Rabbits are typically under-appreciated desk fare. The meat is ultra-lean, protein-rich, and has a gentle, nice taste. Processing a rabbit can be easy. Due to its dimension and delicate anatomy, a freshly-killed bunny is surprisingly simple to pores and skin. Even a lifeless rabbit or hare that’s been allowed to chill for a number of hours is fairly simple to deal with, though it could take a bit of extra endurance and muscle than one with some lingering physique warmth.
Within the not-so-distant previous, each 12-year-old knew how one can pores and skin a rabbit, and most might do it with their eyes closed. Sadly, rising up within the fashionable world doesn’t supply almost as many alternatives to hone the ability. The excellent news is that it doesn’t matter if you happen to’re 12 or nicely previous center age; it’s by no means too late to study. As with all new ability, observe makes the method simpler. The extra rabbits you pores and skin, the faster, simpler, and cleaner the method turns into.
For those who’re new to cleansing recreation, skinning rabbits additionally make good observe for bigger mammals with comparable biology. Cleansing rabbits is much much less intimidating than skinning and butchering a big-game animal; the method, nonetheless, is extremely comparable. So whether or not you propose to grill, fry, or simmer your rabbit meat in a stew, figuring out how one can pores and skin a rabbit is step one to having fun with one of many finest-eating recreation animals on Earth. Right here’s how one can do it.
A Easy Methodology to Pores and skin a Rabbit
There’s a couple of solution to pores and skin a rabbit. As an example, recommendation from an previous Air Force Survival manual (circa 1985) recommends placing a critical squeeze in your bunny. The handbook’s illustrations depict a person in a flight jumpsuit virtually spiking a lifeless rabbit between his legs and its innards flying skyward.
This technique is meant that can assist you pores and skin a rabbit with out the posh of a knife, nevertheless it’s educational for one more motive: It’s a reminder that rabbit hides are fairly skinny. In truth, loads of rabbit hunters nonetheless observe the squeeze technique to shortly intestine and funky a rabbit within the discipline as they preserve searching.
Nonetheless, the knife-free technique is a reasonably unconventional method to rabbit skinning. If you wish to take a extra conventional path when separating a bunny from its cover, take note of the recommendation of Scott Perkins. Perkins just isn’t solely a hunter, however he additionally owns a second-generation butcher store in Creston, Ohio, along with his brother Seth. With loads of skinning expertise beneath their belts, the Bearded Butchers are a wonderful useful resource for studying the how-tos of recreation animal processing.
Remember that their rabbit-skinning technique doesn’t preserve the cover intact. As an alternative, it’s greatest used for rabbits destined for the frying pan, not for preserving their fur.
Step One: Take away the Ft
Step one in Perkins’ technique is to take away the rabbit’s toes. Place the blade of a pointy knife simply above every foot. Push down onerous on the again of the blade with the heel of your hand whereas the opposite hand applies downward strain to the knife deal with. Reduce immediately by way of the bone till every paw is separated from the leg.
A sturdy fixed-blade knife makes the proper instrument for such a work, however a pointy pocket knife or different blade may even work. You can even use recreation shears or heavy-duty scissors to take away the toes.
Step Two: Take away the Head
To disconnect the rabbit’s head, use the identical approach you used on the toes. Place the blade proper on the base of the cranium and push down. The knife will lower by way of the cover with no downside, however chopping by way of the neck can take a bit of extra effort.
Step Three: Take away the Cover
Now that you just’ve freed the cover from the appendages, right here’s how one can pores and skin a rabbit. Pinch the rabbit’s again to drag up some unfastened pores and skin and make a small lower within the cover. When you’ve made the lower, insert two fingers on every hand on both facet of the incision. Utilizing your fingers like hooks, use agency regular strain to drag the pores and skin in reverse instructions, one towards the top and one towards the hind legs. When you attain the legs, it may take some wiggling to work the cover over the legs and completely off the rabbit.
“Rabbit hides are actually skinny, so that you may have to get it off in items,” Perkins advises. “If in case you have a flat floor to work on, it makes it just a bit bit simpler.”
Typically, the tail pops off with the pores and skin. If it doesn’t, merely use your knife, making use of downward strain to take away it with the identical approach used to separate the top and toes from the physique.
Step 4: Take away the Entrails
With the cover utterly eliminated, insert a pointy knife on the base of the sternum (the breastbone) and slice upward towards the neck, exposing the guts. Then decide up the skinny muscle of the stomach with the forefinger and center finger of your off hand (so that you don’t unintentionally lower the center) and thoroughly lower the muscle by slicing towards the rear of the carcass.
Then, utilizing agency downward strain on the blade, lower by way of the pelvis.
With the insides uncovered, grasp the lungs, windpipe, and esophagus with one hand and pull, peeling the interior organs again towards the pelvis and eradicating them from the physique. Hold pulling till every part is out of the way in which.
“By doing it that approach, we’re in a position to preserve every part clear,” Perkins explains.
It’s vital to keep away from nicking the entrails with the tip of the knife throughout this step. You additionally don’t need to unintentionally rip them open in order that the contents drip onto the meat. If this does occur, all just isn’t misplaced. Simply make sure that to wipe off the meat shortly.
Examine the Liver Earlier than Discarding the Guts
Test the rabbit’s liver for indicators of illnesses earlier than tossing it apart. A wholesome liver shall be clean and darkish crimson. If the liver is peppered with quite a few pinhead-size lesions, discard your entire rabbit with out consuming it. This can be a signal of tularemia. Also called “rabbit fever,” tularemia is a extremely infectious and probably lethal illness brought on by Francisella tularensis micro organism that’s not unusual in wild rabbits.
Learn how to Pores and skin a Rabbit for Fur
If you wish to preserve a rabbit pelt intact for tanning, you’ll must be a bit extra cautious with the skinning course of. As an alternative of slicing a small gap on the rabbit’s again, make a slice on the underside of the carcass after which use your fingers to separate the cover from the muscle. Lastly, you’ll pull the cover over the legs, being cautious to not tear the pores and skin. For detailed directions, take a look at this video above.
FAQs
Enable the rabbit to thaw at room temperature for not less than an hour (if not a number of hours) earlier than starting the skinning course of. As soon as the carcass is pliable sufficient to stretch out, you’ll be able to start skinning. The rabbit doesn’t need to be utterly thawed.
Smaller knives are normally higher for skinning and butchering small recreation animals together with rabbits. Blades which might be 4 inches or shorter work nicely. Simply make sure that it’s sharp.
Some hunters choose to pores and skin and gown the rabbits they kill instantly. Others choose to attend till they get again dwelling after the hunt. So long as the rabbit wasn’t intestine shot or its not sizzling outdoors, the meat will preserve for a number of hours (or longer in freezing climate) even when it isn’t field-dressed. Nevertheless, skinning is far simpler when the carcass continues to be heat and limp.
Ultimate Ideas on Learn how to Pores and skin a Rabbit
Now you’re left with a rabbit prepared for the crockpot or additional butchering relying in your culinary plans. For those who want detailed directions on how one can break down bunnies for cooking, take a look at our step-by-step information to how to butcher a rabbit.
One of the simplest ways to learn to pores and skin a rabbit is to attempt it for your self. It’s okay to take it gradual and to make errors alongside the way in which. The important thing steps are to first snip off the toes and head, make an incision alongside the bunny’s again after which pull the cover in reverse instructions till it’s eliminated. When you take away the organs and entrails, the rabbit is prepared for butchering or a recipe that requires an entire rabbit.