When choosing a healthy diet for a baby, any mother tries to give him the most delicious, healthy and high-quality dishes. This is especially true for rabbit meat. It refers to diet foods. Before using, the housewives ask themselves a question - is it necessary to soak the rabbit before cooking? The article will discuss the rules of cooking meat and its advantages.
The benefits of rabbit meat
Rabbit contains a large amount of vitamins, minerals and other beneficial substances. The product practically does not contain cholesterol, it is recommended for diseases of the heart and blood vessels, and is also used to prevent them.
Rabbit meat due to the presence of a huge amount of useful substances in it can improve the absorption of fats and proteins by the body. It will also help strengthen the walls of blood vessels and will become a necessary assistant in the preparation of a diet for gastrointestinal tract patients.
Rabbit meat is completely hypoallergenic, which is why it is ideal for starting feeding. It is rich in vitamins of group B. The meat is capable of being absorbed by 90% and contains a large amount of protein. The product is completely dietary, it has a minimal amount of fat, which surpasses even chicken.
Do I need to soak a rabbit before cooking for a child? This is done only in order to get delicious and nutritious dishes.
How to prepare a carcass
Before preparing various dishes from meat, it is necessary to cut and wash the rabbit:
- It is best to cook it in batches, so rabbit meat will turn out softer.
- The carcass is divided into upper and lower parts.
- Then they can be cut into smaller pieces at your discretion.
- The lower half consists of large paws that can be fried or stewed. In boiled form, the meat is no less tasty.
- The upper part, consisting of paws, chest and spine, is best used for preparing broth. You can also stew meat.
Experts recommend using rabbit meat as the first food for children. Before cooking meat, it must be soaked. This will be discussed later in the article.
How to defrost properly
Being a universal product, rabbit meat can be eaten both fried and boiled. Some housewives bake or stew it with the addition of a small amount of spices.
Before any manipulations, the product is washed under warm running water.
So that the rabbit does not bite, how to soak its meat before cooking? First, the meat is thawed at room temperature. Warm water should not be used for this, so as not to lose useful substances. And only after this procedure they proceed to soak the meat. The process consists of several stages.
How to soak a rabbit before cooking
In water, this is done simply. The need for this process can be considered from several angles. In this case, the age of the animal, the method of slaughter and its freshness are taken into account. If the meat is young and fresh, it is often not subject to soaking. And at the same time, the carcass of an old hare shot down during a hunt requires a completely different approach. Otherwise, the meat will be hard, bitter and have an unpleasant odor. Mostly children cook various rabbit dishes.
Soaking the meat will help get rid of bitterness and unpleasant taste. It is enough to change the water every 15 minutes, it needs to be done 3-4 times. At the last draining, a small amount of spices of your own choice is added to the liquid. To get involved in their quantity is not recommended, because rabbit meat dishes will be prepared for children.
To more accurately answer whether it is necessary to soak a rabbit before cooking, we will talk about another way of implementing this process. You can soak the meat in mineral water. This will make it soft and rid of all unnecessary. The same effect can be achieved if this is done in serum.
For children, meat can be soaked in milk for 3 hours. After that, a variety of dishes are prepared from it.
How to soak a rabbit before cooking in wine? This can be done in both white and red drinks with spices. The meat will have a great taste and aroma, however, this is done only for adults, for small children this process of cooking the product is contraindicated.
Rabbit soup
To prepare soup for the baby, the meat is added to the pot with boiling water, which will preserve vitamins and other useful substances. The process itself from boiling to readiness is 1.5-2 hours, taking into account the quantity and composition of the product. The front of the carcass with bones can be cooked up to 3 hours.
Do I need to soak a rabbit before making soup? Yes, this should be done to get a truly fragrant broth.
It is necessary to grind meat properly - for this it is cut against the fibers. Then the product becomes tender and soft. You can check the readiness of the meat with a fork. Having pierced a small piece, they notice that if the juice is pink and cloudy, then the product is not boiled over. Transparent - the meat is ready.
For the baby, you can make mashed rabbit soup. The recipe is simple and includes the following components:
- rabbit meat - 200 g;
- potatoes - 2 pcs;
- carrots - 1 pc;
- onion - 2 pcs;
- greens to taste.
The soup preparation process includes the following steps:
- separate the required amount of meat;
- cook the necessary vegetables on the broth;
- add greens at the end;
- beat the required amount of meat and soup until creamy.
Serve warm immediately after cooking.
Rabbit puree
The dish is considered the most popular and is suitable for the first acquaintance of the baby with rabbit meat. The gentle consistency of mashed potatoes, as well as the ability not to use salt and spices, makes its taste unique.
Do not hesitate to soak the rabbit before cooking. Of course, it is necessary, this is done so that the dish gets a delicate taste. The cooking process consists of several stages. Ingredients: 200 g of meat and 2 liters of liquid.
Rabbits are thawed at room temperature and soaked for one hour in plain water. Put the meat in boiling water and cover. Cooking time depends on the size of the selected piece of rabbit meat.
After readiness, the meat should be beaten in a blender with the addition of 1-2 tablespoons of broth. The consistency of mashed potatoes is tender and uniform, it should contain no undercooked pieces and fibers. In this case, the child will be able to love and enjoy using the cooked dish in the future.
In the oven
Rabbit meat can not only be boiled, but baked in the oven with potatoes. The dish is simple to prepare, but has its own nuances.
How to soak a rabbit before cooking in the oven? Meat should be thawed and soaked in water for 1-1.5 hours.
To prepare the dish you will need: 400 g of rabbit meat, 800 g of potato, butter and vegetable oil, onions, carrots, peas, water, salt.
The rabbit is cut into portions and fried in a pan until cooked. Separate onions and carrots. The meat should be folded into a small baking sheet, add the fried onions and carrots, chopped potatoes, peppers, salt and pour a little water. Lay out pieces of butter on top of the dish.
Cover the baking sheet with foil and put in the oven for 30-40 minutes. After this time, mix the components. In addition, put the dish in the oven for 10-15 minutes, remove the foil. This is done in order to remove excess moisture and brown potatoes and meat. After that, the dish is ready to serve.
Cutlets
Do I need to soak a rabbit before cooking cutlets? It is also necessary, this is done in order to get a delicate and truly tasty dish. Rabbit cutlets are hearty, they are loved by adults and children. The dish goes well with potatoes, cereals and pasta.
To cook delicious meatballs, you need to choose a good rabbit meat with a pale pink color. Without blood clots, which will then be difficult to remove or soak.
Stuffing components:
- hind legs - 2 pcs;
- chicken egg - 1 pc;
- rice (50 g);
- salt, spices, vegetable oil.
The cooking process includes the following steps:
- Rinse thoroughly to remove dirt and starch. Cook until cooked for 15 minutes.
- Next, make minced meat.
- Add an egg to it.
- Add minced rice, salt and spices to the minced meat. Then the mass is thoroughly mixed and proceed to frying the cutlets.
- Balls are prepared from minced meat, crumbling them in flour. Fried in vegetable oil over medium heat.
- Then bring the cutlets to readiness by covering them with a lid.
Serve a dish with mashed potatoes, porridge or pasta.
Conclusion
Rabbit meat is a healthy product that can be included in the diet of both adults and children. And to make the dish from it tasty and healthy, it is soaked before cooking.