn about cooking rabbit, be sure and check out some of my other
articles on the subject on our blog. And as always, if you have
enjoyed this article, please share it with your friends and don't
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you will not miss out on any of our new articles.
References From Our Other Blog: Culinary You:
Brining: Adds Flavor
and Juiciness to Chicken, Turkey, and Rabbit.
Would you clarify the brine directions? It seems to be saying to bring everything, except the water, to a boil? That doesn't sound right?
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to trying it out with rabbit and muscovy duck!