A whole information to cleansing cottontails and getting ready rabbit meat for the dinner desk
Just lately, I took a late Sunday afternoon stroll again from a hog blind in Texas. Hogless, I adopted the path again to camp after I immediately flushed a cottontail. Rifle slung over my shoulder, I drew my pistol, telling myself that if it stopped in my path once more, I’d take that shot. It did. At seven yards, I used to be both going to hit the bullseye or miss fully. With one clear set off pull, I discovered myself with a rabbit with each little bit of meat pristine and intact.
Throughout my days dwelling in Minnesota, earlier than I owned a fowl canine, I participated in additional rabbit hunts. Nonetheless, I peppered them with fowl shot. I’ve at all times loved the style of rabbit (shot, much less so). It’s additionally extremely wholesome to eat, wealthy in vitamin B-12, with solely 197 energy per 100 grams and 29 grams of protein per serving.
In a number of states, corresponding to Kansas and Texas, you may hunt rabbits year-round. Make sure to verify your state’s rabbit searching laws earlier than heading out on a cottontail hunt. Sure, some hunters fear about fleas throughout hotter months. These of us could select to hold the useless rabbit in a cool, shaded space earlier than skinning them. No matter what month you’re searching rabbits, the cleansing, butchering, and cooking is similar year-round. One remaining observe, it’s a good suggestion to put on gloves when dealing with rabbits to guard your self from any pathogens.
Skinning and Dressing Rabbits
Earlier than you pores and skin your first rabbit, know that their disguise is extremely skinny and their fur pulls out very simply. When skinning, watch out to not let the fur get on the meat. Not solely is the fur doubtless soiled, however it may give the meat a cool style, too.
After I pores and skin rabbits, I first minimize open the disguise with a pointy knife on the heart of their backbone. Then, I pull the disguise in reverse instructions to “disrobe” the rabbit. Usually talking, pulling the disguise previous the toes requires a bit extra fingers than muscle. As soon as the vast majority of the disguise is faraway from the rabbit, I minimize off the toes and head and discard them. If you wish to get a little bit wild, you may maintain the toes, dry them out with Borax for a few weeks, and have 4 fortunate rabbit toes.
After the rabbit is totally skinned, I area gown it as if the rabbit have been a deer. Since they’re each mammals, their anatomy may be very related. First, use a knife to rigorously open up the rabbit under the sternum, being cautious to not puncture the heart. Reduce a line all the way down to the exit gap. Identical to a deer, make cuts on both aspect of the pelvic bone and create a route for all innards to go forth. Then, pull out the heart, ensuring to take away the kidneys, all of the intestines, and different bits from inside. Lastly, totally rinse out the rabbit with clear, chilly water. Ensure that the water flows down in direction of the exit.
Butchering Rabbits
Butchering rabbits is an intuitive exercise. Rabbits are mostly butchered into 5 components: two hindquarters, two entrance shoulders, and its again. Typically, the again is minimize in half to raised slot in a cooking pan and to assist maintain it flat whereas it cooks. In any other case, the entrance shoulders come off very simply as a result of they’re solely related by tissue. Eradicating the hindquarters is less complicated in case you slice by the meat first, then twist the femur and the hip in reverse instructions to launch the ball from its socket.
It’s as much as you whether or not you wish to use kitchen shears to take away the ribs from the again of a rabbit earlier than cooking it. Sure, there’s a little bit of meat on these ribs, however not a lot. If the ribs are eliminated, the rabbit’s again can be simpler to brown in a pan. In case you have a tremendous, sharp knife like a scalpel blade, you may certainly carve and pull off the rabbit’s backstraps as an alternative of cooking them on the bone. Eradicating the backstraps is far simpler to do on bigger rabbits. In the event you resolve to chop off the backstraps individually, I like to recommend doing so previous to eradicating the entrance shoulders and hindquarters.
Cooking Rabbits
You possibly can season and cook dinner these strips of backstrap sizzling and quick for a particular deal with, however different components of the rabbit would require some low-and-slow love, one thing just like braising, to deliver out taste and to tenderize the meat.
All 4 quarters will be seasoned and seared, then simmer in liquids corresponding to hen inventory to get the chicken good and tender. You possibly can even cowl the meat with a mixture of Coca-Cola and pineapple juice for about 2 1/2 to three hours, or till tender. Chances are you’ll want to debone the quarters earlier than doing this, which I’ve discovered is best to do with the meat partially frozen. In any other case, you’re going to be choosing bones out on the finish. In the event you’re like me, you’re at all times going to overlook one and have an sudden “crunch” whereas consuming later.
Sure, you may certainly sear and simmer the remainder of the carcass, or you may roast it and create a inventory just like the recipe right here, utilizing rabbit as an alternative of pheasant.
To summarize: cook dinner the loins sizzling and quick. Every part else, together with the entrance shoulders and hindquarters, will get seared after which simmered in liquids to maintain it moist, break down the collagen, and tenderize the meat.
As soon as the meat is tender, you may both maintain it complete, chunk it out, shred it, or cube it. Shredded or diced rabbit meat tastes nice in tacos, pasta, and even combined with mayo and different components for a rabbit salad sandwich or related dish. You’ll doubtless be stunned by how versatile, tasty, and tender rabbit will be when dressed, butchered, and cooked correctly.
