Small game, such as chickens and rabbits should be placeable in the inventory whole. Akin to fish right now. 2x2 or 3x3 slot.

Medium game (foxes, deer (except for bucks), wolves, maybe humans) should be carried over the shoulder.

Big game (bucks, pigs, bears, cows) is static.

Each animal (humans too) should have a "skinned" "rotting" and "bare bones" model, and transition between each should take a while.

"Skinned" is the human/animal after the pelt/skin is removed. Allows for harvesting of meat. Will attract infected and wolves.

"Rotting" is the human/animal in the process of rotting. After a few hours, it will progress to "Bare bones". Will attract infected and wolves. Rotten meat can be harvested for fertilizer and nefarious purposes at the cost of chance of getting an infection.

"Bare bones" is the skeleton of the dead human/animal after all the meat cuts are removed. Is persistent for a few days. Should be as low poly as possible.

After killing of a human/animal, a timer activates, and takes between 5 to 10 minutes for the all the meat to become spoiled. This can be prevented by a "Gut" action (removes guts and head, stabilizes the meat and allows for 1-2 more hours in order to allow the other actions).

Gutted and skinned small game can be roasted whole when skewered on a long branch.

There should be more cuts of meat on medium and large animals (hind and front legs (M, L), head (each specific), ribs (M, L), steak cuts, bacon, lard, guts, meat scraps). That will allow for better variety once proper cooking and food storing gets in the game.

Larger pieces of meat (legs, steaks) should be able to be cut into dices (for cooking - good for stews and soups, also jerky).

Head (of all medium and large animals) should be cookable in order to produce a bleached skull. The skulls should be persistent as-is, when on the ground. If human head is used, resulting soup stock gives 100% kuru.

If head is interacted with a hammer, it produces the brain. If human, and force fed to someone, it gives 100% chance of kuru. Degrades quickly.

Spoiled meat is useless for eating. It can be force fed. It can be used as bait for the infected. It can be combined with plant material to create fertilizer.

Fur pelts from furry animals (bear, wolf, fox) can be processed in two ways. One is standard tanning with lime, produces leather. The other is with tannin tea, which produces a tanned fur pelt (bear, wolf, fox). That pelt can be used as-is for camp ground or house floor decoration, or interacted with a leather sewing kit to produce a ghillie bushrag-like overcoat.

Oak bark should be cookable to produce tannin tea. Tannin tea is a liquid used in fur leatherworking, or as a poison.

Other plants should be cookable to produce tea. Tea is a liquid which hydrates the same as water, but it gives a small caffeine boost (better running endurance). Does not spoil. Can be boiled.

Bones and bone piles should be cookable in order to create soup stock. Soup stock is a liquid which hydrates slightly less than water, but it gives a small nutritional boost for the same stomach volume cost. Does not spoil. Can be bottled.

If vegetables are added to soup stock, they produce vegetable soup. Provides a medium nutritional boost, in addition to the hydration. If left to cook for a few hours, it will produce a Vegetable Bouillon Cube.

If meat cubes or meat scraps are added to soup stock, they produce (meat name) soup. Provides a high nutritional boost, body temperature boost and healing boost, in addition to the hydration. If left to cook for a few hours, it will produce a Meat Bouillon Cube.

Bouillon cubes can be chucked into hot water to quickly make soups.

If meat cubes or scraps, lard, onions and tomatoes are added to an empty pot, a stew (goulash) can be made. The best food in the game. Provides highest nutrition, body temperature boost and healing boost.

Powdered milk should be cookable to create milk. Milk is a liquid which hydrates slightly less than water, but it gives a medium nutritional boost for the same stomach volume cost. Half bag per full pot of water. Once rehydrated, milk will spoil within few hours. Can be bottled.

Milk can be combined with cow guts (representing rennet) + long time to create cheese. Rare crafting item due to its complexity.

Front and hind legs of medium animals (pigs, wild boars, deer) should be salted and smoked in order to create prosciutto ham (few hours). Luxury item.

Guts could be washed to produce sausage casings. They can be stuffed with meat scraps or meat cubes to create sausages. Which can then be cooked for eating or smoked for long term preservation. Also, only the washed guts should be able to be used as rope.

Fresh sausages should be smoked to create smoked sausages, which do not spoil. Better food than jerky.

Ribs can produce additional meat scraps for use in cooking and jerky making.
Also, they can be cooked whole.

Steaks/fillets/breasts/chicken legs/rabbit legs can be cooked as-is. This is already in the game.

Meat scraps and meat cubes can be salted and smoked to produce jerky (craftable entry-level dried meat, akin to tactical bacon).

Lard could be smoked as is, to produce salo (east european bacon). Or it could be cooked, to produce rendered fat (cooking ingredient).

Bacon could be salted/smoked, makes it significantly more long lasting. More nutritious than salo. Superior to tactical bacon.

Saltwater should be cookable for a long time in order to create salt, which is used in food preparation. Also, boxed salt should be found in residential areas.