Rabbit in the Rye

By LRay

The Local Palate, August/September 2014, page 94.

from Chef Keri Moser

Ingredients

• 4 8-ounce rabbit hind legs, skinned
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 cup rye sorghum BBQ glaze (recipe below)
• 1 tablespoon mustard seeds
• 1 tablespoon caraway seeds, toasted
• 2 tablespoons sorghum seeds, popped in popcorn popper or on the stove
• Rye Berries and Carrots
• 1 cup dry rye berries
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 4 cups water
• 2 heaping tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 cup cooked wild rice, cooked according to package directions and still warm
• 1 cup cubed carrots, blanched for 2 minutes in salt water
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Sorghum Rye BBQ Sauce
• 1/4 cup Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Rye
• 1 cup cider vinegar
• 1 cup ketchup
• 2 cups brown mustard
• 2 cups sorghum
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon dry ginger
• 4 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh garlic
• 1 tablespoon minced dry onion
• 1 tablespoon ground toasted caraway seeds
• 4 ounces Baker’s unsweetened chocolate, rough chopped into large chunks

Details

Servings 4
Adapted from localpalatemag.com

Preparation

Step 1

1.Pat the rabbit legs dry and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
2.Rub seasoning evenly into the meat, place legs in a glass or stainless steel bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and place in the refrigerator for 24 hours.
3.Preheat a water bath to 165 degrees. Seal the legs in a single layer in one 8×12-inch sous vide bag on medium vacuum. Drop in water bath for 4 hours.
4.Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Remove the rabbit from the sous vide bag, pat dry, and arrange in a single layer on a baking dish that’s been coated in pan spray. Brush half of the barbecue sauce on the tops of the rabbit legs.
5.Bake for 5 minutes, or until sauce has just dried and fused to the meat. Remove from oven. Brush on remaining barbecue sauce and sprinkle seeds on top.

Yield: 4 servings

Rye Berries and Carrots
1.Bring first 3 ingredients to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer and let cook 20−30 minutes or until rye is tender but still chewy.
2.Drain rye and return to pan. Stir in remaining ingredients.

Yield: 4 cups

Sorghum Rye BBQ Sauce
1.Combine everything except chocolate in a heavy-bottomed pot and bring to a boil. Simmer 30 minutes. Stir frequently—the sauce sticks and burns easily.
2.Remove from heat, stir in chocolate, and let sit 5 minutes. Whisk to incorporate chocolate.

Yield: 7 cups BBQ sauce