Rabbits are a source of clean and healthy protein. Unlike chickens, cows, or pigs, rabbits are rarely injected with antibiotics or hormones. Rabbits generally eat fresh vegetables all year round and breed quickly. Cleaning and slaughtering rabbits is actually easy as long as you know how to do it.
Step
Part 1 of 3: Skinning the Rabbit
Step 1. Kill the rabbit humanely
Slaughter the rabbit with a knife, or kill the rabbit by snapping its neck quickly. Don't let the rabbit suffer. Appreciate the rabbit for having benefited you.
Step 2. Place the rabbit on a hard surface and cut the skin off
Place the rabbit on a cutting board or other flat object with enough room to handle it. Pinch the rabbit's skin on the back, then cut it near the base of the neck with a sharp knife.
- If you're out in nature, you can use a rock or sharp wooden stick to cut the rabbit's body apart. Cut the rabbit's leg just above the knee with a sharp knife. Also cut off the head and tail. Loosen the skin by hand.
- When you're done cutting, face the sharp blade of the knife up and make incisions from the belly to the neck. Be careful not to let the knife go through the stomach as this could contaminate the rabbit meat.
Step 3. Remove the rabbit fur
Use the middle and index fingers on both hands to make an opening after you make the cut. With a firm, steady grip, hook your fingers under your skin, then pull one hand back and the other toward your head.
- The rabbit's skin will tear in half. Keep rolling more skins to strengthen the grip and pulling the skins apart. Grab the rabbit's hind legs and gather the roll of skin at one of the ankles. Remove the skin by twisting and pulling it.
- The fresher the rabbit, the easier it will be to remove the skin.
Step 4. Remove the legs
Tear off the skin attached to the rabbit's paw with a hard jerk. There will be skin around the foot similar to a shoe. Pull the rabbit skin from behind. The tail may come off or remain attached.
Remove the foot from the skin by twisting the skin so that you can push out the leg
Step 5. Pull the skin from the top around the neck to the base of the skull
Cut off the head and tail if they haven't been removed.
You'll need to open the breastbone so you can grab the rabbit's throat from under the neck and release it
Step 6. Cut the rabbit's legs
Cut at the ankles. Use your hands to break the rabbit's ankles, then cut the tendons and muscles with a knife. Cut off the legs one by one.
Step 7. Remove the skin completely
Grasp the rabbit's shoulders and pull the fur and skin down until they are free from the body. You can use rabbit fur to make socks or other warm accessories.
Part 2 of 3: Removing the Rabbit's Stomach
Step 1. Make a small incision on the rabbit's belly
Once the rabbit's legs, tail, and head have been cut off, carefully make small incisions in the rabbit's belly using a sharp knife. Do this carefully so as not to tear the bladder and colon, which are just below the stomach.
Step 2. Open the rabbit's chest cavity
Use two fingers to separate the skin from the rabbit's intestines. Cut the ribs downward through the pelvis using a knife. Cut the chest cavity so that the lungs and heart are visible. You will find a membrane that separates the intestine from the chest cavity.
Step 3. Remove the innards
Place your index and middle fingers on the top of the chest cavity, then press the rabbit's spine down. Remove the intestines and all of the rabbit's organs by pulling it in one motion. Make sure everything comes out of the stomach when you pull it down.
Leaving a rabbit out for too long is certainly not healthy. Immediately remove the rabbit innards so that the meat does not rot. Do not tear the intestines as this will give off a bad odor, and the inside could contaminate the meat. Remove the intestines by grabbing them from the ribs
Step 4. Clean the remaining rabbit meat
Cut the pelvic bone to clean the colon. Make sure you don't tear it. Clean the abdominal and chest cavity by removing the remaining pieces of viscera or membranes.
Step 5. Slice the diaphragm
This section contains muscle and is below the heart and lungs. Take out the heart and lungs. Some people like the lungs and the heart, and this really depends on individual taste.
Step 6. Remove any remaining dirt
Make a small incision near the tail, and search the rectal area to remove any debris. Do this until it is completely clean so that the rabbit meat is not contaminated.
Step 7. Set aside the edible organs
Hearts, livers and kidneys can be cooked in a variety of ways. You can keep them whole and try cooking them in several recipes. Make sure the rabbit's heart is dark red. An abnormal liver (spotted or discolored) may indicate that the rabbit is unwell. Don't eat it if this happens.
Part 3 of 3: Slicing Rabbit Meat
Step 1. Wash the rabbit's body
Take the rabbit to the sink and wash it inside and out until it's completely clean. Wipe off any blood, dirt, and hair that's left over while you're skinning and cleaning your rabbit's belly.
If you are out in nature, always use clean running water or boiled water, and clean the rabbit
Step 2. Remove the silver skin
Silver skin is rabbit skin which is also small pieces of fat. Do this using a knife or other very sharp tool. This process may be tedious, but you have to be patient and careful not to hurt your body.
Step 3. Cut the front legs
The rabbit's forelegs are not attached to the bones of other parts of the body. So, once the silver skin is removed, get as much rabbit meat as possible by making cuts near the ribs.
Remove the rabbit's front legs by cutting just below the shoulder blades
Step 4. Take the meat from the stomach
As with the pork chops, this slice depends on each person's taste. Use a sharp knife to cut near the waist and under the ribs. Do this on both sides of the rabbit.
Step 5. Remove the back leg
Use a sharp knife to cut the rabbit from the hip joint to the flesh on the hind legs. Use your fingers to remove the flesh and break the rabbit's hind legs.
Cut the hip joint to remove the rabbit's hind legs
Step 6. Cut the pelvis, neck and ribs
If the legs are loose, you can remove the pelvis. Filet the ribs and the back of the loin by cutting the spine past the ribs. Avoid cutting the meat that is on the ribs. Cut off the ribs. Cut the two sides of the ribs off the spine. Next, cut the neck and ribs so that they become one part with the pelvis.
You can make a broth from the neck, flank, and ribs of a rabbit
Step 7. Cut the rabbit's waist/backbone into several pieces
To make it easier for you to serve and divide the meat, cut the rabbit loin/back into 3 parts. The loin, the lower and upper parts of the spine, and the hind legs contain the most meat.
You can use the ribs, flanks, and neck to make a stock, and cook any meat section that includes: 2 front legs, 2 hind legs, 2 belly meats, and three loin halves
Step 8. Remember to always respect the process
Butchering animals is not a pleasant task. However, it can connect you with your ancestors and remind you that meat comes from nature. Don't underestimate living things.
Warning
- Do not let the offal or intestines torn apart because it can contaminate the meat.
- Immediately handle and cut the rabbit meat because leaving it too long will make the meat unhealthy. The fresher the rabbit, the easier the meat will be to handle.
