Braised Rabbit with Chimichurri Sauce

I was inspired by Andrew Zimmern's demonstration / recipe for Braised Rabbit. The need for fresh, earthy flavors pulled at me until I drove down to my local butchers and made it happen!

Surprisingly it wasn't too difficult to find rabbit and the butcher was happy to chop it to reasonable sized pieces for me. I was extremely happy to find that he also added in the liver, kidney, and heart.

I pan fried the organ meats to salty, caramelized, medium rare perfection. Being the carnivore that I am, I immediately popped the heart into my mouth with great satisfaction. My boyfriend and I spread the liver on crackers with a bit of cave aged Gruyere ( found at Sigona's Farmers Market). It was surprisingly sweet and less iron-y than calves liver. Sidenote: I love Sigona's- it's a great place to find locally sourced produce and specialty items.

Here's a Californian twist to Chimichurri

• 1 cup fresh Italian parsley
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup avocado
• 4 garlic cloves, peeled
• 2 Jalapenos, seeds optional for more spice
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

I prefer to make it the night ahead so that all the flavors can mix overnight. The jalapenos really add a fresh / spicy aspect to the sauce.

I adore pairing wine with food, and cooking with wine- it was just my luck that I had something in my stores that would go perfectly with this dish. I chose an Argentinian Malbec that gave the dish a fruity, yet characteristic gravel/earthy taste to the tender meat.

Braising Tips

Remember when getting ready to braise the rabbit, choose a deep, large pan. Cast iron or a dutch oven work equally well.

• Heat the pan with a little oil.
• Season your meat and veggies with your choice of spices ( I used black pepper, salt, and cayenne pepper and some garlic )
• Once the pan gets really hot, brown the meat 
• Add the veggies ( 1 cup celery, 1 cup onion,  several garlic cloves )
• Add wine until the meat and veggies are submerged halfway. 
• Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook slowly with the lid on do not let the liquid evaporate.
• I cooked my rabbit for about 1.5 hours on the stove top. Alternatively, I would put it in the dutch oven and cook at 375 degrees for 45 min - 1 hr. Checking to see when the meat looks like it will fall off the bone.
• Enjoy! 

The chimichurri will be a repeat in my house - I've put it on everything from quesodillas to spicy grilled sausages. I also altered it a bit to function as a vinagarette in a cold steak, tomato, basil, and jicama salad.

Let me know if you try it!