Krissie Mason’s Vension Porchetta Stuffed with Rabbit Loin

Ingredients

3-3 ½ lb. venison roast- (Brined for 24 hours prior to using)

2 rabbit loins

2 tbsp. approx. Fennel seed (Could also use thinly sliced fresh bulb)

1 tbsp. approx. dried Dill

Cracked pepper

Kosher salt

Directions

1. Preheat smoker to 225 degrees

2. Butterfly the roast, trim, and remove silver skin

3. Remove loin from rabbit saddle

4. Generously season the butterflied roast with fennel, dill, kosher salt and cracked pepper

5. Place loins on one end of roast and season with a little salt and pepper

6. Roll and tie the roast into with cotton butchers twine.

7. Put in preheated smoker and smoke for 2 hours using hickory wood.

8. Finish in the oven at 325 degrees until internal temp is 160 degrees for rabbit. Venison only needs to be 145 degrees.

9. After roast cools to handle, place in fridge.

10. When cooled, slice for sandwiches.

Click here to see more photos of this recipe in the Outdoor section.

Post rut and I have this beautiful, fresh venison roast staring at me. How about you? Sound familiar? I’ve also got a rabbit that needs to be broken down and prepared. Now, there are plenty of scrumptious recipes shared by the Divine Order of Online Venison Cookers, Eaters, and Bloggers on producing succulent, juicy meat served smoked, or roasted, slathered in sauces, or reductions, and served up with lovely rustic root vegetables and Fall’s harvest of perfect potatoes. Heck, I have written a few of those myself. But for this handsome hunk of red meat I wanted something decidedly more imaginative and gnarly. Something that could be served warm, or would be equally impressive served cold on crusty ciabatta with a smear of Dijon, the snap of a cornichon pickle, and sweet dripping juice of a plump, flavorful heirloom tomato. Something on the order of Turducken, but more twisted, or at the very least, a tied roulade.

Inspiration came at the deli counter of my local Italian Market. There I gazed with envy at the butcher. His stainless steel slicer whirred powerfully and precisely producing mounds of shaved salumeria, and particularly porchetta; a smoked, rolled pork roast seasoned liberally with salt, fennel, garlic, and rosemary, or dill. After consulting with a chef friend, we devised our own recipe for a “vorchetta”; a venison roast stuffed with wild rabbit loin that could be savored warm, or cold, and would allow me to create my own deli-thin mounds of meat using my Chef’s Choice Professional 665 Electric Food Slicer.

Just for the record, my slicer, is a master piece of form and function! Handsomely styled, it is a rugged, commercial quality appliance. It has die cast aluminum construction and excellent stability and rigidity that allows for accurate slicing. After watching the deli butcher rip through a variety of Italian charcuterie, I couldn’t wait to get my 3 pound rabbit stuffed vorchetta on the large capacity, cantilevered food carriage with its’ powerful, cool running, high torque motor for continuous, non-stop slicing with the high-quality multipurpose stainless steel serrated blade!