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  • From: Clansgian AT wmconnect.com
  • To: homestead AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [Homestead] Rabbit
  • Date: Thu, 16 Mar 2006 15:34:11 EST



> What is the best/most efficient way to slaughter, and then butcher?
>

By far, says I, the most efficient way of dispatching a rabbit it to put your
left hand (for the right handed) around the back of its neck with the thumb
and forefinger under the jaw on either side. Take the hind legs with the
right hand just above the foot. Push down with the left hand while making a
sharp
pull up with the right hand, much as you would start a chainsaw. Done
properly it instantly dislocates the neck and kills the rabbit.

Immediately make a slit in the skin behind the hocks between the tendon and
bone (in order to hang the rabbit) and cut the head off. Hang the rabbit and
let it bleed.

The rabbit is now hanging from hooks or such by its hind legs neck down.
Make a slit in the pelt around the annus and genitalia and along the let to
the
hind feet. Cut off the hind feet. Begin turning the pelt inside out and
peel
it off by pulling down. When the pelt peels away from the front legs, cut
off
the front feet. Cut around the annus and hold it or tie it. Slit down the
belly cutting the plevis (front) and sternum and eviserate all in one blob.

If the rabbit is older than ten to twelve weeks, it will be very tough before
rigor comes and goes. Rinse the carcass and dip it in salt water (or
sprinkle a *little* salt on it) and put it in the coldest part of the
refrigerator
for at least six hours but as long as two or three days. A frier is better
if
it goes through a rest too, but it isn't essential.

A frier cuts into six pieces, two back legs (whole joint), two front legs
with shoulder, and two saddles with loins. There's also a way to cut it up
into
eight equal pieces but there are six people in my family so the six-pack
method works best for us.

A larger mature rabbit we boil whole (dressed of course, not like Meryl
Streep) and then debone. The meat is then frozen or canned (canning is
better) and
used for stirfry, sandwiches, tamales, etc. Large rabbits can also be
roasted whole but it needs doing slowly at low heat.

Rabbits are as lean a meat as you will ever have. Roast them with a lot of
olive oil to keep them from being tough.

A domestic rabbit hasn't a bit of gaminess to it. It's a taste in its own
right but it does resemble poultry. In many dishes, if you told no one any
better, they'd assume it was chicken or turkey.






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