Grilled Rabbit with Apple Cider Brine

• 2 cups water
• 2 cups apple cider
• 2 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon cracked black pepper
• 1/2 tablespoons dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
• 6 dried allspice berries
• 1/2 bay leaf
• 3 whole rabbits, split, 2 pounds each, or 8 rabbit hind leg quarters
• 1/2 cup soy marinade (page 237)
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 3 tablespoons butter

1. Combine the brine ingredients in a small bowl or resealable plastic bag.
2. Add the rabbit pieces, cover or seal, and refrigerate for 6 to 12 hours.
3. Combine the basting sauce ingredients in a small nonreactive pan and mix well.
4. Place over medium heat until the mixture is warm.
5. Remove from the heat.
6. Build a charcoal and/or wood fire with the cooking rack 6 to 8 inches above the coals.
7. Lightly oil the hot grate.
8. When the temperature reaches 350F, grill the rabbit for 20 minutes on each side, or until the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees.
9. Baste the rabbit liberally with the basting sauce as it grills.
10. Cut the whole rabbit into quarters before serving.
11. Cooking bone-in lean meats such as rabbit directly over high heat is tricky.
12. High heat will dry the outside meat before the inside meat is cooked through.
13. When cooking lean bone-in cuts, remember to raise the cooking grate above the fire or switch to an indirect cooking method.
14. Also, all lean meat needs protection from the flame, the easiest being an oil-based marinade or baste.
15. Direct heat

water, apple cider, kosher salt, sugar, cracked black pepper, thyme, garlic, berries, bay leaf, whole rabbits, soy marinade, lemon juice, mustard, butter

Taken from www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/grilled-rabbit-with-apple-cider-brine-377314 (may not work)