Once you’ve dressed your bag of squirrels and rabbits, getting them ready for the grill or pot is just a matter of removing the skin. And that process will go super fast if you follow these simple instructions.
THE RABBIT REVERSE
Remove the skin. Pete Sucheski
Step 1: Remove the back feet above the ankles and the front legs above the knees with a cleaver. Using a sharp knife, slice under the skin along the back a few inches. Pull the skin away from the spine, creating a hand-size opening. Reach in, grab your naked bunny by the waist, and turn it inside out, pulling the skin down to the base of the head.
Remove the tailbone and any remaining entrails. Pete Sucheski
Step 2: Using the cleaver, remove the head. Done…unless you did not remove the tail when field dressing, in which case split the pelvic bone with your knife, and cut into the base of the tailbone at a 45-degree angle on both sides to loosen it. Then pull toward the midsection, removing the tailbone and any remaining entrails. Now you’re done.
THE SQUIRREL STRIP
Loosen the skin under the tail. Pete Sucheski
Step 1: Place the squirrel on the ground, stomach down. Pull the tail upward and cut through the tailbone from the rear, but do not cut through the hide on the top side. Leave that attached. Still pulling upward on the tail, use your knife to loosen the skin under the tail a bit.
Pull the front feet out. Pete Sucheski
Step 2: Step on the tail, getting part of your foot onto the loosened skin. Then pull on the back legs, peeling the skin down. Pull the front feet out. Hook two fingers under the remaining skin on each thigh and remove it, pulling upward. Lop off the feet and head with a cleaver. Done.
