# Correct Boil Time for Rabbits



## DonofPaw

Do you boil your rabbit for deboning and how long do you boil a 12 week old rabbit if you want to use it for pies, pulled rabbit, and other such things? I thought it would make it a bit easier to use than using the whole thing at once, plus our crock pot rabbit was so darn boney. My thought was boil them then bag the meat and use it as needed. I boiled it about an hour and a half and it came off the bone easily, but it seems a bit chewy to me. 

Thoughts?


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## lonelyfarmgirl

why was your crockpot rabbit boney? Not sure I understand. I put mine in the crockpot frozen solid, fill half with water, and cook all day. meat falls right off in shreds. Rabbit meat is chewier on average than chicken, its more dense.


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## Guest

I have placed a whole fryer in a large pan and add enough water to completely cover it. Bring water to boil, cover and simmer for 2 hours. Try not to lift the lid. When done, the bones will be on the bottom and most of the meat will be semi-floating. Put the meat in a container, trash the bones, then cool the water (broth) on the counter. Once cooled, you can put the broth in the fridge. All the fat in the broth will float to the top and become solid. You can then removed the cake of fat from the top, and have a nice broth to use for dumplings or whereever you may use broth.


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## DonofPaw

By boney I mean that it had loads of bones in it, I was quite embarrassed to be spitting out tiny bones in front of my coworkers at lunch. Maybe I just haven't mastered the art of rabbit yet. 

I kept it at a full boil the whole time, maybe a simmer would work better.

I basically went with the Mark Gilcrest's video on youtube, which was for wild rabbit, which I know is quite different.

I think I also need to get over the whole texture thing, taste is so similar to my cornish cross but so much denser, plus I am so paranoid about biting into a bone, guess I know where everything is when I debone a chicken not quite as confident with rabbit yet.

Don


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## jwal10

Put it in a pressure cooker for 30-45 minutes, I love the flavor with a few dehydrated vegy's or Mrs. Dash. I cook old rabbits this way too....James


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## arachyd

A simmer would work better or longer time in a crock pot.


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## a7736100

There's a good youtube video on deboning a rabbit. No dialog just shows the guy doing it in about 5 minutes. It looks very simple. He ends up rolling the demoned rabbit in a loaf. Sorry I don't have the link.


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## XLT

I use the debone prior to cook method in that youtube video [ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J6ud68Qmdyc[/ame]... works better for a roaster definitely... fryer is hard to get off in one piece like he does... but it is slick. Tie it up, braise it in white wine... excellent.


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## lonelyfarmgirl

there are a lot more bones in rabbit than in chicken. Its just something I have learned to deal with.


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## SquashNut

The rib bones are the part my dog gets, after I trim off the back meat. The rest is not to bad.


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## lemonthyme7

I second using the pressure cooker. I just did 2 that had gotten to big. I do sometimes add some vegetable stock seasoning in the water. They come out falling off the bone and the stock is really delicious.


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## KIT.S

We can the back legs and thighs in broth made from the boned carcass, freeze the "wings" for BBQ and freeze the back meat for stirfry. The canned meat comes off the bones when we open the jar, and it's tender and ready to use for whatever. Having canned meat on the shelf makes those emergency dinners quick and easy. 
Kit


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## BackfourtyMI.

XLT thanks for the youtube link, that is really cool how he deboned that rabbit. I will probly leave the legs in tact but am going to try that with the ribs, spine, etc. I give my dogs the raw bones but not cooked one's so we all win if I debone it before cooking.


DonofPaw, if I want my rabbit falling off the bone I use my pressure cooker with enough water in the pan that is not going to burn dry. Doesn't take very long at all with fryers to be falling off the bone.


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