Bear meat

[fishnguy]

Shot a bear a couple of weeks ago. Not a planned bear hunt or anything, just a trouble maker I shot at an old farmer’s request. A young bear that would occasionally run him up and make him feel uneasy otherwise. I dressed him up as I would any other game and i’ll tell ya, I cooked some of that meat today and is it good. I also gave a leg to my cousin. He told me a couple of days ago that we are chasing the wrong game for meat, lol.

What do you do with the meat from the bears you hunt? I know many just leave it where it dropped, but those who do not... any special recipes to share?

Also a question in regards to backstraps. I know this meat has to be fully cooked and I like my steak meat medium rare. So the question is what do you do with backstraps?

I also rendered some fat (about 2.5 litres of total output). What do you with the fat?

I have a feeling I will be packing some bear meat in my freezer every fall from now on. It’s just that good.

[Smoky buck]

I have eaten bear since I was a kid and have always taken the meat

Sausage of all kinds and hams are the most common ways to eat bear meat. Ground is good used like any other kind of ground meat. I don’t do steak often but do like to bbq the Backstrap. I cube a lot of meat for stew, stir fry and stuff like that. Sweet and spicy style recipes work well with bear meat. My wife will bake with bear fat as a lard substitute

Couple recipes but I just go by eye so you’re going to have to wing it a little

BBQ back strap

Because you are cooking it through I cut the back strap in 4 inch chunks. After that I cover the meat with a rub and put it in the fridge over night. I like heat so you may need to adjust the rub

Rub I use

Onion powder, garlic power, smoked paprika, Cajun spice,cayenne pepper, seasoning salt and brown sugar

Throw it on the BBQ at a medium heat to caramelize the rub. Once it starts to caramelize brush on a sweet bbq sauce and lower the heat. Let it cook through but brush on bbq sauce a few more times. Let it rest before serving.


Honey garlic bear over rice

Chop up bear meat into stir fry style strips and throw it in a bowl. Add honey garlic sauce, ginger, Chinese five spice(light on this), and salt. Let this sit for an hour or 2.

Then I prep veg but keep them separate they get added at different stages. I take a peeler to make fine carrot strip. Chop baby bok Choy and chives. Rinse some bean sprouts

Heat up a hot wok or frying pan with sesame oil. Add meat and sauce mix start browning meat. When is look browned add carrots. A few minutes after add bok Choy. When bok Choy wilts add bean sprouts. At this stage thicken the sauce with some corn starch. Once it has thickened up turn off the heat

Add to rice along with chives and sesame seeds

Gives these a try

[mindoutside]

Never hunted bear, could you tell me why the back strap cannot be medium rare?

[Smoky buck]

Originally Posted by mindoutside

Never hunted bear, could you tell me why the back strap cannot be medium rare?

Possible trichinosis same as pork and cougar. It’s not a high percentage from what I understand but a possibility. I have met guys in BC who get their meat tested so they don’t have to cook it through

[smokedstew]

I'm in the middle of my first bear cook right now! Doing a full back leg on the traeger, simple rub then once it gets a crust we're doing a mop sauce. This is also a younger problem bear, smashed the kids bunny hut next to the kitchen window and ate the rabbits then came back and tried getting in the window, and was staying in the field 100' from the house, talked to the co and got permission to shoot it. Next project is trying to brain tan the hide

[AltaBorn]

Originally Posted by smokedstew

I'm in the middle of my first bear cook right now! Doing a full back leg on the traeger, simple rub then once it gets a crust we're doing a mop sauce. This is also a younger problem bear, smashed the kids bunny hut next to the kitchen window and ate the rabbits then came back and tried getting in the window, and was staying in the field 100' from the house, talked to the co and got permission to shoot it. Next project is trying to brain tan the hide

Add it to the meat smoking thread/sticky

[smokedstew]

Originally Posted by AltaBorn

Add it to the meat smoking thread/sticky

Will do for sure, I actually forgot there was one on here thanks for the reminder

[calgarychef]

Originally Posted by fishnguy

Shot a bear a couple of weeks ago. Not a planned bear hunt or anything, just a trouble maker I shot at an old farmer’s request. A young bear that would occasionally run him up and make him feel uneasy otherwise. I dressed him up as I would any other game and i’ll tell ya, I cooked some of that meat today and is it good. I also gave a leg to my cousin. He told me a couple of days ago that we are chasing the wrong game for meat, lol.

What do you do with the meat from the bears you hunt? I know many just leave it where it dropped, but those who do not... any special recipes to share?

Also a question in regards to backstraps. I know this meat has to be fully cooked and I like my steak meat medium rare. So the question is what do you do with backstraps?

I also rendered some fat (about 2.5 litres of total output). What do you with the fat?

I have a feeling I will be packing some bear meat in my freezer every fall from now on. It’s just that good.

The rendered fat is great for biscuits and it has a lower melting point than butter or any other lard so I’m thinking it’s a healthy alternative to some fats. Some folks like it for pie dough and it is beautifully white fat so makes nice crust. But because of the low melting point it’s difficult to make flaky crusts. For small tarts etc. it’s probably pretty good.

[mindoutside]

Originally Posted by Smoky buck

Possible trichinosis same as pork and cougar. It’s not a high percentage from what I understand but a possibility. I have met guys in BC who get their meat tested so they don’t have to cook it through

so is that all of the bear meat or just the back strap because it's close to the organs?

[smokedstew]

Originally Posted by mindoutside

so is that all of the bear meat or just the back strap because it's close to the organs?

All meat can have it from what I've read, rinella got it from eating undercooked ribs doesn't sound fun at all

[Dubious]

I wouldn’t underestimate the amount of bears with trichinosis theres surveys In Montana's Lincoln and Sanders Counties that show 100% of bears over six years of age have tested positive for the parasite (from a Steve Rinella article)I’m betting it’s far more prevalent than people think and just good cooking practices reduce the cases in people.

Now for the good stuff

Bear curry is really good. Get an authentic curry kit like the ones they sell at the mad dog cafe in deadman’s flats and substitute bear for beef. The guys at hunting camp like out so much everyone is usually gunning for some bear meat.

I really like talking an entire ham and slow cooking it in the oven cut some slits in it and insert some whole garlic knobs put on your favourite roast rub and people will think there eating beef.

The other go to is bear tacos. It’s hard to mess this one up it’s a nice quick easy dinner for when you get back to camp and your tired just want to drink a beer and go to bed. you can even pre cook your bear taco meat And freeze it in some vacuum pack bags so you just have to heat it up in some hot water for those extra tired days.

[fishtank]

Kabobs back strap can be cube and make kabobs .. I use onion purées and Caesar dressing as a marinated over night ,It help tenderize it more

[sarahfaye]

I grind my bear 50% fat 50% meat. Mix that with elk for the best burger you will ever eat.
Bear shanks in the slow cooker are a favorite, BBQ or curry flavour. Any roast in the smoker is a hit, I leave a 1/2-3/4 fat cap on. Last year we started just wrapping small(1/4 cup) packs of bear fat. Every elk or deer roast gets a pack on top before cooking. Pure healthy decadence. The jerky is hard to beat also. Heading up to the berry patch tomorrow.

[fishnguy]

Lots of good ideas. Thanks! Keep them coming if you have more!

I simply cooked some stew using misty shank meat from the rear. I was amazed how quickly it softened up! Probably about half the time it takes for a deer, moose or elk.

My cousin marinated the whole deboned rear leg I gave him. He marinated for 3 or 5 days, not sure. Then he threw it in the smoker, but for whatever reason it never fully cooked he said. He then chopped it up and finished it on the frying pan with onions.

Originally Posted by Smoky buck

Possible trichinosis same as pork and cougar. It’s not a high percentage from what I understand but a possibility. I have met guys in BC who get their meat tested so they don’t have to cook it through

Does anyone know how can one get the meat tested? How much it costs and how reliable is the result? If reasonably priced and reliable, I would definitely be interested in the future.

[Broken-Arrow]

My last one i cut everything into about 1.5” slabs, threw in a spicy brine for 3-4 days, then threw onto the smoker for about 7hrs. Turned out fantastic.
Backstraps were just cubed up and cooked in fat with salt and pepper at camp, also delicious.
Scrap meat 50/50 meat/fat for ground hamburger meat (stews, tacos etc.)
This bear was hanging out in the raspberries for months, very good eating.

[transplant]

Bear meat..... yum ! A shank in the pressure cooker with an onion, a couple of cloves of garlic, some salt and pepper and a couple of tablespoons of water. Serve it with pasta or potatoes. Wonderful meal !

Rendered bear fat is a much healthier fat than lard as it stays liquid at room temperature indicating that it is a polyunsaturated fat - the good kind. Or at least not as bad, eh ? It is prized by chefs for making pastry and in my experience has made wonderful light and fluffy pie crusts.

Also, that rendered fat is one of the best machining oils you'll find. Use it at your drill press for those tough to drill objects,

[Pekan]

I like burgers and ground for tacos, pasta, lasagna, also cube up a lot of it. Its great in stews, currys, etc. slow cooker type of meals.
We made a tourtierre recently and it was gobbled up by a bunch of non hunters.
(yes we told them it was bear )
Haven't rendered any fat yet.

Just keep a meat thermometer on hand and you'll be fine.

My family prefers bear meat to mule deer.

[Gear guy]

I used to skin a lot of bears for an outfitter years and years ago. I will never eat a bear no matter what it tastes like. I have seen so many worms in them it makes me sick. I bet 75% or more had them on the outside of the meat and under the hide. Still makes me cringe thinking about it.
Cook it well if you do is all I got to say

[newguy]

Great to see this thread about positive experiences with bear meat!! I’ve never had a bad experience with any bear meat. My mom still talks about her favourite game meat... bear. More hunters should try it.

[graybeard]

A long time ago on a goose hunt up in the Owen/Acadia Valley area our group ended up at a buddy's place where after the day's events we stopped at his place for a bite to eat.

The fellow's and his wife served us up with some ham, buns and cheese fixins....

In line with the thread, I couldn't believe he was serving us expensive ham. Well in fact it was the bear hams he had smoked....We were eating bear not pork ham......

All I can say is wow, was that good.....I am not a bear hunter but if I had to put one down for personal safety reasons, I would smoke the hams.

Good luck,

[IronNoggin]

Some of the best grits there is!!

Never seen any worms in the bears I've taken, and most are Monsters!

This fellow went 7'6" nose to tail and was pushing 600 lbs.





Was damn FAT having lived off of apples, grain and garden raiding:



Made for a LOT (I made 3 cases and gave the balance to a Buddy) of rendered lard which is awesome for pastry, overall cooking, and leather preservative!



Besides those Uber Yummy Smoked Hams, we made mountains of pepps and smokies!





In fact I just learned a couple days ago about a local garden / orchard raider of very good size.
Made me drool as I figure out just how to take him down...

Cheers,
Nog

[Alberta Bigbore]

Our family loves bear meat from a fall harvest.

My cousins wife loves bear fat donations as she has gotten into a soap hobby

[Ronaround]

that smoked ham looks amazing!!
I was thinking bear meat cooked on the dark side.

[bucksnbears]

I'd throw out all my deer to make room for bear if I had too.

[bucksnbears]

Originally Posted by Gear guy

I used to skin a lot of bears for an outfitter years and years ago. I will never eat a bear no matter what it tastes like. I have seen so many worms in them it makes me sick. I bet 75% or more had them on the outside of the meat and under the hide. Still makes me cringe thinking about it.
Cook it well if you do is all I got to say

I've skinned/ butchered perhaps 200.
Only seen one with worms and I knew he was sickly before even starting

[Gboe8]

Our group shot 6 this past spring three had worms. But we just make sure it’s cooked well haven’t had any problems yet. But if you have shot lots of bears and not seen worms your looking for the wrong thing or really lucky. And we have killed bears in lots of different zones.

My person favourite is smoked bear hams in the slow cooker with a sweet and sour sauce