Rabbits are a great source of protein. Unlike beef and chicken,
they aren't pumped of antibiotics. Rabbit eat fresh greens generally. They reproduce extremely quickly ensuring your food source in well stocked. Skinning and preparing rabbits can be a challenge, follow this simple steps to help it go smoother. The fresher the rabbit, the easier skinning will be. Allowing the rabbit to decompose could taint the meat so it is important to skin and gut the rabbit right away.
Materials
they aren't pumped of antibiotics. Rabbit eat fresh greens generally. They reproduce extremely quickly ensuring your food source in well stocked. Skinning and preparing rabbits can be a challenge, follow this simple steps to help it go smoother. The fresher the rabbit, the easier skinning will be. Allowing the rabbit to decompose could taint the meat so it is important to skin and gut the rabbit right away.
Materials
- Large knife
- Flat work surface
- Place the rabbit on a flat surface on its belly
- Pinch the hide near the neck and cut all the way around the neck
- Cut from the stomach to the neck, careful not to puncher the stomach as the juices could contaminate the meat
- Create an opening by pulling the skin away from the meat with your index and middle finger
- Hold the carcass by the hide legs and pull the skin off like you would remove a pair of pants
- Pull the upper part of the skin towards the base of the skull
- Cut the head and tail off
- Cut off the feet at the ankle
- Make a cut near the pelvis
- Place a finger on either side of the knife
- Lift the skin and cut towards the head, careful not to cut deep enough to pierce the stomach
- Cut the rib cage open
- Pull out the organs in one motion starting under the rib cage and pulling towards the pelvis
- Set aside the kidneys, liver, and heart. They can be eaten, its a matter of personal taste. Avoid eating the liver if it looks discolored. This is could be a sign of a sick squirrel.
- Cut through the pelvis and rinse out any droppings that remain
- Wash the rabbit with clean water to ensure fur, blood, and droppings are cleaned off
- Remove the silver skin or thin layer of fat from the entire rabbit
- Cut just under the shoulder blades to remove the front legs
- Cut against the rabbit's loin and down the rib cage to remove the meat from the belly
- Use a sharp knife to cut through the hip joint to remove the back legs
- Fillet the back and ribs, do not cut meat off the rib cage, cut away from the spine and ribs
- Save the neck, ribcage, and pelvis to make rabbit stock
- Cut the rabbit into more manageable sections for cooking or storage