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The rabbit is not only valuable fur. You can cook many dishes from it, which differ not only in excellent taste, but also dietary ones that are beneficial to health. But for meat to become a decoration of the table, you need to know how to choose the right carcass and prepare it, including how to marinate a rabbit for smoking. You can smoke both hot and cold, each of them has its own nuances and features of technology, this also needs to be clarified in advance.
Is it possible to smoke a rabbit
There are many rabbit recipes. Its meat is prized for its excellent taste, health benefits and an affordable price tag. There are no obstacles for smoking it either. In the process of processing with smoke, the meat acquires an original taste and aroma, preserving the texture and the beneficial substances contained in it.
Smoked rabbit is served both as an appetizer and as a main course.
The benefits and calorie content of smoked rabbit meat
Rabbit, along with chicken and turkey, is considered dietary meat. Even after the smoking procedure, it completely lacks carbohydrates, but it has a high protein content (17 g per 100 g) and about half as much fat (8 g per 100 g). The energy value of meat after smoking is only 150 kcal per 100 g.
Rabbit meat can be included in the diet even for those who follow a diet or build a menu according to the principles of a healthy diet.
Principles and methods of smoking
Smoking rabbit meat, like other types of meat, is carried out in two ways - cold and hot. Each has its own nuances. All they have in common is preparation.
The recipe for a cold smoked rabbit is more complicated in terms of methodology and technology, requires the obligatory presence of a smokehouse of a certain design, and takes more time. But after it, the rabbit retains more healthy substances, since it is treated with smoke of a lower temperature. This also contributes to the fact that the meat does not lose its natural consistency, its own unique taste is not "clogged" by smoke and spices. Another plus of cold smoking is a longer shelf life.
The main differences in the principles of the two smoking methods are as follows:
- The design of the smokehouse itself... With hot smoking, burning firewood is located in the immediate vicinity of the meat, with cold smoking this distance can reach up to 1.5-2 m.
- Temperature... With the cold method, it is a maximum of 30-40 ° C, with the hot method, it varies within 110-130 ° C.
- Time... Depends on the size of the pieces of rabbit meat. If they are small, they can be hot smoked in a few hours. Cold smoking is extended for 1.5-2 days.
- The process itself... Hot smoking allows the use of "liquid smoke", which gives the meat the characteristic smoky flavor and aroma. Cold is strictly "natural" and does not allow even the slightest deviations from the process technology.
Hot smoked meat turns out to be very tender, juicy, crumbly, literally melts in the mouth. Cold smoked rabbit is noticeably “drier”, it is appreciated for its pronounced “meaty” taste.
Selecting and preparing a rabbit for smoking
The quality of the finished product naturally depends on the raw materials. When choosing, be sure to focus on the following nuances:
- Carcass size... In this case, more does not mean better. Young bunnies are physically incapable of reaching large sizes. "Giant" carcass belongs to an old rabbit, after smoking the meat will be tough.
- Smell and color... Quality meat has a uniform pink color, there are no stains of other shades and dark blood clots. As for the smell, a rather specific aroma is inherent in a fresh rabbit - it is enough to feel it once, so that later it will not be confused with anything.
- External vie. It is worth refusing to buy a carcass that is clearly windy in appearance, and excessively wet, as if covered with mucus. Both options do not differ in freshness, which is very undesirable for smoking.
- Preliminary processing... A carcass is selected, from which the skin is completely and efficiently, without flaps, its internal cavity must be thoroughly washed.
Frozen carcasses should not contain excessive amounts of ice and snow, blood crystals. This indicates repeated freezing or violations of the process technology.
A rabbit for smoking must be chosen as carefully and meticulously as possible.
As part of the preparation, the carcass is thoroughly washed in cool running water. Then it is cut into 4 pieces so that the ribs can be pulled out. The resulting pieces of meat are hung out for ventilation at a temperature not exceeding 10 ° C. Otherwise, the rabbit may go bad. As a rule, several hours are enough for airing.
How to pickle a rabbit in kefir before smoking
There are many recipes for marinades for smoking a rabbit at home. When marinated in kefir, the finished product is very soft, tender and juicy. Required ingredients for 1 kg rabbit marinade:
- kefir 2.5% fat or higher - 1 tbsp.;
- granulated sugar - 1 tbsp. l .;
- finely ground sea salt - 2 tbsp. l .;
- olive (or other refined vegetable) oil - 2-3 tbsp. l .;
- garlic - 4-5 cloves;
- fresh mint - 8-10 leaves;
- ground black pepper to taste.
To prepare the marinade, all the ingredients are mixed, after chopping the garlic and chopping the leaves. When the salt and sugar are completely dissolved, the pieces of rabbit meat are coated with the resulting mixture and laid out in a plastic, glass, enamel (any non-oxidizing material is suitable) bowl. From above, the meat is poured with the remnants of the marinade, covered with cling film and put into the refrigerator. You can start smoking in 10-12 hours.
In kefir, you can marinate not only meat for barbecue
Marinade with ginger for smoking rabbit
If you marinate a hot smoked rabbit with ginger, the meat will acquire a very original flavor, which many associate with Oriental cuisine. For 1 kg of rabbit meat you will need:
- drinking water - 2 l;
- vinegar 6-9% strength - 3 tbsp. l .;
- garlic - 4-5 cloves;
- granulated sugar - 1 tsp;
- dry ground or fresh grated ginger - 0.5 tsp;
- bay leaf - 3-4 pcs.;
- salt - to taste (someone prefers not to add it at all, but usually 1.5-2 tsp is enough).
All the ingredients of the marinade are mixed in a saucepan, pre-chopping the garlic. Then it is put on fire, heating to 50-60 ° C, and the contents are cooled to room temperature. The prepared marinade is poured over the meat so that the liquid completely covers it.The bowl is kept in the refrigerator for two days. Several times a day, the pieces are turned over so that they are saturated with the marinade as evenly as possible.
For the marinade, you can use both fresh and dried ginger, in the second case, the rabbit will turn out to be sharper
How to pickle a smoked rabbit with spices
The main ingredients of this marinade are lemon juice and coriander. To prepare it for 1 kg of rabbit meat, you will need:
- drinking water - 1 l;
- freshly squeezed lemon juice - 40-50 ml;
- granulated sugar - 2 tbsp. l .;
- coriander seeds or greens (dried or fresh) - 0.5 tsp;
- salt - 1 tbsp. l .;
- garlic - 5-6 cloves;
- bay leaf - 2-3 pcs.;
- spices (ground ginger, cloves, saffron, fennel seeds, ground red pepper) - to taste and as desired.
To prepare the marinade, boil water with salt, sugar and spices. Then cool to room temperature, add chopped garlic and lemon juice, mix thoroughly. The rabbit for smoking is poured with the resulting liquid, marinated for two days.
Coriander has a specific flavor that not everyone likes, this must be taken into account when choosing such a marinade
A quick marinade for smoking a rabbit at home
This "express recipe" is suitable for smoking both hot and cold smoked rabbit. The quality of meat does not suffer from the short duration of processing. The rabbit turns out to be very tender and juicy.
Required components:
- white wine - 120 ml;
- liquid honey - 150 ml;
- olive (or other refined vegetable) oil - 150 ml;
- ketchup - 120 g;
- dry ground garlic - 1 tsp;
- dry mustard - 1.5 tsp;
- salt - 2 tbsp. l .;
- ground black pepper - about 0.5 tsp.
To prepare the marinade, all the ingredients just need to be mixed. The rabbit pieces are thoroughly greased with this mixture and placed in a suitable bowl. You can start smoking after 8 hours.
How to smoke a rabbit correctly
It is quite possible to cook a rabbit smoked both hot and cold at home, even without a special smokehouse. It will be successfully replaced by homemade constructions.
How to smoke a rabbit in a hot smoked smokehouse
To get a hot smoked rabbit in the presence of a special smokehouse, you must act according to the following algorithm:
- First, small wood chips must be poured into a metal container, having previously soaked them in water for 15-20 minutes. For smoking, fruit trees (apple, cherry, pear) are most often used, as well as birch, alder, oak, beech. In this case, spruce, pine, and other conifers are highly discouraged - the finished meat will turn out to be "resinous" and bitter in taste.
- Put the grate inside the smokehouse, after thoroughly cleaning, washing and wiping it. Place pieces of meat on it so that they do not touch each other or put a whole carcass.
- Smoke rabbit meat, periodically checking the readiness of the meat and releasing the smoke that accumulates inside. They orient themselves on a bright brownish-golden color, dry "glossy" surface. The specific smoking time depends on the size of the pieces of meat and how intensely the fire burns.
Important! After smoking, the rabbit should not be eaten immediately. Finished meat is kept outdoors for several days, choosing a place where it will be well ventilated.
Recipe for hot smoked rabbit stuffed with bacon
In this case, the cooking technology does not fundamentally differ from the one described above. The only difference is that before pouring the marinade, the pieces of rabbit meat must be slightly beaten off, and just before smoking, several cuts must be made and the meat filled with small (about 1 cm in diameter) pieces of garlic and bacon.
A rabbit for smoking is stuffed in the same way as any other meat
Recipe for smoking a rabbit in a barrel
In a barrel, you can smoke rabbit meat with any marinade, following each of the recipes described above. The main difference is that a home-made smokehouse is used, not a purchased one.
It is built from one or two barrels stacked on top of each other. A hole is cut out in the bottom, to which a pipe is supplied for the intake of smoke, in the lid there is a hole for its exit. As a rule, a firebox is arranged in the lower barrel, and pieces of meat for smoking are hung or laid out in the upper barrel. A damp burlap or other cloth is placed between the upper and lower barrels so that the rabbit does not become covered with soot.
The design of a home-made smokehouse from a barrel is quite simple
How to smoke a cold smoked rabbit
Cold smoking a rabbit takes a lot of time and effort. The process must be continuous, a special smokehouse is required, equipped with hooks, trays, grates, holders. The maximum temperature inside the chamber is 25 ° C.
At the end of the process, cold smoked rabbit meat is also aired.
A cold smoked rabbit at home is prepared according to the same algorithm as for a hot smoked rabbit. The carcass is cut, marinated, after the specified time, pieces of meat are removed from the liquid, and the excess is allowed to drain. If desired, the meat is pre-beaten, then stuffed with bacon. The prepared pieces are placed on a wire rack or hung in a smokehouse.
Smoked-boiled rabbit recipe
Smoked-boiled rabbit, as the name suggests, is prepared in several stages. First, the meat is marinated. To do this, for 1 kg of rabbit meat you will need:
- drinking water - 1 l;
- salt - 80 g;
- allspice - 2 tsp;
- bay leaf - 2-4 pcs;
- spices - optional.
Cooked-smoked rabbit is prepared like this:
- Pour the meat completely with marinade, keep under pressure for 3-4 days, ensuring a constant temperature of 5-6 ° C.
- Remove pieces of rabbit from the liquid, rinse in cool running water, let dry, smoke in a cold way for 24 hours.
- After the specified time has elapsed, put in a saucepan with boiling water, cook for about half an hour. Dry the meat well.
- Smoke the rabbit in a cold way for another two days.
The boiled-smoked rabbit tastes less intense than after smoking. But the meat is particularly juicy.
A boiled-smoked rabbit can be distinguished from a simple smoked rabbit by its less saturated color.
How long does it take to smoke a rabbit
The smoking time of the rabbit depends on the method chosen. Hot smoking is much faster, it takes about two hours. The cold one stretches for at least two, preferably three days.
You can evaluate the readiness of smoked rabbit meat by piercing a piece of meat with a knitting needle or a long sharp hairpin. If it enters inside easily, without applying force, and after that a turbid foam does not appear on the surface, the delicacy is ready.
Storage rules
In any case, a smoked rabbit is a relatively perishable product. Cold smoked meat will stay in the refrigerator for a maximum of 2 weeks, hot smoked meat - 2-3 days. Increases the shelf life up to 2-3 months freezing, but you can defrost the smoked rabbit again only once.
In the attic, in the basement, in the cellar, in another similar place - dark, cool, with good ventilation, the rabbit, if hung, is stored for up to a month. After this, the "shelf life" can be extended by again subjecting the pieces to a short smoking for about a quarter of an hour using juniper wood. It is not worth it any longer - the meat will become excessively tough.
Conclusion
There are many options to choose from when deciding how to marinate your rabbit for smoking. There are recipes that give the meat during the smoking process original flavoring and aromatic notes.But for smoking to be successful, you need more than just the right marinade. It is important to adhere to the technology of a certain method of cooking meat and the choice of high-quality "raw materials".
