Rabbits are a healthy source of lean protein; they help to control cholesterol and it is unlikely that they have been subjected to hormonal or antibiotic treatments as often happens to chickens, cattle and pigs. Rabbits typically eat fresh vegetables all year round and reproduce quickly. Their cleaning and slaughtering is quite simple if you respect the steps of the process.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Skinning
Step 1. Kill the creature painlessly
Use a knife to sever your throat or quickly break your neck. There is no need to make her suffer; respect its value.
Step 2. Place the rabbit on a solid surface and cut the skin
Place it on a cutting board or other similar workbench that gives you enough room to maneuver; pinch and cut the skin on the back, at the base of the nape, using a sharp knife.
- If you are out on a hunting trip, you can use a sharp stick or sharp stone. With the help of a cleaver or a knife, remove the legs just above the joints, then cut off the head and tail as well; use your free hand to loosen the skin.
- When you have made the incision, turn the blade so that the edge is facing up and cut the carcass from the abdomen to the neck; be careful not to break the stomach, otherwise its contents can contaminate the meat.
Step 3. Remove the fur
Use the index and middle fingers of both hands to create an opening after making the cut. Maintain a firm grip and use both hands to hook the skin from underneath; pull the flaps in opposite directions: one towards the head and the other towards the tail.
- The skin should tear into two pieces. As you go, grab more of the skin to maintain a firm grip; take the carcass by the hind legs and grab a portion of skin around one ankle, twist it and pull it to break it.
- The fresher the capture, the simpler this operation will be.
Step 4. Remove the skin from the paws
Rip it with a firm tug; some fur should remain around the animal's paws, just as if they were shoes; you can remove the one from the rear with a simple pull, the tail could come off or stay in place.
Push the legs out through the skin by turning the skin inside out so that you can pull out the stumps
Step 5. Pull the skin around the neck to the base of the skull
If the head and tail have not already come off, take advantage of this moment to remove them.
You have to open the sides of the sternum to grab the animal's windpipe from below and pull it out
Step 6. Cut the paws off at the ankles
Use your hands to break the bones, then sever the tendons and muscles with the blade; remove the legs one by one.
Step 7. Remove all fur
Pull the rabbit from the shoulders to remove the skin as you pull the skin away from the carcass; later, you can use the fur to make socks or other warm accessories.
Part 2 of 3: Gut
Step 1. Make a small incision on the belly
After removing the legs, tail and head, use a sharp blade to make a small cut in the abdomen. You must proceed with caution so as not to tear the bladder or colon which is just below the belly muscles.
Step 2. Open the chest cavity
Pull the membrane away from the intestines using two fingers; use the knife to cut the meat from the ribcage to the pelvis. Open the chest to see the lungs and heart; you should also notice a membrane separating the intestines from the upper trunk organs.
Step 3. Remove the entrails
Place your middle and index fingers at the top of the chest cavity, then apply pressure towards the spine; remove the intestines and all organs by pulling them out in one motion. Make sure all the contents come out as you pull down.
If you let the corpse decompose, the meat will no longer be edible; remove the internal organs immediately, otherwise the flesh will rot. Do not cut the intestines as they emit a nauseating smell and could contaminate the rest of the animal; put your hand inside the chest to extract them
Step 4. Clean the rest of the casing
Detach the colon by cutting the pelvic bone, but be careful not to damage it. frees the rest of the abdominal and thoracic cavity by extracting the remaining organs or membranes.
Step 5. Cut the diaphragm
This is the muscle below the heart and lungs; some people eat these latter organs, but it's just a matter of personal taste.
Step 6. Remove any remaining stool
Make a small incision near the tail and reach the rectum area to eliminate the excrement. be very careful during this procedure so as not to contaminate the rest of the meat.
Step 7. Retrieve the edible organs
The heart, kidneys and liver can be cooked in many different ways. You can keep them intact and try different recipes, but make sure the liver is a nice dark red; if it looks strange or has spots, chances are the animal was sick, in which case you don't even have to eat the meat.
Part 3 of 3: Slaughter
Step 1. Wash the carcass
Take it over the sink and rinse both the inside and the outside of the animal with great care; it removes any traces of dirt, blood or hair that remained from previous procedures.
If you are in the hunting field, use a clean running water source or boil it before using it for washing
Step 2. Remove the membrane
It is a thin layer of skin that also contains some fat; remove it with a very sharp knife or other similar tool. It is a rather tedious process, but be patient and be careful not to hurt yourself.
Step 3. Remove the front legs
They are not connected to the rest of the body with bones; consequently, after having removed the membrane and the fat, you must try to remove as much meat as possible by cutting near the rib cage.
Remove the front legs by cutting just below the shoulder blades
Step 4. Remove the meat from the belly
Just like pork belly, this cut is of good quality. Use a sharp blade and make an upward incision near the loin and then downward near the ribs. proceed like this on both sides.
Step 5. Remove the hind legs
Cut the flesh of the limbs near the hip joint using a sharp blade; use your fingers to remove muscle and break bones.
Remove the hind limbs by detaching them from the pelvis
Step 6. Remove the neck, pelvis and rib cage
After having detached the limbs, it passes to the pelvis area; remove the fillet from the spine and ribs, but do not cut the meat that is on the rib cage. Remove the ribs from both sides of the spine; then, sever the neck and rib cage as one piece with the pelvis.
You can make a rabbit broth with the neck, rib cage and pelvis
Step 7. Divide the loins and spine into sections
To serve and cut the meat into portions, divide this piece into three parts. The loin, upper and lower spine along with the hind legs are the cuts with the greatest amount of muscle tissue.
You can use the ribs, neck and pelvis for a broth; cook the rest of the meat which includes: two hind legs, two front legs, two portions of bacon and three loins
Step 8. Remember to follow the procedure
Slaughtering is not a fun job, but it can connect you with your ancestors and remind you that meat comes from nature. Don't take these living beings for granted.
Warnings
- Do not sever the intestines or entrails as this could contaminate the meat.
- Clean and slaughter the animal immediately, because the decomposition process makes the meat dangerous; the shorter the time since killing, the easier it is to manipulate the meat.
