Rabbits with rigor mortis?

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Rabbits with rigor mortis?

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cab

Joined: 01 Nov 2004
Posts: 32429

Posted: Tue Mar 03, 09 4:37 pm Post subject: Rabbits with rigor mortis?

Got given a pair of bunnies yesterday. They were still warm when I got them, and I skinned them in the evening.

Turns out that the whole gutting and skinning thing is harder when the bunny has rigor mortis. I've done this with freshly killed rabbits before, and with rabbits a day or two old, and its a doddle, but getting the skin off a stiff rabbit is hard work.

I left them out till later in the evening before jointing one and freezing the other (I'm sure I've read that funny things happen if you put meat with rigor mortis into the fridge or freezer, muscles shrink or something). But it occurs to me that I've just got no idea how long rigor lasts for; how long after killing before it sets in, and when does it wear off? Other than being a bit harder to get them skinned and cleaned, are there other disadvantages to processing a bunny (or other animal) when it has rigor mortis?

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 46238
Location: yes

Posted: Tue Mar 03, 09 4:54 pm Post subject:
timing depends on temp and oxidation state of the critter when it croaks cut before or hang until relaxed seems easyest with most fish they taste better and have better texture pre rigor

Northern_Lad

Joined: 13 Dec 2004
Posts: 14210
Location: Somewhere

Posted: Tue Mar 03, 09 5:20 pm Post subject:
Yeah, at the skills weekend last year, which you didn't attend, I jointed a pair of chickens and ended up with the same problem. It's slightly odd working with still-warm meat...

GENT

Joined: 03 Jun 2008
Posts: 387
Location: Student diggs- coventry.

Posted: Fri Mar 06, 09 10:53 am Post subject:

Northern_Lad wrote:

It's slightly odd working with still-warm meat...

Nah!
It warms your fingers up on a cold day!

chez

Joined: 13 Aug 2006
Posts: 35935
Location: The Hive of the Uberbee, Quantock Hills, Somerset

Posted: Fri Mar 06, 09 10:57 am Post subject:

Northern_Lad wrote:

It's slightly odd working with still-warm meat...

I like it.

Northern_Lad

Joined: 13 Dec 2004
Posts: 14210
Location: Somewhere

Posted: Fri Mar 06, 09 11:20 am Post subject:
I didn't say I didn't like it; it's just odd when you're used to dealing meat that's been in the fridge.

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