Meet Meat

Or not if it isn't your thing. 

I believe it's important to know where your food comes from. 

That doesn't mean all parts of the raising of rabbits for meat is fun. Most is. The raising bit, of course.

Otherwise it's a serious undertaking. 

A process that must be carried out with intention, care and focus. 

This is no understatement. 

I'm sure it's an amateur butchering job, but there you have it. The whole rabbit pieced up: flanks top and bottom, to the left front legs, to the right back legs, and in the center is the loin. I split the loin into back loin (left) and saddle (right). 

And then you'll need a freezer, or in my case a bigger freezer, until you run out of ideas for a different dish every night. 

Try cooking small pieces in turmeric and chipotle and adding to a salad with avocado. Bread up the flank, or leave attached to the loin, stuff and roll up, baking in a moist heat. Bake legs the same way you'd prepare drumsticks, just remember the saucier and moister the better for any smaller pieces attached to the bone. And that saddle needs breaking in. Cowboy. Tenderize it, or else it's easy to pretend you're eating calamari. Oh so many options. See, you'll never run out of ideas! 

Not much will be wasted here. Top will be enjoyed fresh by he dog, bones will be roasted and made into broth, and the trimmings below will be stir fried.

An acquaintance of mine, who grew up in the Philippines raising various smaller farm animals for sustenance, made a very good point about keeping your own animals for meat: the lack of waste! If you've gone to all that effort, you'll take care never to waste what you have produced. Interesting isn't it to consider the lack of commodity value while the world is operating in extravagance?