Rabbit has a nice taste and it is lean meat. Yet not many people eat rabbit. While it is very tasty. Rabbit meat used to be eaten quite a lot, because people at that time ate everything that was loose and stuck. Nowadays rabbit is hip, but only among a certain group. That’s not so strange. Rabbit is light and lean meat, has a fine taste and is juicy. Rabbit is also really suitable for Christmas dinner.
Rabbit: lean meat
People who no longer want to spend so much time dining can go in any direction with rabbit. Rabbit is not only tasty and juicy, it is mainly lean meat. In addition, rabbit meat is always tender, because rabbits are slaughtered when they are still young. Tame specimens are slaughtered after 12 to 13 weeks. The meat is then juicy, tender and easily digestible. People often make it heavy by adding bacon or cream. While the type of meat itself lends itself extremely well to a light menu.
Domestic rabbit or wild rabbit
Both domestic and wild rabbits are for sale in wholesalers, but also at poulterers. If all goes well, it will indicate whether it is a tame or wild rabbit, but otherwise it is clearly visible. A domestic rabbit has a large, broad back. In addition, the flesh is light pink. An even and pale liver without dark discolorations of the domestic rabbit indicated that the meat is fresh.
Wild rabbit: much more gamey flavour
A wild rabbit is smaller than its domesticated brother. In addition, the meat is lighter in color and has a pronounced gamey taste.
More tender meat in a domestic rabbit
The meat of a domestic rabbit is more tender than that of a wild one. Moreover, the wild variety is much drier. That’s why it needs to be barred. This involves wrapping game with strips of fat or fatty bacon to prevent the meat from drying out during cooking.
How do you prepare rabbit?
Basically anything can be done with rabbit. Below the options:
- Stew
- Fry in the pan
- Bake in the oven
- Steaming
- Stir fry
- Stir-frying
- Roasting on the barbecue
Easily digestible meat
Rabbit is easily digestible meat and is a lean type of meat. The rabbit leg contains approximately 4 grams of fat per ounce. It can therefore be used in a diet. The back and shoulders of the rabbit have slightly more fat than the other parts of the animal. They provide between 8 and 12 grams of fat per 100 grams. If you are on a diet, it is best to take the leg and cut off the fat. He or she then eats a really lean type of meat. A 100 gram portion of rabbit provides around 150 Kcal.
Nutrients in rabbit
The following nutrients can be found per 100 grams of rabbit:
- Iron 4.3 mg
- Potassium 376 mg
- Phosphorus 247 mg
- Zinc 2.2 mg
- Selenium 43 µg
- Vitamin B12 2.3 µg
Omega 3 fatty acids
Another interesting fact is that rabbit contains more Omega 3 fatty acids than other types of meat. A third of the meat consists of saturated fatty acids, the rest of cholesterol-friendly and unsaturated fatty acids. The cholesterol content of rabbit meat is generally lower than 50 mg per 100 grams. Rabbit is so healthy because the animals eat so well. Their diet consists mainly of alfalfa and linseed. It also contains a lot of vitamin B12 and good proteins. These proteins are important building blocks for the body. Anyone who has an iron deficiency can eat rabbit very well, because a rabbit leg or piece contains a lot of it.
For sale all year round
Rabbit is actually offered for sale all year round. Wholesalers in particular always have it in stock. In addition to fresh rabbit, frozen rabbit is also offered.
Ballotine or rabbit sausage
In addition to regular rabbit from a pan, there are also more and more products made from rabbit. Examples include:
- Ballotine
- Rabbit burger
- Rabbit sausage
What is ballotine?
Ballotine is the boned rabbit meat that has been stuffed and then rolled and tied. It can be filled with plums, among other things. Plums and rabbit are a very good combination.