Rabbit preparation, cooking & tips

There are three main tips for alternating chicken recipes for rabbit:

1. Cook approx 25 degrees lower.

2. Cook in a crockpot or cover the rabbit in some sort of fat (such as bacon) to keep it from drying out.

3. Baste often, if applicable.

To Reduce the squeamish factor (or the "eek, it looks like a rabbit! I can't eat that...")

• Remove the meat from the bones and shred it.  Then use the shredded meat in your recipe.

If you raise your own meat rabbits, it may be hard to eat the first few dinners after you have bred, raised, killed and processed your rabbits.  One of the easiest things I can suggest are: don't name your rabbits, and cook your rabbit shredded or in parts so you don't have a whole roasted rabbit sitting there that makes you constantly remember which rabbit it was.

Storage

Rabbit can be frozen below 0F indefinitely.  For quality meats, however, whole rabbit should be eaten within one year and pieces within 9 months of continual freezing below 0 F. 

Thawing

Never thaw at room temperature.  My favorite way to thaw is to simply move frozen rabbit into my fridge a day or two before I plan to use it.  Slow and steady keeps the meat safe!  You may re-freeze if you decide not to use it.  You may also use cold water by submerging into cold water and change the water every 30 minutes.  Pieces may thaw in an hour or less, larger pieces and whole rabbit may take 2-3 hours.  Plan to cook the rabbit immediately after thawing.  Do not re-freeze after thawing this way (and make sure you leave the packaging on the rabbit and place the package in a waterproof bag).  You may also use a microwave to thaw but be sure to use the rabbit immediately because parts will become warm and may begin to cook.

Pieces

Rabbit is cut into 7 pieces: the front legs, the breast, hind legs, and the saddle (middle portion) is split into two.