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All information and pictures contained in this section are the property of Gut Pile Style and may not be reproduced in whole or in part, without written permission. SPECIAL THANKS TO ELLWOODJAKE FOR ALL OF HIS HELP! How to clean / skin a rabbit:
As with any other type of skinning, there are unlimited variations that you can find among hunters. This method is simply our favorite and easily understood by beginners.
What you will need: at least one fresh bunny, a sharp knife, access to water and a clean bowl / pot / bag to store your finished product. (As each piece is finished be sure to wash thoroughly!)
1) Start by pinching up the hide on the upper back of the rabbit. Insert your knife as shown below to make your initial cut. The hole should be large enough to insert your fingers as shown in the second photo.
2) Insert fingers under the hide, pulling in opposite directions.
3) Continue pulling until the hip and shoulder area are exposed. (Be careful - these hides are pretty thin and can tear
easily if pulled too hard or fast.
4) We will now begin the process of removing the back straps. Cuts should be made just above the hip bones on each side, starting at the edge of the back bone. (Make sure the cuts are at the outermost edge of the backbone. The column is made up of an inner ridge and an outer ridge on each side).
5) The next cut is parallel to the outermost edge of the backbone, terminating at the top of the shoulders.
6) Starting at the bottom, the strap is lifted and separated on the bottom, again terminating at the top of the shoulders. That’s it! You now have a boneless strap ready for the fryer!
Steps 5 through 6 are now repeated for the remaining strap.
7) Next we move on to the rear legs. Pull hide down while pushing up on the leg to expose the knee joint.
8 ) After exposing the joint, insert your fingers into the bend while continuing to pull the hide down to the “ankle” area. Extra care needs to be taken as the hide reaches the lower leg since it typically "sticks" and can't be pulled without tearing.
9) While holding the hide below the joint, use your knife to cut through the ligaments on top of the "ankle" and on both sides as much as possible.
10) Now the joint can be snapped apart by bending it backwards using both hands. (Some may choose to use wire cutters or “nippers” in this step, however, most GPS diners agree that leaving the entire bone intact makes for a better table presentation).
11) With the aid of the knife, the achilles tendon is removed from the ham.
12) The next cut will be made just below the hip bone – near the point started for the backstraps.
13) Continue to pull the leg back and separate until reaching the hip joint.
14) When the hip joint is reached, cut the ligament that connects the "ball" inside the "socket."
15) After joint separation, the leg is easily removed by continuing to cut along the pelvis / tail bone.
That’s it! You now have a nice ham ready for the fryer!
* Now repeat steps 7 through 15 for the other ham!
16) Now we will move to the shoulders. Hook your thumbs under the hide and roll to expose the shoulders and “elbow” joints.
17) Similar to the hind legs, remove the hide until the "elbow" joint can be reached for the easier pulling point.
18) When the "wrist" joint is reached, the ligaments are cut with the knife and joint is separated using your fingers or “nippers”.
19) Unlike the hind legs, the front legs are not jointed. (similar to a deer). Simply lift and cut near the rib cage for removal.
That’s it! You now have a nice shoulder ready for the fryer!!
* Repeat steps 17 through 19 for the other side.
When you’re done, you should have six tasty pieces of bunny ready to go. (Assuming your bunny didn’t have to wade through a lead storm on his way to your fryer! )
Now for the hide and remaining carcass…What to do – what to do? Don’t forget to reward those that have worked the hardest for your success.
