1 (3-lb.) whole rabbit, broken down into 4 legs and 2 loins on the bone (have your butcher do this)
1 1/2 cups white wine
2 tbsp. white wine vinegar
2 tsp. piment?n (smoked Spanish paprika)
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1 dried New Mexican chile, stemmed and seeded
2 tbsp. olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
In a small saucepan, combine the 1/4 cup salt with the brown sugar, peppercorns, 2 garlic cloves, 2 bay leaves, and 1 cup water and bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the salt and sugar. Remove the pan from the heat, stir in 2 cups cold water, and let cool. Pour the brine into a large zip-top plastic bag, add the rabbit pieces, and refrigerate at least 8 hours or overnight.
Heat the oven to 350°. In a blender, blend the 5 remaining garlic cloves and bay leaf with the wine, vinegar, piment?n, cumin, chile, and 2 1/2 cups water until smooth. Drain the rabbit pieces, pat dry with paper towels, and discard the brine.
In an 8-qt. saucepan, heat the olive oil over high. Season the rabbit with salt and pepper, add to the pan, and cook, turning once, until browned all over, about 8 minutes. Pour in the blended wine and spices and bring to a boil. Cover, place in the oven, and cook until the rabbit is tender, about 1 1/2 hours. Transfer the pan to a rack, lift the rabbit from the pan, and transfer it to a serving platter.
Place the pan over high heat and boil the braising liquid until reduced to 3/4 cup, about 5 minutes. Spoon the sauce over the rabbit and serve while hot.