CookEat Recipe
Butter-Wrapped Spit-Roasted Hare
Hare hindquarters studded with cured fatback, roasted in a buttered wrapper and browned with rosemary-scented butter.
Method
Steps
Step 1
Gather the ingredients: Hare hindquarters, about 1 kg bone-in, legally supplied and professionally prepared without internal organs; 60 g plain cured pork fatback, cut into slender strips; 50 g butter, divided into 35 g for the wrapper and 15 g for finishing; Salt, to taste; 1 clean rosemary sprig for the final basting; Heavy-duty food-contact grill foil rated for the cooking temperature and suitable for the rotisserie.
Step 2
Use professionally prepared hare, aged only by the supplier under controlled refrigeration if appropriate. Remove the thick outer membranes without damaging the muscles. Insert the slender cured-fatback strips throughout with a larding needle, adding salt sparingly only if the cured fat needs it.
Step 3
Secure the hindquarters on the rotisserie. Spread 35 g butter over the food-contact side of a generous piece of suitable grill foil, sprinkle lightly with salt and wrap around the meat, folding the ends securely. This modern version uses rated grill foil in place of the historical paper; keep it clear of flames and moving parts, and follow the product and appliance limits.
Step 4
Preheat for indirect roasting at about 180–200°C with a drip pan below. Roast in the wrapper for about 1½–2 hours, according to thickness, until the thickest hare and larded channels reach at least 74°C. Open carefully to release steam and collect hot juices without spilling onto the heat source.
Step 5
Melt the remaining 15 g butter. With a clean rosemary sprig, brush the exposed hare with the melted butter and continue rotating for about 5–10 minutes until coloured. Adjust salt if needed. Rest briefly, remove foil and every tie and serve, leaving no woody rosemary stem on the meat.
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