Thread: Hare jerky?

Hey y'all, anyone had any experience with jerking hare?
Was more concerned about any potential health risk eg tularemia etc rather than recipe. Is it safe to do?
I've been in touch with mpi in the past regarding diseases and parasites surrounding small game but they don't seem to have much. I love rabbit and hare hunting and would love some concrete facts surrounding potential risk regarding small game hunting specifically in new zealand.
Thanks in advance

I've been tempted to try it in the past......must go harvest a few and give it a go

In light of Tula I wouldnt do it, Its raw meat. Remember Liviticus - Thou shall eat the animals with the split hoof that chew their cuds etc these are clean to you. Rabbits hares etc are unclean. So even back before JC there were health problems with Coney's and Lepus
Cook your hares, but more importantly inspect them when gutting and make sure they are healthy.
I would buy a beef heart from the butcher if having a go at Jerky. Inspected and certified safe.

From a Chef's point of view, Jerky is Jerky, whatever the meat and most commercial brands, have a good dose of MSG along with the salt, sugar and other flavourings.

Regarding the potential for disease and parasites etc, all wild meat is potentially carrying something, in fact they all do, but our digestive systems, deal with all but the most nasty, of the possible bad bugs.

The process of making Jerky means that the initial salt (and sugar) is present in such concentrations, that nasties are killed right then, when the meat is further dried, the lack of water kills what ever may be left.

So in my view, a hunter's inspection of what he's just killed, check liver, check colour, check for rotting, etc, will be enough to ensure that the meat (deer/goat/rabbit/moose) is OK to eat. I can't see why Hare would be any different.

And I quite like a young possum too, older ones can be a bit strong Possums eat all the good bits in the bush.

It is worth remembering that Bacon is just salted pork (belly cut) from when they used to put a pig in a barrel and fillet it up with brine, on the sailing ships of old. They didn't put Nitrates and Nitrites in it until fairly recently. Before then, Bacon was pale, not pink.

oops, I had to look up Tularemia, to make sure I wasn't ignorant of a dangerous problem:

from https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-...s/syc-20378635

"Tularemia is a rare infectious disease that typically attacks the skin, eyes, lymph nodes and lungs. Tularemia — also called rabbit fever or deer fly fever — is caused by the bacterium Francisella tularensis.

The disease mainly affects mammals, especially rodents, rabbits and hares, although it can also infect birds, sheep, and domestic animals, such as dogs, cats and hamsters.

Tularemia spreads to humans through several routes, including insect bites and direct exposure to an infected animal. Highly contagious and potentially fatal, Tularemia usually can be treated effectively with specific antibiotics if diagnosed early."

I'm looking at the Hamster pie I just made, in a different light now.

But I guess, it's just how risk averse you are, if it worries you, maybe avoid it.

In Laos and Northern Thailand where I was for a time, we made a dish, raw Duck Blood Lahbp.

The fresh blood from a Duck (the meat of which was then cooked in a variety of ways) was put on a tray with herbs and such and congealed with lime juice which made it jelly.

With additional chopped pieces of the bbq'd liver and heart and other bits, it is a delightful meal.

I always wondered what parasites I've picked up though, 6 years since I ate it last and nothing to report

Originally Posted by Moa Hunter

In light of Tula I wouldnt do it, Its raw meat. Remember Liviticus - Thou shall eat the animals with the split hoof that chew their cuds etc these are clean to you. Rabbits hares etc are unclean. So even back before JC there were health problems with Coney's and Lepus
Cook your hares, but more importantly inspect them when gutting and make sure they are healthy.
I would buy a beef heart from the butcher if having a go at Jerky. Inspected and certified safe.

yeah but Leviticus also said you can buy slaves, and you shouldn't wear clothes of mixed fabrics.

Originally Posted by vulcannz

yeah but Leviticus also said you can buy slaves, and you shouldn't wear clothes of mixed fabrics.

You can still buy slaves now on Manchester st.

We've been eating a fair bit of hare for the past couple of years, excellent meat. Secret is gut it straight away, as you kill it. And dry age it on a rack in the fridge for about 10 days with a tea towel over it. And then treat it like any other quality meat, cos it is quality meat. Jerky sounds great, and biltong. Let us know how you get on.

Originally Posted by Husky1600

We've been eating a fair bit of hare for the past couple of years, excellent meat. Secret is gut it straight away, as you kill it. And dry age it on a rack in the fridge for about 10 days with a tea towel over it. And then treat it like any other quality meat, cos it is quality meat. Jerky sounds great, and biltong. Let us know how you get on.

Agree with gutting straight away if for no other reason than the smell is awful with delay. What does aging do to the meat and how'd do you cook it? Cheers.

Originally Posted by mimms2

And wasn't there something about going in and out of every village and slaying every man, and his sons, and taking the women and girls as plunder...

"Now go and smite Amalek, and destroy utterly all that they have, and spare them not, but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass"

I don't mind slaying some ass.

Originally Posted by MarkN

"Now go and smite Amalek, and destroy utterly all that they have, and spare them not, but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass"

Yep, the killing of the livestock too was so no one could say they did in the Amalekkies for their own gain in plunder. Rather it was a pure revenge attack and annihilation.

Tularemia, like most nasties that can be found in meat, is killed by heating to a minimum of 75DegC.
Salt brine should be 2.5 tablespoon of salt per 1kg of meat and just enough water to cover (I put it all in a heavy gauge plastic bag and force all the air out).
After smoking, put it in a preheated oven at 80DegC for 1/2 an hour and then do your dehydration via whatever method you choose. Or, use a dehydrator on the highest temp setting which I believe gets up to about 30-35DegC.

Originally Posted by MB

Agree with gutting straight away if for no other reason than the smell is awful with delay. What does aging do to the meat and how'd do you cook it? Cheers.

I always use to gut my hares as time allowed, sometimes the next day, was ok. Then my girlfriend told me to look after my ducks and geese and hares better and it will taste better - so I do. I quickly open up the skin across the back legs, drop the knife, and skin the legs using my thumbs, real easy when warm, push across the back and then take it off to the back/tail. Then grab the skin and literally pull it down towards the head in a tube. Once it gets past the ribs I pick up the knife again, cut through the back steaks at the last rib, cut carefully down both of the last ribs, give it a twist and the front falls off. Split up the tummy, pull the guts out still attached to the front bit, split the pelvis, deal to arsehole so it stays with the guts, job done! When I get back home I take each leg off like a deer, take the back straps off and remove the silver skin. Then put all the nice tidy bits on a rack in the fridge for about 10 days. If you cover it with a tea towel it doesnt tend to dry off on the outside. Make sure there are gaps between each bit, and the rack keeps it off whatever you've got under it.

Then treat it like good venison steak, fry it fast and hot, medium rare. Or put the legs in a camp oven on the fire for the day. Throw in some onions etc, some flavouring like you do for a stew, dont have to be too adventurous or a master chef, just make it like grandma use to, a few veggies etc. After a day slow cooking on top of the fire, its amazing.

But the one method I really like is to grab one of those off the shelf Teriyaki Sauce/Marinade mixes from the supermarket. Marinade your back steaks whole for about 30 minutes, and save a little bit of the marinade. Then quickly grill just one side of the steak on one of those grill frypans that have the ribs along the bottom. You dont want to cook it, just get the process started and brown one side quick and fast. Then with it hot, roll it up in a rasher or 2 of bacon and put just an little extra marinade on the steak half way through rolling it. Then put it on an oven tray and cook it on bake for about 30-35 minutes @180. Absolutely delicious and oh so easy to do.

Originally Posted by MarkN

"Now go and smite Amalek, and destroy utterly all that they have, and spare them not, but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass"

I'm finding this interesting