Rabbit meat is not popular in Poland. Most of the production is intended for export. However, it is worth including the rabbit carcass in your diet, because it is dietary meat, delicate, easy to digest, and considered by many to be delicious in taste. They are especially recommended for allergy sufferers, young children and people with cardiovascular diseases.

Poland is one of the leading producers of rabbit meat in Europe. The vast majority, nearly 90%, is exported to Western countries. In Poland, the interest in rabbit meat is gradually increasing, but its consumption is very low - it amounts to approx. 0.5 kg per person per year, while in Italy it is approx. 6 kg, in France and Spain it is approx. 5 kg, and in Belgium and Portugal it is approx. 2 kg. Such a low consumption results from the culinary habits of Poles. We still prefer poultry and pork. The prejudices against eating rabbit meat are also important. For many people, the rabbit is a domestic mascot, for others it is an old symbol of food for the poor. Rabbit meat is very valuable and it is worth including it in your diet at least from time to time.

Nutritional values ​​of rabbit meat

Rabbit meatis white, easily digestible, tender and juicy. When cooked, it provides 114 kcal / 100 g. It is characterized by high protein content and low fat content. Depending on the part of the carcass, the amount of protein varies from 20 to 25%. For comparison, beef and pork contain around 15% protein, and veal and chicken around 20%. Another great value of rabbit meat is its digestibility. As much as 90% of the protein from rabbit meat is digestible by the human body, from beef - 62%, and chicken 79-90%. They are also characterized by a low content of connective tissue proteins (2.7%) with low nutritional value. Rabbit meat provides a small amount of purines - nitrogen compounds that are formed by digesting protein and contribute to the formation of uric acid crystals in the joints. Therefore, they can be consumed by people suffering from gout.

Important

Due to its easy digestibility and high nutritional value, it is recommended to children from 6 months of age as the first meat food. For the same reasons, they are recommended for the elderly, weakened by diseases, suffering from problems with the cordfor pregnant and breastfeeding women. Rabbit meat does not cause allergic reactions. It is the safest meat for small and adult allergy sufferers, as well as people with autoimmune diseases.

Rabbit meat contains a small amount of fat - from 3 to 6%, which is mainly deposited in the area of ​​the kidneys and behind the shoulder blades. This amount is responsible for very good culinary properties, tenderness and juiciness of the meat. Rabbit meat also has a very good fatty acid profile and a high content of unsaturated fatty acids. The amount of linolenic acid (C18: 3) is 3% in intramuscular fat and 6% in storage fat. The liver and the meat of marine fish contain similar amounts. On the other hand, the reserve fat of cattle and pigs contains a maximum of 0.5% of linolenic acid.

The consumption of linolenic acid reduces the susceptibility to blood clots, reduces the risk of atherosclerosis, heart attacks and cardiovascular diseases.

Rabbit meat contains a small amount of cholesterol (35-50 mg / 100 g), while beef is 45-60 mg / 100 g, and chicken meat is 78-98 mg / 100 g. the risk factor for atherosclerosis, apart from cholesterol, is homocysteine ​​- an amino acid resulting from the digestion of animal proteins, mainly red meats. Rabbit meat causes the body to produce small amounts of this harmful amino acid. Due to the low content of fat, cholesterol, homocysteine ​​and significant amounts of linolenic acid, rabbit meat is recommended for people at risk of cardiovascular diseases.

Worth knowing

The content of vitamins and minerals in 100 g of rabbit meat

Vitamin - B1 0.11 mg Vitamin B2 - 0.37 mg Vitamin B6 - 0.45 mg Vitamin B12 - 1.49 mg Biotin - 0.28 mg Vitamin PP - 2.12 mg Pantothenic acid - 0.81 mg Vitamin A - 0.41 mg Iron - 2.9 mg Calcium - 6.4-13 mg Magnesium 21-29.1 mg Phosphorus 145-234.8 mg Potassium 200-422 mg Sodium 59.3 mg Copper 0.51 mg Zinc 5.4 mg Manganese 0.021 mg

Source: (Kowalska et al. 2012, Bielański et al. 2002)

Production and consumption of rabbit meat

There are many breeds of rabbits in farms, which differ in growth rate and meat quality. In Poland, approximately 80% of the rabbit meat obtained comes from traditional farm production, and 20% from commercial production. Traditionally bred rabbits are mostly hybrids of different breeds. They are more appreciated by consumers because of their ecological rearing and better meat quality. In intensive production, meat breeds, fast growing, such as the New Zealand, Californian and Termonde white rabbits are used. For many years, efforts were made to achieveobtaining breeds of rabbits with a high meat content in the carcass. Unfortunately, they are characterized by a poorer quality of meat. The taste and quality of rabbit meat largely depends on how the animals are fed. They are very sensitive to low-quality food, so we can be sure that the meat is free from undesirable substances, even if it comes from intensive farming. Rabbits feed on plant fodder, mainly greens with the addition of carrots, beets and cereals, as well as hay, straw and silage. Sometimes vitamin and mineral preparations are added to the feed.

Rabbit meat - use in the kitchen

In stores, we usually buy a whole rabbit. Sometimes you can find meat divided into parts - back, saddle and front, and saddle is considered to be the part of rabbit meat of the highest quality. The best meat is obtained from young animals, four to six months old, weighing 2.5 to 4.5 kg. Meat from older animals is stringy and its smell changes. Meat from farmed rabbits is light in color, soft and tender, with a sweet, slightly nutty flavor. Wild rabbits produce darker and more stringy meat. Connoisseurs believe that the rabbit is tastiest right after the autumn moult. The front part of the carcass contains more membranes, tendons and bones. It is best suited for cooking. Cooked meat can be used to prepare delicious pate, for example. The back section and saddle are mainly used for baking, stewing or frying.

A rabbit can be prepared in many ways. Both as expressive and very aromatic dishes, made with red wine or beer, juniper and ginger, and delicate in taste, ideal for children. Before starting the heat treatment, it is very important to properly prepare the meat. The rabbit must be mashed so that the meat is not tough and stringy after preparation. Maturing takes place for 48 hours at a temperature of 2 to 6 ° C. The meat can then be stained. Thanks to this, the prepared dishes will be the tastiest. The rabbit is immersed in a stain, i.e. a marinade of red wine, wine vinegar and olive oil with the addition of spices for 2 to 4 days. It is not necessary in the preparation of rabbit dishes and it is inadvisable when cooking them for children. A delicate marinade can be made with buttermilk or the meat can be stewed without marinating first. The best dishes for toddlers are boiled rabbit pieces or meatballs prepared from minced meat in a delicate broth.

Summary

Rabbit meat rarely appears on Polish plates. It is worth using this type of meat to diversify dishes for the whole family, because it is very nutritious and easy to digest.and free of undesirable substances such as hormones. In addition, it is characterized by a low cholesterol content and a significant amount of linolenic acid, the consumption of which is very important for protection against atherosclerosis and other cardiovascular diseases.

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