Yeti GOBOX Collection

Jackrabbit!

TwistedSage

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 19, 2018
Messages
776
Location
Eastern NM
Between the rains making dove spotty for the opener and the abundance of Jackrabbit on my place me and my buddy decided we would take the 22 along with a shotgun and if the dove wasn't happening we would go for a couple jackrabbits and cook them along the lines of hank shaws recipie.

After getting one with a clean shot in between the eyes and another not so pretty encounter we had 2 rabbits in about 45 mins. Promptly cleaned them. The one we took all 4 quarters and 2 backstrap and the other we could only salvage the two front quarter and one hind.

Our recipe was season rabbit pieces in salt and pepper brown in oil with one chopped onion then throw in a traditional stew.. potatoes, carrotts, celery, parsley and a quart of beef broth plus water to cover. Our goal was to cook until we could pull the rabbit easily off the bone. After watching Hank Shaw on meateater cook his stew I remember him saying it was about 1.5-2 hrs. We ended up cooking this stew about 4 or 5 hrs at a healthy rolling boil before the meat fell off. Every half hr or so after the initial 2 picking up a quarter by a meaty chunk and shaking it to see it it was ready to tear. Finally After having to add about 7 bottles of water just to keep it covered we started to pick up straight bones and the stew was ready.

I s#$@ you not this stew tasted exactly like a beef pot roast or stew we ate it with some club cracker and it was so damn good. I can't wait to make this on more occasions. I would next time wait a couple of hrs before adding potatoes so they had a little more texture.

If you haven't tried it yet, do yourself a favor and cook one up right l. Be prepared to stew this thing for about 5 hrs and you will be happy you did and have a new abundant food source.
 
You don't need to keep it at a rolling boil. A simmering or barely simmering pot is the same temp as a full boil. Next time try using a well sealing covered pot and put it in a 225-250 degree oven. When I do long slow braises I only put in the aromatics (onion, carrot, celery, bay) until the meat is almost done. Sounds like a great result no matter how it was cooked. I've been wanting to get my kids out for rabbit so we can make a similar dish.
 
Good advice and I'm sure a covered pot would shorten cook time as well. Didn't really put the two together until now, the reason I went uncovered is because my only stock pot is meant really just for the stove. I cooked this in my barn over a hot wood fire in my grill and did not want to break the glass lid. Next time for family I will likely do it inside like that. This time my wife was out of town and me and my buddy proceeded to knock a few back play darts and pig out on this stew when it was finally done at like 11. For as crude as we did it it came out amazing. If I do it like you say I could only imagine the possibilities
 
Nothing beats having a good dutch oven! I use mine weekly in the cooler months. Making shredded beef tacos tonight using a tough cut that will get braised for a couple of hours. I bet jackrabbit tacos would be great as well....darned well might have to carve some time this weekend to go looking for rabbits!
 
Dutch oven! I like where your heads at. Ive wanted one for years bit never really could justify it. Now that I want to be cooking jackrabbits regularly I think that's all the justification I need.
 
I use a Dansk that was discarded/given to me by a lady my sister-in-law worked for. Or I should say my sister-in-law gave it to me after her employer gave it to her. It is enamel covered steel. I wouldn't buy it today if I was looking for one but it works pretty well and is large enough for 2 chickens or a 6 pound roast. I would pick up an enamel covered cast iron one now if I were given the choice. I have a small 2 or 3 quart one of that design that lives in the camp boxes. Some of them are stupid expensive but if you look around they can be had for a reasonable price. A raw cast iron one would be great too if you are into the seasoning routine.
 
Back
Top