hare_assassin
09-11-2013, 02:09 PM
A successful day (or half day) of hare hunting often means bringing home 3 to 6 hares, sometimes several more. Many people simply chop each hare into logical pieces (front legs, saddle, back legs) and then throw them into a stew, bones and all. That's all fine and dandy, and I have enjoyed it this way myself, but there is an alternative...
As I have discussed previously, I'm in the habit of soaking my hares in salt water over night (in the fridge) and then completely deboning them the following day.
The benefits of brining them are threefold; removes some "gaminess", gets the rigor out, draws moisture into them.
The benefit of deboning is obvious; no bones to navigate. Everyone I have fed with hares seems to enjoy it much more this way.
The benefit of having 3 or more hare to put through the process is that the cuts can then be sorted and packaged. Just like beef or pork or any other animal we eat, some cuts are just better in some dishes than others. I like to sort my hare meat into 4 groups; thighs, back-straps/tenders, carcasses/bones and "the rest". This last group includes; belly, heart, tough cuts from calves and forearms, thinner stuff from the rib cage, etc.
The carcasses/bones go right into a stock pot. If I have more than 5 hare at the time, I might put a few of them in a freezer bag for later. I add water to the stock pot just covering the carcasses/bones and then freeze it. The following weekend I make stock with it, and either use the stock (and bits of meat) as the basis for a meal or I freeze the stock for later use (or both).
The thighs, back-straps/tenders, and "the rest" get sorted, vacuum-packed and labelled.
http://www.cogitech.ca/photos/hunting/hare_sorted.jpg
Back-straps & tenders are the best cut, of course, but they tend to dry out if one is not careful. They are great in just about everything I have tried them in. The ones in the bowl in the above photo went into a Japanese Curry that I made the other night. It is super easy and oh so tasty. Will be posting about it later... ;)
Thighs can be tough, especially on the larger/older animals. Based on some advice in another thread, I have tried brining them in a vinegar/wine based brine and it both tenderizes and moisturizes the thighs. I will be continuing this practice.
"The rest" is perfect for stews, soups, crock-pot type stuff.
Anyway, I thought I'd share my process with the community. I don't pretend to be an expert or anything, so if you have experience or ideas about any of this I'd be glad to hear from you. :)
As I have discussed previously, I'm in the habit of soaking my hares in salt water over night (in the fridge) and then completely deboning them the following day.
The benefits of brining them are threefold; removes some "gaminess", gets the rigor out, draws moisture into them.
The benefit of deboning is obvious; no bones to navigate. Everyone I have fed with hares seems to enjoy it much more this way.
The benefit of having 3 or more hare to put through the process is that the cuts can then be sorted and packaged. Just like beef or pork or any other animal we eat, some cuts are just better in some dishes than others. I like to sort my hare meat into 4 groups; thighs, back-straps/tenders, carcasses/bones and "the rest". This last group includes; belly, heart, tough cuts from calves and forearms, thinner stuff from the rib cage, etc.
The carcasses/bones go right into a stock pot. If I have more than 5 hare at the time, I might put a few of them in a freezer bag for later. I add water to the stock pot just covering the carcasses/bones and then freeze it. The following weekend I make stock with it, and either use the stock (and bits of meat) as the basis for a meal or I freeze the stock for later use (or both).
The thighs, back-straps/tenders, and "the rest" get sorted, vacuum-packed and labelled.
http://www.cogitech.ca/photos/hunting/hare_sorted.jpg
Back-straps & tenders are the best cut, of course, but they tend to dry out if one is not careful. They are great in just about everything I have tried them in. The ones in the bowl in the above photo went into a Japanese Curry that I made the other night. It is super easy and oh so tasty. Will be posting about it later... ;)
Thighs can be tough, especially on the larger/older animals. Based on some advice in another thread, I have tried brining them in a vinegar/wine based brine and it both tenderizes and moisturizes the thighs. I will be continuing this practice.
"The rest" is perfect for stews, soups, crock-pot type stuff.
Anyway, I thought I'd share my process with the community. I don't pretend to be an expert or anything, so if you have experience or ideas about any of this I'd be glad to hear from you. :)