Rabbit Pancetta Lardons

Here is the rabbit pancetta I discussed in an earlier post after we decided to "meat glue" the bellies together after butchering some whole rabbits for the restaurant.  These were wrapped, pressed overnight, cut into lardons, and rendered down until crispy. It's very surprising how much the cure shines through the caramelization and doesn't overpower the natural rabbit flavor. This is definitely a great use for rabbit bellies which normally would have been tossed into the stock pot and cooked along with the bones.  My sous chef Nick gets the credit for this one and it's already being considered as a component for the many dishes to come out of my kitchen.