I had planned to order in a whole goat and break it down at work, but was unfamiliar with its anatomy. I’d heard that mostly all four legged mammals were pretty similar and although I’d broken down pig several times I thought it wouldn’t hurt to practice a little more. To do so, I bought a whole rabbit from the local butchery. I realized I didn’t really have a plan as far as what to use it for, but I remembered that Adobo, a Filipino staple, requires only a handful ingredients that are always available in the pantry.

Adobo is a vinegary stew that traditionally consists of soy sauce and datu puti vinegar (vinegar made from sugar cane), and is typically made with pork and/or chicken. I’m not the best at following tradition, so naturally, I decided to approach it a little differently using the rabbit.

Rabbit Adobo

1 lb     rabbit, cut into pieces
1 lb     chicken drummettes
1 c      balsamic vinegar
1/2 c   soy sauce (preferably Silver Swan Brand)
20       peppercorns, crushed
2        onions, small dice
10       garlic cloves, crushed
2 tbl    oyster sauce
1 tbl    sesame oil
1/4 c   white wine
4        bay leaves

Marinate the rabbit and chicken with the soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, sesame oil, and oyster sauce overnight in a gallon-sized ziploc to ensure that the marinade coats the meat evenly. Note: marinating meat prior to making any type of stew is crucial in imparting flavor or else you might end up with a very flavorful liquid surrounding very unflavorful meat. Drain the meat from the marinade, saving the marinade. In a heated dutch oven, sear the meat in small batches on high. Remove the meat, reduce heat to medium, and add the onions. Cook until translucent. Deglaze with the fond with white wine and reduce au sec (until almost dry). Return the meat and marinade to the pan and add the remaining ingredients. When the liquid comes to a boil, remove the pan from the heat and park it in an oven at 300 degrees F uncovered for about 2 1/2 hours or until the meat is tender. Serve with steaming white rice.