# Tips to de-bone rabbit?



## Falls-Acre (May 13, 2009)

I've never done this well, I usually cut up the rabbit into sections. However, I recently invested in a meat grinder and would like tips, please, on the best way to de-bone a rabbit. if anyone would care to share.

I apologize if this is in the wrong area.. please feel free to move if necessary.


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## BackfourtyMI. (Sep 3, 2007)

I don't have any tips but I'm curious as to how to do it also.


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## MaggieJ (Feb 6, 2006)

I found the videos on this British ferreting site helpful. They use ferrets to hunt wild rabbits. Lacking sufficient natural predators, the rabbit population tends to explode and ferrets are a great way to keep it in check. I remember my Dad telling us about going ferreting while staying with relatives in Derbyshire while he was on leave during WW2.

http://www.pakefieldferrets.co.uk/


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## LFRJ (Dec 1, 2006)

I have a cook book with a pictorial (and recipe!) on how to de-bone a rabbit. (Never tried it myself. I'm eyeing a certain duck though).

PM me! 

LF


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## tailwagging (Jan 6, 2005)

maggiej said:


> i found the videos on this british ferreting site helpful. They use ferrets to hunt wild rabbits. Lacking sufficient natural predators, the rabbit population tends to explode and ferrets are a great way to keep it in check. I remember my dad telling us about going ferreting while staying with relatives in derbyshire while he was on leave during ww2.
> 
> http://www.pakefieldferrets.co.uk/


oh thank you for posting this!!!!!!!!


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## switchman62 (Oct 19, 2007)

YouTube has a couple of pretty good videos showing de-boning of rabbit. It actually looks easier than I figured it would be. 

Dave


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## Jcran (Jan 4, 2006)

We just kind of winged it. I'm going to check out the youtube. We've made a lot of rabbit sausage lately and its great!


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## BackfourtyMI. (Sep 3, 2007)

I'm just wondering is it really worth it? It seems like alot of work for maybe not alot of gound meat when your done?
We love our rabbit meat & would like to try some ground just not sure if I want to tackle the job.


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## MaggieJ (Feb 6, 2006)

Grinding rabbit meat with a manual grinder can be a challenge because of the membrane that covers it. There was a thread about this awhile back. Seemed that those who had electric grinders found it easy enough, but those with manual ones did not. I gave up after about half a pound because the membrane wrapped itself around the blades and gummed up the works. The videos in the website I mentioned above, Pakefield Ferrets, gives good instruction on how to remove this membrane. I wish I had known about it then!


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## cathleenc (Aug 16, 2007)

MaggieJ said:


> I gave up after about half a pound because the membrane wrapped itself around the blades and gummed up the works.


partially freezing the meat before grinding can make a world of difference. Membrane removal (tendon removal, too) helps a ton.


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## Guest (Jan 8, 2010)

Dh and I were just talking about this last night. We have 10 ready to butcher, and would love to have some ground rabbit. I'll check out the links, thanks for info!


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## Bamboorabbit (Jan 22, 2009)

Rabbits are not difficult to debone if you exclude the front legs. When we make a batch of sausage we just crock pot the front legs and pick the meat for soup or whatever. 

After the meat is deboned we run it through the coarse blade of the grinder for the sausage then spice it and rerun it through the finer blade. When we are done we put the entire carcass of the rabbit through whole as well as the back leg bones we removed, makes great dog food. We have a pretty big grinder though, grinds 400+ lbs a hour and the rabbit bones and sinew does not even make it slow down.


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## Guest (Jan 8, 2010)

I'm thinking if this goes well using Grandma's electric grinder, we just may have to invest in one ourselves!


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## MaggieJ (Feb 6, 2006)

cathleenc said:


> partially freezing the meat before grinding can make a world of difference. Membrane removal (tendon removal, too) helps a ton.


Thanks for the tip, Cathy! Partial freezing would make quite a difference. I wish I had thought of that!


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## Jcran (Jan 4, 2006)

I am LOVING our ground rabbit! I think its TOTALLY worth it, and it really doesn't take all THAT long to debone. Our kitchenaid grinder attachment worked really well.


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## katduck (Jul 10, 2008)

MaggieJ said:


> I found the videos on this British ferreting site helpful. They use ferrets to hunt wild rabbits. Lacking sufficient natural predators, the rabbit population tends to explode and ferrets are a great way to keep it in check. I remember my Dad telling us about going ferreting while staying with relatives in Derbyshire while he was on leave during WW2.
> 
> http://www.pakefieldferrets.co.uk/


Excellent videos on that site Maggie. Thanks for posting. I going to tackle some soon!

Kat


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