Rabbit: the 5-minute harvest

Dispatch

The humane methods people actually land are: a purpose-made dispatcher, or holding the hind legs and striking the back of the skull hard with a stout stick, then bleeding at once by cutting the neck. Hesitation is what makes this ugly. If you cannot do it cleanly, don’t keep meat rabbits.

Pelt and draw

1. Cut the skin around each hock, slit up the inside of the thighs, and pull the pelt down like a sweater — it comes off in one piece if the animal is in good condition.
2. Cut off the head and feet.
3. Open the belly without nicking guts. Pull the viscera. Save liver (check for white spots — toss a spotted liver and be cautious with that animal) and heart.
4. Rinse, chill. A fryer is done.

Warning. Wear gloves on wild rabbits. Tularemia is uncommon and real. Cook wild rabbit through. Domestic fryers from your own hutch are a different, cleaner job.

Cook

Young (8–12 weeks): cut into 7 pieces, flour, brown, then a covered braise. Old stewers: long moist heat only. The saddle and hind legs are the prize.