The Tale of Pita Rabbit

Really, I've got to give myself a pat on the back for the clever title. 

In retrospect, I should have thrown together a cute little side salad of lettuces, French beans, radishes, and parsley - the things that naughty little Peter Rabbit munched on in Mr. MacGregor's garden - but instead, I simply had these rich, delicious pita sandwiches with a glass of slightly chilled Chardonnay.  Mr. MacGregor, you can keep your lettuces - but if you catch any mischievous rabbits, I'll help Mrs. MacGregor turn them into a delicious treat!

So what made me decide to put rabbit in a pita pocket?  Top Chef!  Rabbit was the ingredient assigned to all the contestants, and as they scrambled to create their dishes, I thought about a creative dish I could make with rabbit, which was difficult, because although I've eaten rabbit, I've never cooked it.  This, ladies and gentlemen, presented a challenge that I gladly accepted.  I decided that I would learn to cook rabbit, and I'd make something creative.  Maybe the composition of the dish was not creative, but I liked the idea of a unique theme - Pita Rabbit, which sounds like a Bostonian speaking the words "Peter Rabbit."  Drumroll, please...

Rabbit isn't one of those things you're likely to find at the mega-mart, so unless you know a hunter (as not many of us city folk do), you have to seek it out at butcher shops or by mail order.  I called several of my tried-and-true butcher shops, and Savenor's was the only one that had any fresh rabbit on hand.  I know that many of the butcher shops in Boston sell rabbit, especially Boston's North End, but not everyone has rabbit in stock at all times, so I'm glad I decided to call in advance.  After all, rabbit isn't a popular meat. 

I took the advice of the butcher at Savenor's, who cautioned me about the presence of tiny pinbones and recommenced cooking the meat "slow and low," which means cooking something for a long time at a low temperature.  I cooked the rabbit with a sauteed shallot in wine, chicken, and lemongrass mint vinegar for about four hours, then I let it cool overnight. 

The next day, I shredded the cooked rabbit meat with my fingers and served it in warmed pitas with traditional Greek/Mediterranean accompaniments.  These sandwiches are packed full of healthy ingredients, yet extremely rich and satisfying.  If you're squeamish about cooking rabbit, feel free to make these with dark meat chicken, but the flavor will not be the same.  The recipe below will fill two whole pita pockets, or four halves.  When all the ingredients are prepared in advance, these make a super-quick, super-easy meal! 


Braised Rabbit

1 T. butter
1 shallot, minced
1/2 - 1 lb. rabbit parts
1/2 c. white wine
1/2 c. chicken broth
splash lemongrass & mint vinegar or juice of 1/2 lemon
pinch each salt and pepper

In a large, heavy bottomed pot, melt the butter over medium-high heat, then add the shallot.  Saute for 3-4 minutes, or until the shallot has softened.  Add the rabbit parts and brown for 5-7 minutes.

Add the wine, chicken broth, vinegar.  Reduce heat to low and cover.  Simmer for at least two hours, longer if possible, checking every 30 minutes or so.  If the liquid is evaporating too quickly, go ahead and add an extra splash of wine throughout the process. 

Once the rabbit has simmered for at least two hours, remove from heat.  Serve as-is or let cool if you're using the meat for Pita Rabbit sandwiches.


Pita Rabbit

2 pita breads, warmed in the oven and cut in half
shredded rabbit or chicken (dark meat)
minced red onion
grated cucumber
chopped mint
seeded & chopped tomato
chopped kalamata olives
crumbled feta cheese
Greek dressing (recipe below)

Fill each pita bread half with your choice of the ingredients listed above. 



Greek Dressing

1 T. plain yogurt
1 large or 2 small garlic cloves, pressed
1 T. chopped fresh mint
1 T. fresh oregano (or 1 t. dried)
1/4 t. ground sumac berries* (optional)
pinch salt
freshly ground black pepper
1/2 c. olive oil
juice of 1 lemon
1/2 t. toasted sesame oil

Whisk the ingredients in a small bowl.  Use to dress pita sandwiches or salads.  Also delicious on steamed veggies, fresh chopped tomatoes, cold pasta or rice, etc.
 

* Sumac is a tart spice commonly used in Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cooking.  If you can't find it at your local market, you can order it from Penzey's.

Battle of the Butchers

How many of you purchase your meat from butcher shops? I’m guessing not many. Old-school butchers seem to have gone the way of the dinosaurs and the Zack Morris cell phone, but I stumbled across two butcher shops in Boston’s North End - DiPaolo & Rossi and Sulmona‘s. I had to stop into both and decide once and for all who gave me the best steak.

I’ve shopped at a real butcher’s before - Hill’s Meat Market in the Wesleyville neighborhood of Erie, PA, my hometown - and I consider myself lucky to have grown up with the experience of walking into a small, family-run store and hearing my mom ask, “What’s fresh today?” and planning a meal around Donny’s recommendation. Sure, my mom and I also shopped at supermarkets and other specialty retailers, but as a kid, I remember our meat wrapped in thick paper the color of Crayola’s Burnt Orange crayons; no Styrofoam tray, no moisture-absorbing paper, no plastic wrap.

My Godfather Joe owned Joe Zak’s Market, a neighborhood grocery store in Pittsburgh with an on-site butcher (read more here). Although I was only three when Uncle Joe retired and closed the store, the article from the Pittsburgh Press style section reporting on the closing hangs in my kitchen, and I get to look at Uncle Joe and Aunt Eleanor while I prep. The article talks about the history of the store and the neighborhood’s reaction to the closing, and talks about how pro baseball players used to help Uncle Joe prep the turkeys for delivery. You’d never see an article like this about the local Stop & Shop going out of business.

 How did I evaluate DiPaolo & Rossi vs. Sulmona’s? At each store, I bought a 6 oz. Sirloin steak approximately ¾" thick. I cooked them at the same time, in the same pan, for the same amount of time per side, and with the same seasoning and sauce (recipe below). I allowed the flavors to speak for themselves, and I found that DiPaolo & Rossi’s sirloin was more tender, while Sulmona’s was tougher but more flavorful.

So who won? I’ve got to give them a tie - the only logical way to solve this dilemma would be a dance-off. In the big picture, the winner is the customer - buying meat from a local proprietor who cares about his/her product really does make a difference. Small, independent shops may not have the selection that big-box chains offer, but at the same time, you know the product hasn’t been sitting in a freezer case for months hoping to be thawed, and you won‘t smell more plastic wrap than meat when you open your package. The butcher will cut the meat as small or as large as you’d like, and you’re not going to be stuck cutting away ginormous chunks of fat. When you buy from a butcher, you get meat your way and you’re not at the mercy of some corporate store manager more concerned with administrative BS than what’s in your shopping bag. The best part of neighborhood shops is that while they don’t always have what you’re looking for, you know that if you ask for it, they will get it for you, or you could challenge yourself, walk in and ask, “What’s good?” and then base a meal around what they offer you - not so unlike a Top Chef challenge!

Obviously, steaks were on the menu, and I decided to base the meal on seasonal ingredients, using pumpkin, porcini mushrooms, kale, and a touch of bacon, butter, and booze. Serve these steaks with broiled polenta squares over braised kale. Complete the prep work ahead of time, and you can fix this meal in about ten minutes.

Sirloin Steaks with Whiskey Cream Sauce

2 oz. pancetta or uncured bacon
2 6 oz. sirloin steaks, approx. 3/4" thick, rubbed with salt and pepper
1 T. butter
1 shallot, finely minced
1 1/2 oz. whiskey
1/4 c. heavy cream
1 T. reconstituted porcini mushrooms, finely minced (see below)*
1 t. fresh thyme leaves

Heat a heavy-bottomed skillet (cast iron is preferable) over medium-high heat. Once the pan is hot, add the pancetta or bacon and fry until crisp. Remove from the pan and place on paper towels to absorb grease; pour grease off pan (I save bacon grease, it makes a great soup base!) When the pancetta or bacon has cooled, crumble it into small bits and set aside.

Turn the heat up to high. Add the steaks and cook for approximately three minutes per side for medium rare. Once the steaks are cooked, remove them and set aside on a plate. They will continue to cook and distribute their juices, do not disturb the steaks while they rest.

Now it is time to make the sauce. Remove the pan from the burner for a minute or so to reduce the heat so that the sauce ingredients do not cook too quickly and burn. Next, place the pan over low heat, and add the butter. When the butter has melted, add the shallots and saute them for a minute or so, stirring constantly. Now, add the whiskey, cream, mushrooms, and crumbled pancetta or bacon, stirring constantly until all the ingredients are blended. Remove from heat, pour sauce into a small bowl, and add the thyme, stirring until blended. Spoon a small amount over your cooked steak and serve.


Broiled Polenta with Pumpkin and Pecorino

several pieces dried porcini mushrooms*
water
1 cup polenta
salt and pepper
2 T. butter
1 cup shredded raw pumpkin
1/2 cup shredded pecorino romano
2 T. crumbled pancetta or bacon

In a small bowl, add 1 cup of boiling water to the porcini mushrooms. Soak for 10 minutes, then remove the mushrooms, chop finely, and set aside. Pour the mushroom soaking liquid into a large saucepan with 3.5 additional cups of water and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Bring to a boil.

When water has reached a rolling boil, slowly pour the polenta into the water, stirring quickly and constantly. When all the polenta has been added, continue to stir. Do not stop stirring, or the polenta could come out lumpy. The polenta will begin to thicken; keep stirring for about 5 minutes, until the polenta becomes very thick. Add the butter and stir until it is completely dissolved. Remove from heat, then pour into a 9 x 13 baking dish, spreading with a spatula so that the polenta forms an even layer approximately 1/2" thick. Set the polenta aside to cool, once it has cooled to room temperature, place it in the refrigerator to set for at least an hour. This step can be done the night before.

Once the polenta has set, cut it into 12 squares (for a nicer presentation, use a cookie cutter and cut them into rounds, saving the leftover polenta for a random snack). Place these on a baking tray, and preheat the broiler on high. Next, sprinkle the shredded pumpkin on top of each polenta round, making sure all the pumpkin is used. Repeat this step with the pecorino romano cheese, with the crumbled pancetta or bacon, and with the minced porcini mushrooms.

Place under the broiler for 5-8 minutes, or until the cheese has completely melted. Serve on top of a bed of braised kale.

* If you cannot find dried porcini mushrooms, they can be purchased online.


Braised Kale

Lacinato kale is also called Tuscan kale, dinosaur cale, or cavolo nero. Curly kale can be substituted if lacinato kale is not available.

1 bunch lacinato kale, stems removed, chopped into 1" thick strips
4 sprigs fresh thyme
pinch salt and pepper

Rinse the kale in water; do not dry. Add the wet kale to a large pot with a lid with the thyme, salt, pepper, and approximately 1/4 cup water. Cook over medium low heat, until the kale begins to wilt. Serve, season with additional salt and pepper if necessary.