Rabbit hot, cold smoked at home

Rabbit is not only valuable fur. From it you can cook a lot of dishes that differ not only in excellent taste, but also dietary, healthy. But in order for the meat to become a table decoration, 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 technology features, this also needs to be clarified in advance.

Is it possible to smoke a rabbit

There are many rabbit recipes. Its meat is valued for its excellent taste, health benefits and quite affordable cost. There are no obstacles for its smoking. In the process of smoke processing, the meat acquires the original taste and aroma, while retaining the texture and nutrients contained in it.

Smoked rabbit is served at the table 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 are on a diet or build a menu according to the principles of a healthy diet.

Principles and methods of smoking

Smoked 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 training.

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, as it is treated with smoke at a lower temperature. This also contributes to the fact that the meat does not lose its natural texture, its own unique taste is not “clogged” with 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:

1. The design of the smokehouse itself. During hot smoking, burning firewood is located in the immediate vicinity of the meat, during cold smoking, this distance can reach up to 1,5-2 m.
2. Temperature. With the cold method, it is a maximum of 30-40 ° C, with the hot method it varies between 110-130 ° C.
3. Time. Depends on the size of the pieces of rabbit meat. If they are small, you can smoke them hot in a few hours. Smoking by the cold method stretches for 1,5-2 days.
4. Process itself. Hot smoking allows the use of “liquid smoke”, which gives the meat a characteristic smoked flavor and aroma. Cold is strictly “natural” and does not allow even the slightest deviation from the process technology.

Hot smoked meat is very tender, juicy, crumbly, literally melts in your mouth. Cold-smoked rabbit is noticeably “drier”, it is valued for its pronounced “meat” 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:

1. Carcass size. In this case, more does not mean better. Young rabbits are physically unable to reach large sizes. The “giant” carcass belongs to an old rabbit, after smoking the meat will be tough.
2. Smell and color. High-quality meat has a uniform pink color, there are no spots 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 as not to confuse it with anything later.
3. External youe. It is worth refusing to buy both a carcass that is clearly winded in appearance, and excessively wet, as if covered with mucus. Both options are not fresh, which is very undesirable for smoking.
4. Preliminary processing. A carcass is selected, from which the skin is completely and qualitatively, without flaps, the internal cavity of it must be thoroughly washed.

Frozen carcasses should not have 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 parts 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 deteriorate. As a rule, several hours are enough for airing.

How to marinate a rabbit in kefir before smoking

There are many recipes for marinades for smoking rabbit at home. When marinated in kefir, the finished product is very soft, tender and juicy. The necessary ingredients for the marinade for 1 kg of rabbit meat:

• 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, enameled (any non-oxidizing material will do) bowl. From above, the meat is poured with the remnants of the marinade, covered with cling film and put in the refrigerator. You can start smoking after 10-12 hours.

In kefir, you can marinate not only meat for barbecue

Marinade with ginger for smoking rabbit

If you marinate a rabbit for hot smoking with ginger, the meat will acquire a very original flavor, many people associate with oriental dishes. 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 (some people prefer not to add it at all, but usually 1,5-2 tsp is enough).

All marinade ingredients are mixed in a saucepan, after chopping the garlic. Then it is put on fire, heated to 50-60 ° C, and the contents are cooled to room temperature. Pour the meat with the finished marinade so that the liquid covers it completely. The bowl is kept in the refrigerator for two days. Turn the pieces several times a day so that they are soaked with the marinade as evenly as possible.

For marinade, you can use both fresh and dried ginger, in the second case, the rabbit will turn out sharper

How to marinate rabbit for smoking with spices

The main components 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 Art. l .;
• garlic – 5-6 cloves;
• bay leaf – 2-3 pcs .;
• spices (ground ginger, cloves, saffron, fennel seeds, ground red pepper) – to taste and optional.

To prepare the marinade, water with salt, sugar and spices must be boiled. 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 taste that not everyone likes, this must be taken into account when choosing such a marinade.

Quick marinade for smoking rabbit at home

Such an “express recipe” is suitable for smoking both hot-smoked and cold-smoked rabbit. The quality of the meat does not suffer from the short processing time. The rabbit is 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 Art. l .;
• ground black pepper – about 0,5 tsp.

To prepare the marinade, you just need to mix all the ingredients. The rabbit pieces are thoroughly smeared with this mixture and placed in a suitable bowl. You can start smoking after 8 hours.

How to smoke a rabbit

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 improvised designs.

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 follow the following algorithm:

1. First, small wood chips should be poured into a metal container, after soaking it in water for 15-20 minutes. For smoking, fruit trees (apple, cherry, pear), as well as birch, alder, oak, and beech are most often used. In this case, spruce, pine, and other conifers are not recommended at all – the finished meat will turn out to be “resinous” and bitter in taste.

   

2. Put a grate inside the smokehouse, after carefully cleaning, washing and wiping it. Place pieces of meat on it so that they do not touch each other or put a whole carcass.

   

3. Smoke rabbit meat, periodically checking the readiness of the meat and releasing the smoke accumulating inside. Focus 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.

   

   It’s important! After smoking a rabbit, do not eat immediately. Ready meat is kept outdoors for several days, choosing a place where it will be well ventilated.

Recipe for hot smoked rabbit stuffed with lard

In this case, the preparation technology is not fundamentally different from that described above. The only difference is that before pouring the marinade, the pieces of rabbit meat need to be beaten off slightly, and just before smoking, make a few cuts and stuff the meat with small (about 1 cm in diameter) pieces of garlic and bacon.

Rabbit for smoking is stuffed in the same way as any other meat

Recipe for smoking 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 it is not a purchased, but a home-made smokehouse.

It is constructed from one or two barrels stacked on top of each other. A hole is cut in the bottom, to which a pipe is connected for the intake of smoke, in the lid – a hole for its exit. As a rule, a firebox is arranged in the lower barrel, and pieces of meat are hung or laid out in the upper barrel for smoking. Wet burlap or other fabric is laid between the upper and lower barrels so that the rabbit is not covered with soot.

The design of a homemade smokehouse from a barrel is quite simple.

How to smoke a cold smoked rabbit

Smoking a rabbit in a cold way requires a lot of time and effort. The process must be continuous, a special smokehouse is needed, 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 ventilated

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 lard. Prepared pieces are placed on a grate or hung in a smokehouse.

Recipe for smoked and boiled rabbit

Smoked-boiled rabbit, as the name suggests, is cooked in several stages. First, the meat is marinated. For this, for 1 kg of rabbit meat you will need:

• drinking water – 1 l;
• salt – 80 g;
• allspice – 2 tsp;
• bay leaf – 2-4 pieces;
• spices – optional.

A boiled-smoked rabbit is being prepared as follows:

1. Pour the meat completely with the marinade, keep under pressure for 3-4 days, ensuring a constant temperature of 5-6 ° C.

   

2. Remove the rabbit pieces from the liquid, rinse in running cool water, let dry, smoke in a cold way for a day.

   

3. After the specified time, put in a pot of boiling water, cook for about half an hour. Dry the meat well.

   

4. Smoke the rabbit in a cold way for another two days.

The taste of boiled-smoked rabbit is not as rich as after smoking. But the meat is especially juicy.

A boiled-smoked rabbit can be distinguished from a simply smoked one by a less saturated color.

How long does it take to smoke a rabbit

The time for smoking a rabbit depends on the method chosen. Hot smoking is much faster, about two hours is enough. Cold stretches for at least two, preferably three days.

You can assess the readiness of smoked rabbit meat by piercing a piece of meat with a knitting needle or a long sharp hairpin. If it enters easily, without any effort, and after that no cloudy foam appears on the surface, the delicacy is ready.

Storage Rules

In any case, smoked rabbit is a relatively perishable product. Cold smoked meat will lie in the refrigerator for a maximum of 2 weeks, hot – 2-3 days. Increases the shelf life to 2-3 months of freezing, but you can only defrost a smoked rabbit again once.

In the attic, in the basement, in the cellar, in another similar place – dark, cool, with good ventilation, the rabbit, if hung up, is stored for up to a month. After that, the “shelf life” can be extended further by again subjecting the pieces to short smoking for about a quarter of an hour using juniper wood. Do not stand longer – the meat will become excessively tough.

Conclusion

When deciding how to marinate a rabbit for smoking, there are many options to choose from. There are recipes that give the meat in the process of smoking original taste and aromatic notes. But for smoking to be successful, you need more than just the right marinade. It is important to follow the technology of a certain method of cooking meat and the choice of high-quality “raw materials”.