Rabbits are a meal for two, possibly three people, depending on the size of the rabbit.
Free-range Jack Rabbits tend to be wirey, fast, & their meat is best used as jerky, otherwise it doesn't make much of a meal for more than one.
Domesticated &/or plump rabbits tend to be more tender, juicy, & their meat can be used in all sorts of ways to feed upwards of three to four people, depending on how much meat there may be.
Possums, Skunks, Beavers, and any other small to medium sized mammal/marsupial tend to be gamey, & their meat may need to be marinaded in a sweet or zesty sauce to tame the inherent aspects of the meat.
Depending on the size, one person can make enough food to feed themselves for about a week; two people can eat for three days; three for a day (if a bit sparingly); and it'll make a decent meal for four.
Anything more than four people, & it is suggested that you make it into a heavy stock for stews, soups, or as shredded enhancements to other dishes.
If turned into jerky, the meat tends to be VERY tough, but at the same time it will nourish more than a similar-sized chunk of a smaller animal.
Large cats, small dogs, otters, ferrets, lizards, large snakes, etc, tend to be stringy & their meat is best shredded into strips, cooked over an open grill, & either eaten in a sandwich, or as added ingredients to a stew or meat pie.
It is NOT recommended turning their meat into jerky, as it doesn't smoke well except for people already used to handling such meats.
Sun drying the meat upon a large rock & eating it within a few days, how-ever, is acceptable & even nourishing, if a bit tangy on the tongue.
Large birds, plump rats, or other small-to-medium, more bones than meat, animals, are usually not really worth the effort it takes to catch them, much less strip, clean, & prepare.
If you're REALLY hungry though, nothing beats roast pigeon.
Medium-sized mammals, herbivores, & lizards (iguanas, salamanders, lizards, etc) are fairly tasty, but may require an excessive amount of effort to prepare for cooking.
(Especially anything with toughened scales or armor plating, such as a turtle or armadillo.)
A medium heat for an hour tends to leave the meat juicy, tender, and easily palatable.
(If you make a meat & potato's style stew, their meat is VERY delicious and well worth the effort.)
Now, any other animals you'd like to know about? |
