# Hasenpfeffer (German style braised jackrabbit)



## Kwalk3 (Jun 21, 2012)

Decided to give jackrabbit a try after a trip last weekend yielded a few. Used the recipe from Hank Shaw found on his website.
http://honest-food.net/hasenpfeffer-recipe-dumplings/

First, I took the Jack and and quartered him like I do deer or elk.








Then I put the marinade together with Water, red wine, red wine vinegar, crushed juniper berries, cracked peppercorns, dried thyme, fresh rosemary, cloves, bay leaves, and chopped green onion.









Brought it to a boil.

Removed it from the heat and let it cool to room temperature before pouring it over the rabbit quarters. 








Let it marinate for 2 days, before removing, patting dry and dredging with flour and browning on all sides in butter. I used a Dutch oven on my stovetop.

Removed the jackrabbit pieces and sauteed onions in the butter in the Dutch oven.

Added the rabbit pieces back in and poured the strained marinade back over the top. Put on the lid and put it in the oven at 325 for about 3 hours.

When I pulled out the Dutch oven, the first piece of jackrabbit I pulled out was so tender it was just falling off the bone. 








I took about a cup of the liquid and mixed it with 1/4 cup of sour cream and added it back to the Dutch oven.

Served it over spatzle with the sauce as a gravy. Had honey glazed carrots on the side.









Will definitely be doing this again. It was a rich and hearty meal. The jackrabbit didn't have any funky flavors or overt gaminess. Tasted closer to a beef pot roast than anything.

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## Dunkem (May 8, 2012)

Looks great!!!


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## Kwalk3 (Jun 21, 2012)

Dunkem said:


> Looks great!!!


It tasted amazing. Most guys seem to have the assumption that Jacks aren't suitable table fare. Due to what I'd heard, I thought it was going to take a lot of work to just make the Jackrabbit edible

I was very pleasantly surprised. It was one of the best meals I've had in the last few weeks, and one of those weeks I was eating dry-aged ribeyes and Veal Osso Buco on the company dime in Vegas.


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## Dunkem (May 8, 2012)

Well looks like its time to get some wabbits -8/- I wanna try that.


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

Great thread! Thanks for posting.

Mrs Goob, who hasn't cooked since 1993, makes the best Hasenpfeffer. It was a family favorite when the kids were growing up.

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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

I've revisited this recipe and it's a good one. 

Kwalk, can you tell us more about the spatzle? I've never heard of it.

.


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## wagdog (Jan 6, 2009)

I know I'm late to the party on this thread but that looks pretty dang good. Hank Shaw has good recipes.


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## Kwalk3 (Jun 21, 2012)

Spatzle or Spaetzle, I've seen it spelled both ways. It's a traditional german dumpling/ noodle that is essentially a really dense egg noodle. My father in law is German and every time we make it out to visit them, it's pretty much a guarantee that there will be spatzle served with at least one of the meals. This is the recipe I was given.

4 eggs 
2 cups flour
1/3-1/2 cup milk 
2 tsp salt

Mix all the above together. Dough will be pretty sticky and dense.

Fill up a medium sized pot with water and salt it well. Bring to a boil.

People who make the dish often have a tool called a spatzle press that makes the next step easier, but seeing as this was my first time making it, I didn't have access to one. 

Use either a steamer with large holes that sits on top of the pot or a colander and press the dough through the holes into the boiling water. Boil for a few minutes and remove with a slotted spoon.

From here you take a pan and melt some butter in it and toss the dumplings in the butter. They are ready to serve from here. 

Some people like to add Gruyere Cheese grated over the top or add a bit of chopped parsley. I can't imagine how either of those would be bad. 

Spatzle is great served with mushrooms, onions, gravy and, of course, Jackrabbit.


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

Thanks Kwalk.


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