Printer Friendly RecipeBY MICHAEL PENDLEY AUTHOR OF TIMBER 2 TABLE WILD GAME RECIPESJUNE 30, 2017If you have never tried traditionally cured country ham from the southeastern United States, you are missing out. The hams are packed in a curing mix, sometimes straight salt, sometimes a mixture of salt, sugar, and cure, for a period of three to six weeks. Some smoke the ham afterward, others don’t. We often make our own, but several great brands are available in the supermarket or online. Try Broadbent, Edward’s or Father’s for excellent ham.

We cure our hams in a traditional salt box, then hang in the smokehouse for cold smoking before drying.

The ham is then rinsed and hung to dry for anywhere from six months to two years. The result? A porky, salty, dense cured meat with just a bit of sharp, gaminess. It can be sliced and fried, soaked to moisten, then baked, or even boiled. The ham’s sharp saltiness is perfect as a seasoning in other dishes as well.

Plate the braised rabbit, mushrooms and country ham over pasta, then spoon over gravy from the pot.

For this one, we paired thin strips of country ham with rabbit slow braised in beer with sliced mushrooms. The creamy dish is perfect when served alone or spooned over pasta.

Ingredients

2 rabbits
quartered

1 large slice of country ham
cut into thin strips

1.5 pounds of mushrooms
sliced

2 lager-style beers

Flour for dredging rabbit plus 1 tablespoon

2 yellow onions
thinly sliced

1 tablespoon Realtree Cajun seasoning

Salt and pepper

 

Cooking Instructions

Cover the bottom of a heavy cast iron pot with vegetable oil. Turn heat to medium-high. Season the rabbit with Realtree Cajun seasoning. Season flour with salt and pepper and dredge rabbit pieces.

Brown the dredged rabbit till golden.

Brown the rabbit in the oil, a batch at a time, until the surface is golden brown and crisp. Don’t worry about cooking it through, just brown the surface, about 3-4 minutes per side. Once all the rabbit is browned, set it aside. Add a tablespoon of seasoned flour to the remaining oil and stir until the roux is golden brown, about 5-10 minutes. Add the country ham strips and onion. Cook until the onion is soft and translucent.

Saute the onions and mushrooms till softened slightly.

Add the mushrooms to the pan and continue to cook for 5 more minutes. Pour in both beers and return the rabbit to the pot. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Braise the rabbit for two hours until it is about to fall off the bone.

Pour the beer back into the pot before returning the rabbit to braise.

To serve, place the rabbit on a plate or bed of pasta, spoon over the mushroom and country ham gravy from the pot.