Chinese rabbit meat recipes

Author: Zhao Huaixin
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-03-01
Features: Why soak rabbit meat in soda water for a while? After the rabbit meat is cut, before marinating, why is it placed in soda water for a short soak? This practice, known in the industry as "alkaline brining," aims to allow the alkaline solution to penetrate the muscle fibers and break down "bound water," reducing moisture in the rabbit meat. During marination, the meat can tightly absorb the marinade, making it easier to coat evenly and bind into the bones. The marinade becomes more effective, and the meat won't lose the marinade when fried, resulting in a clean and non-sticky final product. Additionally, this process makes the muscle fibers of the rabbit meat looser and more expanded, weakening their toughness, providing some leavening effect. When heated, the meat doesn't contract, giving it an exceptionally tender and smooth texture.
Furthermore, soda powder is a weak alkaline substance. After soaking in soda water, rabbit meat can expel blood and mucus from the muscle fibers, making the dish tender, palatable, easy to digest, and aesthetically pleasing with its white, delicate appearance, which is attractive to the appetite. While soaking in soda water has many advantages, it slightly reduces the meat's freshness and causes a minor loss of nutrients. However, this method plays a role in shaping the dish's unique characteristics.
For soaking, typically 250 grams of rabbit meat is used with 125 grams of water, adding 2 grams of soda powder. The meat is soaked for 3 to 5 minutes, then rinsed repeatedly with clean water to remove the soda taste. The water is squeezed out, and the meat is then marinated.
Why soak cut rabbit meat in clean water? Newly slaughtered domestic rabbits or wild rabbits may still retain some blood in their bodies due to incomplete bleeding. This not only makes the meat unattractive but also gives it a strong earthy or grassy odor. To meet the quality and flavor requirements of the dish, the meat must be soaked in clean water for a period before cooking to remove blood and impurities, making the meat white and pure, with a rich and delicious flavor, and allowing it to undergo further ripening. The soaking time can be adjusted based on the amount of blood and impurities in the meat, the size of the pieces, whether it's domestic or wild rabbit, and how long it has been dead. Generally, domestic rabbit meat is best when it is pure white, while wild rabbit meat should be pink or light pink.
Why is wolfberry recommended when cooking rabbit meat? Wolfberry is one of the key ingredients commonly used in cooking medicinal dishes with rabbit meat. Many famous dishes use wolfberry as the main ingredient, such as "Wolfberry Rabbit Meat," "Huaijiao Stewed Rabbit Meat," and "Ginseng-Wolfberry Rabbit Meat." Wolfberry has many synonyms, including "Gouqizi," "Tianbeizi," and "Xuejuzi." It is the ripe fruit of the wolfberry plant, a Lycium species. The fruit is oval-shaped, slightly flattened, red or orange-red, with soft and juicy flesh, and a sweet, slightly acidic taste. The best wolfberries are large, thick-fleshed, and soft. They are mainly grown in Gansu, Xinjiang, Inner Mongolia, and Ningxia, with those from Ningxia being the best.
Wolfberries are rich in carotene, thiamine, riboflavin, vitamin C, and other nutrients. They have a sweet, slightly flat, and slightly cold flavor, are non-toxic, and are classified as entering the liver and kidney meridians. They are commonly used as a nourishing and health-promoting herb. Wolfberries have the effects of tonifying the kidneys and liver, replenishing essence and brightening eyes, calming the mind and nourishing blood, moistening yin and strengthening yang, strengthening muscles and bones, moisturizing the skin, enhancing beauty, alleviating fatigue and thirst, relieving dryness and heat, and effectively restoring vitality. They can invigorate the Qi, replenish blood, generate Yang, grow Yin, reduce fire, and dispel wind-dampness, making them a nearly perfect remedy. Therefore, both food enthusiasts and health-conscious individuals consider them excellent for nourishment.