DECEMBER 2018 • NEBRASKAland 35
or jackrabbit for hasenpfeffer. We
couldn't afford much store-bought
meat back then, but rabbits were
plentiful." He may still have a copy
of his grandma's hasenpfeffer recipe
"stashed somewhere."
I also talked with my mom, Mary
Ann Steinauer of Omaha. Strangely,
though of full German heritage, her
maiden name was Dahmke, and
raised on a farm on the outskirts
of Millard, she had never heard of
hasenpfeffer until marrying my dad.
Despite cooking hasenpfeffer at my
dad's request, she, like her squeamish
youngest son, could never bring herself
to eat it. "It must be an acquired taste
from childhood," she mused.
She thought the recipe she used was
likely the same Steinauer recipe that
Uncle Clem had stashed somewhere.
My sister recently found my mom's at-
least-60-year-old handwritten copy of
this recipe folded in a cookbook.
Recently, to revive a family tradition,
and using two rabbits I harvested last
winter, I used my great grandma's
recipe and made hasenpfeffer. Would
I Iike it? Or would my tastes still
be tainted from soured childhood
memories?
Well ... first of all, my now more
sophisticated nose found the aroma
of the cooking hasenpfeffer rather
pleasant, slightly tangy, earthy – far
from disgusting. As to the taste, it was
really good. The meat was moist, fall-
off-the-bone tender with just the right
amount of spiciness and sourness. The
gravy was wonderful over mashed
potatoes.
Now I see why the Steinauer boys
liked their hasenpfeffer. I never would
have guessed it, but they had pretty
good culinary tastes. ■
Hasenpfeffer – a German rabbit stew – served with mashed potatoes and baked apple slices.
