[Fishyhaddock]

Hi Everybody,


I was just wondering what the trick is for getting wild rabbit tender when you cook it?


Just cant seem to get it tender like my grandmother used too!!


I usually try and caserolle it or stew it.


Any advice would be much apprecited.


Thanks
Fishy

[Fleecewife]

It's years since we've had wild rabbit, although I've been eyeing up the bunnies helping themselves to our sheep's grass  . 
I used to quarter them, lay them in a large covered dish with quarter of a pound of steak mince, well separated, cover with water and a little gravy browning (not thick like Bisto) and nowadays I would add a good slosh of red wine to that.  Add carrots, onions, garlic and so on, maybe a chilli and plenty of fresh herbs, then cook very long and very slow.  The idea is to get as much flavour in there as possible, as rabbit on its own doesn't taste of much, and to have the meat dropping off the bone.
Oh, and make sure your bunny isn't some old buck who's seen a few years - the cuter the juicier.

[Clarebelle]

unfortunately age does make a big difference which can be difficult to tell when catching wild rabbit. Slow cooking is a good way to go but also removing as much sinew as you can

[cloddopper]

wash it in strong salted water , let it stand in clean strong salted water for an hour or so , then leave it in the fridge in a fairly strong white vinegar solution to marinade & tenderize for 12 hrs. or so .
 Rinse off with clean cold water several times to remove the strong vinegar taste ,  then casserole in a lided casserole using a milk based liquid . Add mustard to get it sweet ( No it's doesn't get hot as the cooking kills the heat of the mustard )

 or
 When I used to shoot them a lot I used to sort the rabbit out as above,  then joint it into two fore legs & chest , a whole  middle back , then two full individual rear legs.

 Roll them all in well seasoned plain flour  ,  put it in a casserole  on top of chunks of spuds,  loads of sliced strong onions & 1/2 " thick slices of carrots , add  a meat stock (or 2 oxo's in a pint & a half of boiling water )  adding a little bit of cider & half a thick sliced tart apple .  Casserole it long & low with lid on for about four hours,  topping up with boiled water if needed in a 130 oC oven once you've brought it to the boil on a gas ring etc. .

[Steph Hen]

Soak overnight in salted water to make it tender. Milk works well too.

If I've got a lot to dress it can be fine without fully skinning and gutting-faster and less meds and smell. Go in through tummy fur and open up a bit, then cut through hips to take thigh joints from each side, cut off at knee or ankle. Can get the back fillets out too with no need for gutting.