Photos: Step-by-step: How to break down a rabbit

Remove any giblets (heart, liver and kidneys) from the rabbit cavity.  (Anne Cusack / Los Angeles Times)

Remove the arms from the rabbit. Make sure the knife is pointing away from you as you slice.  (Anne Cusack / Los Angeles Times)

Next, remove the legs.  (Anne Cusack / Los Angeles Times)

You will need to pop the leg out of the hip as you work your way with the knife to remove each leg.   (Anne Cusack / Los Angeles Times)

Remove the belly flaps (the boneless pieces of meat just past the rib cage). These are often discarded, but cooked quickly they make a great snack.  (Anne Cusack / Los Angeles Times)

Remove the saddle (the portion of the back just below the rib cage and above the hip joints). First, determine where you will want to cut.   (Anne Cusack / Los Angeles Times)

Use a heavy knife (I demonstrate with a French knife here), as you will need to cut through bone. Position the knife above where you will need to cut.  (Anne Cusack / Los Angeles Times)

Place a towel over the knife where you will be cutting, and use something heavy — such as a rolling pin or large cookbook — to help pound the knife through the bone.  (Anne Cusack / Los Angeles Times)

Using a larger knife (and towel and rolling pin), remove the saddle from the rib cage.  (Anne Cusack / Los Angeles Times)

Cut the saddle into pieces. Here I use the larger knife, towel and rolling pin to cut the saddle into four separate pieces.  (Anne Cusack / Los Angeles Times)

The rabbit saddle cut into separate pieces. Note the backbone in the center of each piece, with tenderloin meat at the sides.  (Anne Cusack / Los Angeles Times)

The rabbit has been cut into usable parts. Save the hip bones and rib cage to use when making stocks or flavoring broths.  (Anne Cusack / Los Angeles Times)