Combine the kosher salt, buttermilk and water into a bowl and whisk together.
Smoked Rabbit
Place the rabbit into the brine and put in the refrigerator for 4-6 hours. Make sure the entire rabbit is covered.
Remove the rabbit from the brine, discard the brine and rinse the rabbit well. Pat dry. Cover the rabbit thoroughly with the dry rub.
Heat smoker up to 275°F.
Using an ⅛ sheet pan with the rack, place it on the grill grate and pour the wine into the bottom. Place the rabbit on top of the grate.
Smoked rabbit until the internal temperature is about 145 degrees. At that point, brush on sauce (if desired) and continue smoking until the internal temperature reaches 160°F.
Notes
Brine: I prefer to use a very low amount of salt in the brine. The buttermilk helps to tenderize the meat, and the salt definitely sticks around, even after rinsing.Smoking Tray: I used a white wine in the smoking tray, but mix it up with a fruit juice or even water. Usually, the dripping trays stop the fats from the meat from hitting the hot coals and creating a foul smoke taste, but there is so little fat in rabbit that you don't have to worry about it. This is solely for adding a flavor.Smoke: Use a mild fruit wood. A little goes a long way. Rabbit is a mild meat and the smoke flavor can easily overpower the flavor. I prefer to set it up as a very light, slow trickle of smoke.