2021 TAILGATE FARE - WEEK 13 "THE GAME"

Good morning friends. It is time. For this week's fare, I have discovered the following:

You can eat wolverine and wolverine meat comes with a lot of benefits. The meat is extremely similar to that of the bear. This means that the meat will be extremely high in iron. Iron is a crucial component of hemoglobin and will help your body better distribute oxygen to the vital components.

Now, I would love to do this, but unfortunately, we don't have any here in Virginia. (Anyway, I can't hunt right now for health reasons.) That being the case, I will have to settle for Smoked Rabbit, and just pretend.

The backstory: I moved from NYC to Columbus in 1987. I thought it was going to be all cowboy hats and cows. We had a good family friend who told me I was going to fall in love with the Buckeyes. She was right.

Life circumstances dictated that graduatiing from OSU wasn't going to happen. I failed out, joined the Navy and life went on. I DID, however, spend enough time on campus as part of the YSP to discover, learn and fall in love with the Buckeyes. I am in my mid-40's and still wear so much red that I have been accused, MANY times, of being a gangbanger. When ttun switched to Jordan brand, I swore off Jordans for a year. 3 of my nephews, 2 who have never been to Ohio, have become rabid fans. I have gotten into fistfights over this game (not my fault I swear that dude jumped me out of nowhere). Also, I am stressed and filled with anxiety this week, lol.

Now, the ~~rabbit~~ Wolverine recipe:

Brine:

¾ cup water
½ cup apple cider vinegar
¼ cup dry white wine
1 TBSP kosher salt
1 tsp fresh ground black pepper
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
2 2lb whole rabbits
- Double this recipe if making two rabbits.

Rub:

1 TBSP kosher salt
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
½ tsp paprika
½ tsp onion powder
½ tsp garlic powder
½ tsp dried oregano
½ tsp dried parsley flakes
- Double up in case you need more coverage, or just use your favorite rub.

Now, the cook:

Whisk water, apple cider vinegar, wine, salt, pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder together for the brine. Place rabbits in a 1-gallon plastic resealable bag and pour the brine over them and seal. Lay flat and refrigerate for 24 hours. I used two bags.
Combine salt, pepper, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, oregano, and parsley flakes in a small bowl.
Remove the rabbits from the brine and discard the brine. Rinse the rabbits thoroughly and pat dry with paper towels. Spread the rub over all surfaces of the rabbits. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Remove the rabbits from the refrigerator 1 hour before placing them on the smoker to allow the meat to come to room temperature.
Heat your smoker to 250 degrees; I used oak for this smoke BUT A GRILL WILL WORK FINE. (Just keep the temp low.)
Smoke the rabbits for 2 1/2 hours. Wrap in aluminum foil and smoke until tender, about 1 hour more. Recommended cook temp is 160 degrees.