Butchering Question--Resting the Meat from Rigor Mortis

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Zass":1mkuhdh0 said:
With deer, I don't really have anywhere to hang, so we cut ours up and freeze it right away, eating mainly the best and tenderest parts first. I think they must come out of rigor when frozen, because our deer are always tender.

Gaminess is funny though, since I've had people tell me hanging a deer will INCREASE gaminess, and othes say NOT hanging it do the same. :?

I've heard a 101 ways to get rid of gamey taste in venison...but I've yet to find one gamey to begin with!!!
I'm sure there is someone else who would find the same deer to be "gamey." (It is a game animal, after all)

Or maybe people haven't considered the age, gender, or diet of the particular deer and assumed it was their prep method that affected the taste???

I know the plump doe and button buck my husband brought me the last two whitetail seasons were very tasty animals.

I wouldn't expect a trophy buck with a giant rack to be quite as tender...
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I think rabbits killed by CD have less toughness, and less off flavors, then rabbits that were bashed in the head, - but a good friend who has a lot of experience also-- disagrees with me...
 
I also place my rabbits in the grass and dispatch them with a pellet gun to the back of the head. Usually they are mid weed-nibble and completely unawares at the time the gun goes off. Lately though, I have had to do the broomstick method as my pellet gun was broken and I haven't been able to buy a new one yet. But the way I do this, the spine is completely severed in two immediately and the rabbit is properly bled out by the time I get them to my skinning station (all of the blood is still in the neck under the skin though). I use a solid, thick metal handle that used to belong to a mop. I gently place the rabbit on the ground, stroke them a little, place the handle behind their ears while quickly reaching for their back legs. As soon as I get their back legs, I step down on both sides of the handle and pull up on the legs as hard as I can. Rabbit goes completely limp instantly. This does not work if you are unsure of yourself and don't do it quickly and with all your weight. They might move slightly after due to nerves but that should only last a few seconds.
 
I am processing today and am thinking of letting them go thru rigor in an iced cooler. I don't brine until I am ready to cook. I have let them go thru rigor in the fridge dry and that was fine. They are 12 weeks so too big for a gallon bag and my rigor fridge is full of beer. I bop and bleed which I think helps the taste. Before cooking I soak in buttermilk if I am frying. I always soak venison in buttermilk.
 
I found room in my fridges, I'm going to stick to the dry rest for a few days. Looking forward to smoking one or two or three and since I'm afraid of losing electricity think I'll can a few. That should keep me busy for a while. I love hearing how others do it though, everyone seems to have their own way. Every day is a learning day lately for me. Expanded the garden from one to three, ugh, more chickens. So happy spring is here finally!!! Have a great Monday.
 
Scooter1A said:
I am processing today and am thinking of letting them go thru rigor in an iced cooler. I don't brine until I am ready to cook. I have let them go thru rigor in the fridge dry and that was fine. They are 12 weeks so too big for a gallon bag and my rigor fridge is full of beer. I bop and bleed which I think helps the taste. Before cooking I soak in buttermilk if I am frying. I always soak venison in buttermilk.
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I have a similar resting fridge, lol, with beer kegs. I save produce bags for the big items, or even double bag in plastic shopping bags. you can also quarter then rest. I do prefer resting, tho under 12 weeks is probably fine to go without.
 
EnglishSpot said:
So one question I can't seem to find a direct answer to is how long to rest the meat after slaughter. And what about freezing vs rigor mortis?

After quartering the rabbit, can I freeze immediately or should I refrigerate to let the r.m. pass?

When that rabbit is thawed, does it go through rigor mortis then? Or does freezing skip the rigor mortis phase?
If a thawed rabbit has to go through r.m., would it be best to let it thaw in the fridge for a day or so, so r.m. can happen then?
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I soak my rabbits (and chickens) in a cooler of salted ice water for 2 or 3 days. Butchered 2 rabbits over 18 months recently and loved them.
 
Deer Heart said:
I also place my rabbits in the grass and dispatch them with a pellet gun to the back of the head. Usually they are mid weed-nibble and completely unawares at the time the gun goes off. Lately though, I have had to do the broomstick method as my pellet gun was broken and I haven't been able to buy a new one yet. But the way I do this, the spine is completely severed in two immediately and the rabbit is properly bled out by the time I get them to my skinning station (all of the blood is still in the neck under the skin though). I use a solid, thick metal handle that used to belong to a mop. I gently place the rabbit on the ground, stroke them a little, place the handle behind their ears while quickly reaching for their back legs. As soon as I get their back legs, I step down on both sides of the handle and pull up on the legs as hard as I can. Rabbit goes completely limp instantly. This does not work if you are unsure of yourself and don't do it quickly and with all your weight. They might move slightly after due to nerves but that should only last a few seconds.
Click to expand...
I too used a mop handle, but always felt a little clumsy holding a squirming rabbit, getting the bar and my feet in place. Someone here posted a choke chain hanging from a tree branch. I found some sash cord ( that stiff stuff holds it's shape) put it in a nice round loop. Hanging about shoulder height.I'm hugging and talking to bun as I slip head in loop, slide hands to legs, sharp tug dislocates neck. 2 steps from cleaning sink for a quick cut and bleed. Quicker and less stressful for both of us. Less bruising in neck area. Thanks to whoever posted the noose idea.
 
Scooter1A said:
I found room in my fridges, I'm going to stick to the dry rest for a few days. Looking forward to smoking one or two or three and since I'm afraid of losing electricity think I'll can a few. That should keep me busy for a while. I love hearing how others do it though, everyone seems to have their own way. Every day is a learning day lately for me. Expanded the garden from one to three, ugh, more chickens. So happy spring is here finally!!! Have a great Monday.
Click to expand...
Apple and pecan for smoking are excellent. Hickory and mesquite were to overpowering.
 
dlynn said:
I too used a mop handle, but always felt a little clumsy holding a squirming rabbit, getting the bar and my feet in place. Someone here posted a choke chain hanging from a tree branch. I found some sash cord ( that stiff stuff holds it's shape) put it in a nice round loop. Hanging about shoulder height.I'm hugging and talking to bun as I slip head in loop, slide hands to legs, sharp tug dislocates neck. 2 steps from cleaning sink for a quick cut and bleed. Quicker and less stressful for both of us. Less bruising in neck area. Thanks to whoever posted the noose idea.
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I intend to try this method as a back injury makes the broomstick cumbersome. Not as quick as I'd like it to be.
 
How do you do the choke chain method without breaking the legs?
I've tried both choke chain and broomstick method and not gotten well with either.
First couple of times with the choke chain ended up bunny with broken back legs and basically strangled and a fair lot of bruising at neck, rabbit squealed, not at all nice. Hard to process with broken back legs too. Often just broke at the knee joint.
Switched to using broomstick method, actually adapted it so we hit them at the top 2 vertebrae with a steel rod to make them unconscious, then once lights out, stand on broomstick and pull rabbit....I found this made their internal organs stretch and sometimes hard to process, as it was obviously a lot of pulling especially once we've pulled the skin off too, ended up with the intestines and stomach being very weak, a couple of them split while trying to gut them....and the stench of split open inside guts is awful!!!
Wondering if maybe I should invest in an air rifle, but we are in town and have neighbours, neighbours can be nosy and I don't want anyone to look over the fence and see me killing my rabbits with a gun, they would have a shock!

I haven't tried the v-block method of cervical dislocation, it seems any pull method so far doesn't really work for me. Maybe I just don't have the muscles? But is it more about technique?
Any ideas?
 
Bunnies4me said:
How do you do the choke chain method without breaking the legs?
I've tried both choke chain and broomstick method and not gotten well with either.
First couple of times with the choke chain ended up bunny with broken back legs and basically strangled and a fair lot of bruising at neck, rabbit squealed, not at all nice. Hard to process with broken back legs too. Often just broke at the knee joint.
Switched to using broomstick method, actually adapted it so we hit them at the top 2 vertebrae with a steel rod to make them unconscious, then once lights out, stand on broomstick and pull rabbit....I found this made their internal organs stretch and sometimes hard to process, as it was obviously a lot of pulling especially once we've pulled the skin off too, ended up with the intestines and stomach being very weak, a couple of them split while trying to gut them....and the stench of split open inside guts is awful!!!
Wondering if maybe I should invest in an air rifle, but we are in town and have neighbours, neighbours can be nosy and I don't want anyone to look over the fence and see me killing my rabbits with a gun, they would have a shock!

I haven't tried the v-block method of cervical dislocation, it seems any pull method so far doesn't really work for me. Maybe I just don't have the muscles? But is it more about technique?
Any ideas?
Click to expand...
Sounds like technique problems, and maybe the age of the rabbit is factoring into it. Many people prefer to harvest fryers (8-12 week-olds) because, among other considerations, everything about dispatching and skinning is easier at that age. Older rabbits are much harder to dispatch, as their muscles are stronger and bones more stout; and their connective tissues are developed enough that they tend to hold onto their skin much more strongly, so skinning can get to be a workout.

The broomstick and choke chain methods are both cervical dislocation methods. Like @dlynn says, "tug hard and fast." You should hear/feel the neck vertebrae separate. It doesn't take much muscle strength, but does take commitment to do that pull effectively, and it should happen in a single pull. Hold onto the entire leg on each side (also easier when it's a small fryer instead of a full-grown meat rabbit) and pull straight in line with the spine; the only angle should be at the neck. You definitely shouldn't be breaking leg bones or stretching internal organs out of shape; you should not have to pull that hard. Again, it's a sharp movement, not slow and gentle.

My daughter uses a "hopper popper" mounted in the wall, similar to this:
hopper popper.png

But when I have to do it, I usually bop them on the head first - hard - to make sure they're unconscious. It's kind of violent-feeling, but I really, really, really don't want an animal to suffer, so I do it with conviction. Our rabbits are calm; I put them on the ground, they nibble grass and they never know what hit them. Then I use a broomstick to do the dislocation, to be sure they're dead. Having the animal on the ground and pulling up means it doesn't require any muscle strength at all; you just stand up. Having the animal already unconscious means that you're not struggling with it, and can adjust as necessary without worrying about causing it pain or having it freak out.

Dispatching any animal is a learned skill. Maybe having them already unconscious would allow you to get the feel of cervical dislocation without so much agony for you and the animal.
 

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