Title: Dressing beaver
 Categories: Game, Native, Canadian, Jw, Info
      Yield: 1 Servings
 
      1    Text file
 
  If the pelt is to be prepared for the market, care should be taken in
  skinning the animal. Lay the beaver on its back and cut the legs off
  at the first joint. Then, with a sharp knife, slit the peltstarting
  at the lower lip. Insert the knife in this slit and with the sharp
  edge up cut the pelt in a straight line down thew chest and belly to
  the vent. Work out from this centre line cut and with short strokes
  seperate the skin from the flesh. Carefully pull the legs through the
  skin leaving four round holes in the pelt. Cut off the tail where it
  meets the fur. Skin carefully around the eyes and cut off the ears
  close to the skull. Finish removing the pelt taking as little flesh
  and fat as possible, then lay it on a flat surface fur side down and
  sponge off all the blood marks with lukewarm water.
  
  Beaver meat is dark red, fine grained, moist and tender and when
  properly prepared similar to roast pork.
  
  Cut the head off and eviscerate: make a cut through the thin layer of
  meat from the breast bone to the vent, encircling the vent and being
  careful not to pierce the intestines. Lay the body cavity open and
  remove the viscera by grasping above the stomach and pulling down and
  out from the cavity. Carefully cut out the musk glands from under the
  skin on the inside of the legs and be sure to remove the castor gland
  under the belly near the tail. Trim off all the fat and wash the
  carcass thoroughly with warm salted water.