# Tough Rabbit Meat



## chizzel

Mods if this needs to be moved to cooking area please do so, there just doesn't seem to be a lot of traffic there an I was hoping for maximum exposure. 

I love to rabbit hunt and I love to cook. Over the past few years I think I've honed my cooking craft to become a pretty decent wild game cook but I have a heck of a time making a rabbit edible to where I would be comfortable serving it for guest. 

I've tried many recipes and they only way I have success is making rabbit soup similar to how you would make fresh chicken noodle soup. Everything else the meat is just too tough and chewy. Most recipes have involved long periods of braising but I just still can't seem to make the meat give. I have no clue how anyone can even have success doing a simple fried rabbit recipe. I tried with a young cottontail I shot with my bow in early fall and even that was like leather. 

My last attempt was a cacciatore recipe with a rabbit and squirrel hind quarters. This was braised/simmered for about 2 hours. The squirrel was great, moist and tender. The rabbit however was like chewing raw hide. 

So whats the secret to cooking moist and tender wild rabbit? Any tips or pointers guys and gals?


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## Shoeman

I usually boil mine in beef bullion for about 20 minutes 

With hare i don't. For some reason those pine eaters are tender....lol


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## protectionisamust

I have always liked rabbit in a crock pot with some chicken broth
and a few veggies.

after a few hours of slow cooking, it falls off the bone.

Any leftover meat has a date with a homemade pot pie


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## Rysalka

My Moms recipe was
Coat rabbit with seasoned flour.
Brown in frying pan
Set aside rabbit
Add water or chicken stock to pan to loosen rabbit browning
Take frying pan liquid to stock pot add rabbit add water ot stock to cover rabbit.
Simmer about an hour, 
You can add oinions, tatters, carrots if you want at any time.

Serve over tatter, rice or noodles.

Hers always tuns out tender........mine most of the time.....
Old rabbits take longer to tenderize than young ones......problem how to tell an old one from a young one.


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## chizzel

Shoeman said:


> I usually boil mine in beef bullion for about 20 minutes
> 
> With hare i don't. For some reason those pine eaters are tender....lol


Does the meat every turn out rubbery? I've noticed when chicken is par boiled it can get that way.


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## fishdip

Brown rabbit coated in flour pressure cook with onions and crm of chicken soup for 1/2 hr,it will be tender


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## chizzel

Ya I need to invest in one of those pressure cookers. I've seen a few recipes call for using one.


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## Jumpshootin'

A pressure-cooker is the key to tender rabbit and squirrel.


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## Waif

Rysalka said:


> My Moms recipe was
> Coat rabbit with seasoned flour.
> Brown in frying pan
> Set aside rabbit
> Add water or chicken stock to pan to loosen rabbit browning
> Take frying pan liquid to stock pot add rabbit add water ot stock to cover rabbit.
> Simmer about an hour,
> You can add oinions, tatters, carrots if you want at any time.
> 
> Serve over tatter, rice or noodles.
> 
> Hers always tuns out tender........mine most of the time.....
> Old rabbits take longer to tenderize than young ones......problem how to tell an old one from a young one.


Ummmm. I can almost smell it.

When you get ahold of a dressed rabbit check the flexibility of it's ribs. 
Like squirrels the young of the year are quit flexible and hint of more cartilage at ends.
No fat on/in rabbits will leave them dry using methods for other meat that does contain fat.


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## ESOX

Rysalka said:


> My Moms recipe was
> Coat rabbit with seasoned flour.
> Brown in frying pan
> Set aside rabbit
> Add water or chicken stock to pan to loosen rabbit browning
> Take frying pan liquid to stock pot add rabbit add water ot stock to cover rabbit.
> Simmer about an hour,
> You can add oinions, tatters, carrots if you want at any time.


Like this only add parsnips and onions. Parsnips and rabbit and/ or squirrel were made for each other.
And garlic. Always garlic. 
MMM Garlic.......:lol:


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## Ranger Ray

Crock pot or pressure cooker.


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## Thirty pointer

Brown rabbit in deep frying pan add chicken stock simmer for half hour then add can cream of chicken soup can of cream of celery soup package of lipton onion soup mix and package of sliced mushrooms .Simmer until meat starts to come off bone use gravy for mashed potatoes .Delicious.


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## Rysalka

Sounds so good I'm going rabbit hunting tomorrow, heck with the cold and snow......


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## chizzel

Thirty pointer said:


> Brown rabbit in deep frying pan add chicken stock simmer for half hour then add can cream of chicken soup can of cream of celery soup package of lipton onion soup mix and package of sliced mushrooms .Simmer until meat starts to come off bone use gravy for mashed potatoes .Delicious.


You ever happen to keep track of your average meat fall of the bone time? Most of the time I'm around 2-3 hours and it still isn't fall of the bone tender (non crockpot). Maybe most of the rabbits I get are just extra old lol. The last one had more fat on it then I'd ever seen on a rabbit. Think I'm going go with the crockpot next attempt and some cream of something soup.


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## TallPaul

Debone it, chunk it in cubes, buy Sun-Bird chicken lettuce wrap seasoning mix. Follow instructions. Excellent


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## boomer_x7

Anyone ever try cooking it in a cooler? I know it works wonders on venison!


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## piscatorial warrior

Dredge pieces in flour. Fry with 1/2 cup sliced onions in a little oil till browned. Add 3/4 cup beef broth. simmer with lid tilted for 45 min. Stir in 1/2 cup sour cream. Serve over pasta. :corkysm55 We don't bother gutting our Rabbits. We fillet 'em. Front legs. Hind legs. Backstraps.1 Rabbit Fits in a quart ziplock bag with a little water. They last for a long time and stack flat in the freezer.


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## john warren

chizzel said:


> Ya I need to invest in one of those pressure cookers. I've seen a few recipes call for using one.


 what he said,,,preasure cooking can make a goodyear tire tender.


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## Shoeman

chizzel said:


> Does the meat every turn out rubbery? I've noticed when chicken is par boiled it can get that way.


I have run into that, but after boiling it's pretty easy to remove the rubbery silver skin from the back. I do my squirrel the same way.


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## Thirty pointer

boomer_x7 said:


> Anyone ever try cooking it in a cooler? I know it works wonders on venison!


Been going to try that with beef I will save some v. roast next year and try that also.


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