Do you know that rabbits are a great source of meat? From a few rabbits, you can obtain some good pounds of meat for consumption, and by following the right recipe, it will soon become a staple in your home.
If you are going to enjoy rabbit meat, you must first understand how to butcher a rabbit. Unlike some other animals, you will require special techniques and procedures to kill your rabbit for meat properly.
In this article, you will find easy steps on how to butcher a rabbit properly. It may seem quite challenging initially; however, you will become a pro at killing rabbits with constant practice.
How to Butcher a Rabbit
1. Cull The Rabbit
The first thing to do when you want to butcher a rabbit is to cull it. What this means is to end the rabbit’s life as humanely as possible.
There are three ways to doing this. First, is using a gun if you’re rabbit hunting, such as an air rfile. The second is the traditional way, which is hitting the rabbit over the head. To do this, you will hit the rabbit with a club or any other heavy object.
Hitting the rabbit over the head will knock the rabbit unconscious, and you can then cut its jugular for it to bleed out.
If you have a hard time hitting the rabbit’s head, you can easily use the Hopper Popper. To use this, slide the rabbit’s head in the Hopper Popper slot and pull.
This method separates the spinal column of the rabbit and instantly ends its life.
2. Skin The Rabbit
After you have culled the rabbit, the next thing will be to skin it. First, you must set up a butcher station.
Your station should have clamps to hang the feet and funnels below to drain the blood into the buckets beneath.
First, to skin the rabbit, hang the rabbit by the feet and begin to make small slits around the feet.
Next, cut the skin away from the meat, starting from the slit you just made.
Repeat the process for both legs, and once you get the skin loose on both of the rabbit’s legs, cut between the skin and the meat carefully.
Cut gently to avoid cutting too deep into the flesh.
Cut all the way, and when you reach the rabbit’s shoulder, the skin should be loose. Gently tug on the skin and drag it up to the rabbit’s head. Now cut off the head to release the skin. Read how to tan a rabbit hide here!
3. Gut The Rabbit
After removing the skin from the rabbit, the next thing is to gut it. First, you cut down the middle of the rabbit. It is best to begin around the bottom. Ensure to place your fingers between the animal’s organs and your blade.
Doing this will make sure you don’t burst any of the organs and ruin the taste of the meat.
While cutting, the organs will start to fall out. Be sure to position the bucket beneath properly so they can fall right in. When you are done, confirm to be sure you’ve removed all the intestines as well as the rabbit’s anus.
After removing the guts, hose the meat thoroughly to wash off the blood and any other dirt on the meat.
4. Cut The Rabbit
Now that you have removed the skin and gut, you can proceed to cut up your meat. First, cut off the fat by the side of the belly, then the front legs. Next, snip off the hind legs to loosen the rabbit, then cut the meat up into your desired sizes.
While cutting the rabbit, it is better to have a large bowl of cold water to help cool the meat until you are done cutting. It is also a great way to get rid of as much blood as possible for better-tasting meat.
You can as well leave the rabbit meat whole if your recipe calls for it.
5. Prep The Meat
After you have cut up your meat and cleaned up your station, you can save the gut for animal protein and the skin for tanning.
However, make sure to clean the blood and guts to keep predators away.
Finally, remove the meat from the water it has been soaking in for about 24 hours. You can then store the meat as you desire.
6. Store The Meat
There are various ways to go about storing your meat. You can freeze it or process it for canning.
Depending on how long you want it to last and the recipes you want to try, the storage is dependent on your preference.
Bottom Line
Rabbit meat is nutritional, delicious, and tender. It is pretty simple to butcher and store. However, it might take several trials and practice to get the butchering right, and when you do, rabbit meat is set to become an interesting addition to your home meals! Visit outdoorworld.reviews for more expert information & advice.
