The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1919-11-05
OLD DISCUSSION OF
RABB|T-MEAT FOOD
(By A. l.. Taylor)


had the average or usual opinion on
corning the value of rabbit meat as
food. We thought that the c%ottontail
and young jack, with the accent on
the word young" were quite ac-
ceptable as human food, but that as
the jack increased in age and wisdom
he grew increasingly tough and often
sive as an article of diet-an impos-
sible animal for the table.
So it happened that when an old
specimen of jack was bagged he was
either left to the buzzard or fed to
the poultry. At this junction enters
an element that has resulted in a
total change of opinion. 1t gradually
came to pass that after l had exc
cuted the preliminary stages of butch
ering my wife called my attention to
an altered program in her part of the
butchering process that converted the
meat of rabbits of all ages into a
patatable food than was otherwise
possible.
We studied the matter accordingly
with sedulous care and between us
we worked out a detailed program
that covered every item of the pro-
cess. We found that the meat of the
oldest jack was transformable into
meat so tender and of SO good a. fla
vor that my wife began to request
that / bring in the largest rabbits for
table use, as more meat was available
for a given expenditure of labor than
from the smaller specimens. 1t was
She who worked up this meat into a
wide variety of dishes, and to her al
ways excellent judgment is due the
subtle deliciousness OF e dishes
that are locally famous, and composed
Of the flesh Of wild rabbit.
1t is a matter of local history that
in the early days of nine or ten years
ago when this was a struggling and
newly settled community that the only
active social organization was the
Ladies' Aid, who were busy as bea-
vers giving dinners and sometimes
suppers to %replenish the local church
treasury. For such occasions my wife,
among others, was requested to do
nate prepared food for conversion
into cash. She would promise a meat
loaf usually, but occasionally other
forms of meat, and invariably the
meat that composed the donation was
rabbit meat.
She took a keen secret satisfaction
in listening to the comments of many
who frankly admitted they Just
couldn't" eat rabbit meat, who were
praising the fine quality of the veal
loaf she had brought. Such express
sions as MY! My! l never ate such
fine veal before" where did you get
this delicious meat. Mrs. Taylor" ETC.,
were heard almost without end. My
wife was cautious for a year or more
about explaining the ingredients, as
shattered fancies almost invariable
resulted from any frank statement of
fact.
We have placed on our table for
these several years the meat of these
widely detested rabbits. When friends
and neighbors were served with this
meat they seldom failed to comment
upon it favorable, not knowing what
it was. We took occasion to request
their opinion as to the meat-its ma
ture, it's flavor, and it's general desir-
ability. In some cases they admitted
that they could not decide as to the
nature of the meat; that it wasn't
quite like any they were acquainted
with. but that it was exquisitely ten
der and of fine flavor. Ever so often
it was guessed to be veal chops, pork
tenderloin, and one person who had a
special liking for wild duck declared
it must be the meat of that fowl.
A physician who lives in the south
west, among muitltudes of jack rab-
bits. and who was for a time in the
medical service of the army, took a
rather lively interest in the theory of
the utilization of wild rabbit meat, as
hundreds of millions of pounds of this
sort of food now going to waste con
ceivably might be made available for
human food.
l tried to secure him for a guest at
a time when We had this meat q .be
table. but his duties confined him too
closely for this pleasure. so one lay
| took to his cook the meaty par. Of
the back of a rabbit, detached from
the bones, with a request that it be
served at the noon hour, and cooked
in a certain way.