Rabbit
Oryctolagus cuniculus · Meat
Top 10 pairings
Rabbit is the meat of the domestic rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus), a small mammal of the family Leporidae — pale, fine-grained, very lean flesh tasting somewhere between chicken and pork with a faint, clean gaminess. Eaten as both farmed and wild animals, it is an everyday meat across France, Italy, Spain and Malta, classically braised with mustard, stewed, or roasted to keep its lean muscle from drying.
Picking a good onedrag
Pearly pink, firm, just cutOff: slimy, sour, grey-green
Counter freshEveryday bestHold at 4C (40F) or below and use fresh rabbit within two days, or freeze at -18C (0F). USDA's figure is 71C (160F); a rose loin is a chef's convention, not agency advice.
Colour of the fleshPale pink, or a shade darker on an older roaster
Surface and springMoist to the touch, still firm underneath
Smell as the pack opensFaint and clean, a whisper of gaminess, nothing sharp
How it is keptCold and sealed, the date a day or two off