Rabbits are usually under-appreciated desk fare. The meat is ultra-lean, protein-rich, and has a light, nice taste. Processing a rabbit can be simple. Due to its dimension and delicate anatomy, a freshly-killed bunny is surprisingly straightforward to pores and skin. Even a useless rabbit or hare that’s been allowed to chill for a number of hours is fairly straightforward to deal with, though it could take slightly extra endurance and muscle than one with some lingering physique warmth.
Within the not-so-distant previous, each 12-year-old knew learn how to pores and skin a rabbit, and most might do it with their eyes closed. Sadly, rising up within the fashionable world doesn’t provide almost as many alternatives to hone the talent. The excellent news is that it doesn’t matter in case you’re 12 or effectively previous center age; it’s by no means too late to study. As with every new talent, apply makes the method simpler. The extra rabbits you pores and skin, the faster, simpler, and cleaner the method turns into.
If you happen to’re new to cleansing sport, skinning rabbits additionally make good apply for bigger mammals with related biology. Cleansing rabbits is much much less intimidating than skinning and butchering a big-game animal; the method, nevertheless, is extremely related. So whether or not you intend to grill, fry, or simmer your rabbit meat in a stew, understanding learn how to pores and skin a rabbit is step one to having fun with one of many finest-eating sport animals on Earth. Right here’s learn how to do it.
Picture by Alice Jones Webb
A Easy Technique to Pores and skin a Rabbit
There’s a couple of strategy to pores and skin a rabbit. For example, recommendation from an outdated Air Pressure Survival guide (circa 1985) recommends placing a severe squeeze in your bunny. The guide’s illustrations depict a person in a flight jumpsuit virtually spiking a useless 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, but it surely’s educational for one more cause: It’s a reminder that rabbit hides are fairly skinny. In reality, loads of rabbit hunters nonetheless apply the squeeze technique to shortly intestine and funky a rabbit within the area as they hold looking.
Nonetheless, the knife-free technique is a reasonably unconventional strategy to rabbit skinning. If you wish to take a extra conventional path when separating a bunny from its conceal, take note of the recommendation of Scott Perkins. Perkins isn’t solely a hunter, however he additionally owns a second-generation butcher store in Creston, Ohio, together with his brother Seth. With loads of skinning expertise below their belts, the Bearded Butchers are a wonderful useful resource for studying the how-tos of sport animal processing.
Remember the fact that their rabbit-skinning technique doesn’t hold the conceal 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 ft. Place the blade of a pointy knife simply above every foot. Push down exhausting on the again of the blade with the heel of your hand whereas the opposite hand applies downward strain to the knife deal with. Minimize straight by the bone till every paw is separated from the leg.
A sturdy fixed-blade knife makes the proper software for such a work, however a pointy pocket knife or different blade can even work. It’s also possible to use sport shears or heavy-duty scissors to take away the ft.
Step Two: Take away the Head
To disconnect the rabbit’s head, use the identical approach you used on the ft. Place the blade proper on the base of the cranium and push down. The knife will reduce by the conceal with no drawback, however chopping by the neck can take slightly extra effort.
Step Three: Take away the Disguise
Now that you simply’ve freed the conceal from the appendages, right here’s learn how to pores and skin a rabbit. Pinch the rabbit’s again to tug up some unfastened pores and skin and make a small reduce within the conceal. When you’ve made the reduce, insert two fingers on every hand on both facet of the incision. Utilizing your fingers like hooks, use agency regular strain to tug the pores and skin in reverse instructions, one towards the top and one towards the hind legs. When you attain the legs, it might take some wiggling to work the conceal 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. “When 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 ft from the physique.
Step 4: Take away the Entrails
With the conceal utterly eliminated, insert a pointy knife on the base of the sternum (the breastbone) and slice upward towards the neck, exposing the center. 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 reduce the heart) and punctiliously reduce the muscle by slicing towards the rear of the carcass.
Then, utilizing agency downward strain on the blade, reduce by the pelvis.
With the insides uncovered, grasp the lungs, windpipe, and esophagus with one hand and pull, peeling the inner organs again towards the pelvis and eradicating them from the physique. Preserve pulling till all the things is out of the best way.
Picture by The Bearded Butchers / YouTube
“By doing it that approach, we’re in a position to hold all the things clear,” Perkins explains.
It’s necessary to keep away from nicking the entrails with the tip of the knife throughout this step. You additionally don’t wish to unintentionally rip them open in order that the contents drip onto the meat. If this does occur, all isn’t misplaced. Simply ensure to wipe off the meat shortly.
Examine the Liver Earlier than Discarding the Guts
Verify the rabbit’s liver for indicators of illnesses earlier than tossing it apart. A wholesome liver might be easy and darkish purple. If the liver is peppered with quite a few pinhead-size lesions, discard the whole rabbit with out consuming it. It is a signal of tularemia. Also referred to as “rabbit fever,” tularemia is a extremely infectious and probably lethal illness attributable to Francisella tularensis micro organism that’s not unusual in wild rabbits.
Find out how to Pores and skin a Rabbit for Fur
If you wish to hold a rabbit pelt intact for tanning, you’ll have to be a bit extra cautious with the skinning course of. As an alternative of reducing 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 conceal from the muscle. Lastly, you’ll pull the conceal over the legs, being cautious to not tear the pores and skin. For detailed directions, try this video above.
FAQs
Enable the rabbit to thaw at room temperature for no 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 possibly can start skinning. The rabbit doesn’t need to be utterly thawed.
Smaller knives are often higher for skinning and butchering small sport animals together with rabbits. Blades which are 4 inches or shorter work effectively. Simply ensure 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 house after the hunt. So long as the rabbit wasn’t intestine shot or its not scorching outdoors, the meat will hold 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 Find out 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. If you happen to want detailed directions on learn how to break down bunnies for cooking, try our step-by-step information to learn how to butcher a rabbit.
The easiest way to discover ways to pores and skin a rabbit is to strive it for your self. It’s okay to take it sluggish and to make errors alongside the best way. The important thing steps are to first snip off the ft and head, make an incision alongside the bunny’s again after which pull the conceal 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.