Anyone here eat jack rabbit?

[DustyNV]

We have been trying our luck at jack rabbit. They aren’t a game animal here and We can spot light, so we can hunt them year round. First it was tacos now it’s deep fried. I think next time I will grind them up and make Chilli.

 

[rwc101]

Yep. Made pot roast out of one last winter. I liked it quite a bit.

 

[come2elmo]

Haven’t had this but it looks good

Sardinian Hare Stew - Hank Shaw's Sardinian Hare Stew

Wild hare is a poor man's meat. This Sardinian hare stew is a classic cucina povera, and is a good food for a snowy day or a tight budget.

honest-food.net

 

[WyoDoug]

Yup. Low and slow is the key to cooking them. Depending on where they are eating marinading helps with the flavor too but generally, I just do the low and slow and cook them the same process I do a roast except leaving the meat on the bones.

 

[WyoDoug]

Fried Jack Rabbit (when I do it)

I highly recommend you brine your rabbits before frying soaking them in an acidic solution. A simple brine of 1/4 cup kosher salt to 4 cups water will do with 1/4 cup white vinegar -- the rabbit is going to get plenty of seasoning later. Submerge your bunny in this brine about 12-24 hours. This process keeps them moist and at the same time, draws the blood out of the meat and starts to tenderize them.

• 2 to 4 rabbits, cut into serving pieces
• 2 cups buttermilk
• 2 tablespoons Italian seasoning, or mix together 1 1/2 teaspoons oregano, 1 1/2 teaspoons thyme and 1 tablespoon dried parsley
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 2 teaspoons cayenne, or to taste
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups vegetable oil
• Mix the buttermilk with the all the spices except the salt and flour. Coat the rabbit with the mixture and let set in a covered container overnight, or at least 4 hours.
• When you are ready to fry, pour the oil into a large pan -- a big cast iron frying pan is ideal -- to a depth of about an inch. The general idea is you want the oil to come halfway up the side of the rabbit. Set the heat to medium-high.
• Meanwhile, take the rabbit out of the buttermilk and let it drain in a colander. Don't shake off the buttermilk or anything, just leave it there.
• Let the oil heat until it is about 325°F; this is the point where a sprinkle of flour will immediately sizzle. When the oil is hot, pour the flour and salt into a plastic bag and shake to combine. Put a few pieces of rabbit into the bag and shake to get it coated in flour.
• Set the coated rabbit pieces in one layer in the hot oil so they don't touch. Fry for about 8 to 12 minutes. Fry gently -- you want a steady sizzle. Turn the rabbit pieces and fry for another 10 minutes or so, until they are golden brown. The forelegs will come out first, followed by the loin, and the hind legs will come out last. You will probably need to fry in batches, so just leave the uncooked rabbit pieces in the colander until you are ready to flour them up and fry them. Don't let floured pieces sit.
• When the rabbit is ready, rest them on a rack set over a paper towel to drain away any excess oil. If you are cooking in batches, set this in a warm oven.

EDIT: Added onion powder which I now use in this recipe when I cook wild rabbit. The brine also helps kill any parasites the wild rabbits may be carrying too. If you are experiencing fairly tough rabbits after brining, double the vinegar on the next batch. Some, especially older rabbits, are tougher than others, just like deer and elk.

 

[Danson In The Desert]

I can't speak for jackrabbits everywhere, but in AZ if you're throwing the backstraps in with the rest of the meat you're missing out... Cut them out and cook them just like you would any quality backstraps.
Personally I keep the backstraps and give the quarters away to a friend who likes to use them for stew.

 

[DustyNV]

Fried Jack Rabbit (when I do it)

I highly recommend you brine your rabbits before frying soaking them in an acidic solution. A simple brine of 1/4 cup kosher salt to 4 cups water will do with 1/4 cup white vinegar -- the rabbit is going to get plenty of seasoning later. Submerge your bunny in this brine about 12-24 hours. This process keeps them moist and at the same time, draws the blood out of the meat and starts to tenderize them.

• 2 to 4 rabbits, cut into serving pieces
• 2 cups buttermilk
• 2 tablespoons Italian seasoning, or mix together 1 1/2 teaspoons oregano, 1 1/2 teaspoons thyme and 1 tablespoon dried parsley
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 2 teaspoons cayenne, or to taste
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups vegetable oil
• Mix the buttermilk with the all the spices except the salt and flour. Coat the rabbit with the mixture and let set in a covered container overnight, or at least 4 hours.
• When you are ready to fry, pour the oil into a large pan -- a big cast iron frying pan is ideal -- to a depth of about an inch. The general idea is you want the oil to come halfway up the side of the rabbit. Set the heat to medium-high.
• Meanwhile, take the rabbit out of the buttermilk and let it drain in a colander. Don't shake off the buttermilk or anything, just leave it there.
• Let the oil heat until it is about 325°F; this is the point where a sprinkle of flour will immediately sizzle. When the oil is hot, pour the flour and salt into a plastic bag and shake to combine. Put a few pieces of rabbit into the bag and shake to get it coated in flour.
• Set the coated rabbit pieces in one layer in the hot oil so they don't touch. Fry for about 8 to 12 minutes. Fry gently -- you want a steady sizzle. Turn the rabbit pieces and fry for another 10 minutes or so, until they are golden brown. The forelegs will come out first, followed by the loin, and the hind legs will come out last. You will probably need to fry in batches, so just leave the uncooked rabbit pieces in the colander until you are ready to flour them up and fry them. Don't let floured pieces sit.
• When the rabbit is ready, rest them on a rack set over a paper towel to drain away any excess oil. If you are cooking in batches, set this in a warm oven.

EDIT: Added onion powder which I now use in this recipe when I cook wild rabbit. The brine also helps kill any parasites the wild rabbits may be carrying too. If you are experiencing fairly tough rabbits after brining, double the vinegar on the next batch. Some, especially older rabbits, are tougher than others, just like deer and elk.

This is a good looking recipe, thank you for putting the time and effort into this.

 

[DustyNV]

Personally I keep the backstraps and give the quarters away to a friend who likes to use them for stew.

That is a good idea. Do you just freeze the loins until you have enough? Maybe I could do this and just grind the rest up.

 

[WyoDoug]

That is a good idea. Do you just freeze the loins until you have enough? Maybe I could do this and just grind the rest up.

You kind of do the same thing when yer butchering rabbits if you do them like I do. I leave them on the bones. They are called the loins then. Both of them together is one whole piece. Cut rabbit meat off the bones, you sometimes end up losing some. Much easier to just cook rabbit bone in.

 

[dirtclod Az.]

I brine them also, then poach them low and slow Then dry rub them and lightly sear them before serving.
Antelope Jackrabbits are the Bombdiggity!!

 

[Danson In The Desert]

That is a good idea. Do you just freeze the loins until you have enough? Maybe I could do this and just grind the rest up.

On the jackrabbits I've taken each of the backstraps are 8oz+ for blacktailed and 10oz+ for antelope so often you only need 1-2 depending on how many people you're cooking for.
If I think I'll get a couple within a few days I'll often wait and package them together, but I've had no problem freezing them.

 

[WyoDoug]

The loins are my favorite piece but I leave them on the bones and fry them up whole. The rest is good too if you don't overcook or cook too fast or too high of heat. I also like the breast and thigh meat off jackrabbits really well. Jackrabbit can be made to taste much like domestic rabbit if prepared and cooked properly.

 

[Danson In The Desert]

The loins are my favorite piece but I leave them on the bones and fry them up whole.
Jackrabbit can be made to taste much like domestic rabbit if prepared and cooked properly.

Down here there isn't much if any sage brush, and the Jackrabbits are eating a lot of cactus fruit. I believe this is part of why backstraps taste so good. It is almost identical to, and I routinely have people choose it over crane breast and deer backstrap.
Not to say your way of cooking them isn't great. For me though, with meat of this quality I have a hard time doing anything other than the simplest recipes.

 

[DustyNV]

Lots of good info here, thank you all for your insight.

 

[DustyNV]

@Danson In The Desert do you only hunt them in the winter in AZ, or do you hunt in the summer also. I’m between Vegas and Death Valley, so is hot here as well. The one’s that I have killed here in the summer I haven’t found and worms or other things in it, on them.

 

[Danson In The Desert]

@Danson In The Desert do you only hunt them in the winter in AZ, or do you hunt in the summer also. In between Vegas and Death Valley, so is hot here as well. The one’s that I have killed here in the summer I haven’t found and worms or other things in it on them.

I'll hunt them year around.
I have also noticed less bugs on them early in the summer. My best guess is that the May/June heat in Southern Arizona acts similarly to the cold up north and kills off the week and parasite ridden. That being said, I check over each hare before I pick it up, while it's in hand, and when field dressing it. I have discarded several due to parasite loads.
If anyone has or knows where I can find science on the seasonality of parasites in rabbits and hares that would definitely be of interest.

 

[jbseamus83]

I have cooked several and they were very good. Low and slow is key. I like doing it like the German Hasenpfeffer recipe. You can google it and find a number of spin-offs of this.

 

[TwistedSage]

I've cooked them pot roast style and I thought they were great. 2 smaller rabbits or 1 big rabbit makes a good pot. I use the back straps and the 4 quarters. Seer with onions then just put in celery and carrots, salt pepper and bay leaf, and cover with beef broth. Slow boil and after a couple hrs I'll start checking on the quarters. Once I can pull up a leg and shake the meat off the bone I'll throw in the potatoes for another 20 mins or so. Feel free to pour in some wine or beer to cook with.

I've cooked them for 4 hrs before the meat was tender enough enough to fall off the bone.

 

[Don Fischer]

I got some in Colorado years ago. Didn't shoot big one's wanted young one's to try to eat. Checked the liver's and any spots of any kind got it rejected. Then cut it up in piece's and laid it in a baking pan and covered with jam and baked it. Stuff was great! But I was cautious of the liver and large hare's. The big older one's are supposed to be pretty tuff to eat.

 

[DustyNV]

I have checked the livers on the 4 that we have killed. They all looked good. The back legs were tough. The back straps were great. I’ve been looking at the hearts, they are decent sized. Might start saving them. Jack Rabbit heart and eggs anyone? Breakfast burrito style.