Recipe Requested Need recipes for bear meat (warning, deceased animal picture)

[Bert2368]

And advice on cuts, roasts, what type of portioning makes sense.

Should have asked about this BEFORE today.

 

[ian]

****, Bert. You got shot? Your profile pic's a bit flattering, I'd say....

 

[nakiriknaifuwaifu]

Feel better Bert
Thoughts and prayers

 

[Bert2368]

I was pooping in the woods, then there was a loud noise.

 

[M1k3]

I was pooping in the woods, then there was a loud noise.

"Oh, bother."

 

[RonB]

Whatever you do, please make sure you cook all bear meat well done. It is notorious as a source of trichinosis.

 

[mise_en_place]

The trichinella parasite that causes trichinosis is instantly killed at 137°F. Make sure every bit of that meat is at 137°F and above, and you'll be alright.

Bear stew sounds good to me.

 

[Bear]

Whatever you do, please make sure you cook all bear meat well done. It is notorious as a source of trichinosis.

I've never cooked or shot one but I have had it in a slow cooked stew with a tomato based sauce, it was very good, sweet tasting meat. I've heard stories about bear fat and shoe leather, I think the key is slow cooking to well done, and making sure there is no fat left on it.

 

[Bert2368]

As an experiment, carefully trimming excess fat followed by sous vide at 137°F for a good while, then finish as taste dictates sounds like a starting point.

 

[juice]

I've never cooked or shot one

TBH, I'm glad to hear it. It would be like murder.

 

[Twigg]

Whatever you do, please make sure you cook all bear meat well done. It is notorious as a source of trichinosis.

This is so true! You don't ever want trichinosis. It absolutely ****ing sucks.

Some pig recipes cross over to bear well. A good start for wild game recipes is here:

https://www.themeateater.com/cook/recipes

 

[CiderBear]

How do you even butcher a bear?

 

[Bear]

How do you even butcher a bear?

The same as deer or moose, once you see one skinned and hanging you'll never forget it, looks just like a person.

 

[Bert2368]

How do you even butcher a bear?

I cheated and took it to a professional I trust- Cort's processing in Rock Creek MN. They have done it before and the owners also hunt, I left the breakdown into roasts, steaks, chops and saussage meat to their discretion.

Part of the reason I used them, Mira wants a bear skin rug and I have NEVER skinned out any animal with the requirement of getting the hide off in good condition.

Then I found out how expensive such taxidermy is on the same day that some Xmas/NY Eve events cancelled. The frozen skin is going to get double bagged and left in the freezer until my little piece of the economy turns around or I win the lottery.

 

[CiderBear]

I cheated and took it to a professional I trust- Cort's processing in Rock Creek MN. They have done it before and the owners also hunt, I left the breakdown into roasts, steaks, chops and saussage meat to their discretion.

Part of the reason I used them, Mira wants a bear skin rug and I have NEVER skinned out any animal with the requirement of getting the hide off in good condition.

Then I found out how expensive such taxidermy is on the same day that some Xmas/NY Eve events cancelled. The frozen skin is going to get double bagged and left in the freezer until my little piece of the economy turns around or I win the lottery.

Out of curiosity, how many lbs of edible stuff did you get from a bear? And did you keep the head for decoration or anything?

Also, how many freezers do you have that you can just find room for a freaking bear?

 

[Bert2368]

This little bear was actually about average for MN bears taken by hunters according to the processor. 130 to 150 lb. live weight. Probably 2.5 to 3 years old, their mom has kicked them out in the last Spring when she is ready to breed again and they're trying to find a territory of their own- But they don't really know everything about life, especially just how dangerous humans are.

I don't have the meat back. From what processor told me I expect 30 to 40 lb. of trimmed boneless cuts + some sausage type trim. In previous eras, there would also have been a substantial ammount of "bear grease" to be rendered from the large ammounts of body fat a fall bear is building up for winter hibernation. I won't be rendering that... but before central heating and Polartec fleece, this would have been very valuable.

I have a chest freezer and a standard double door refrigerator. A bear this size (or an average deer around here) equals about 1.5 to 2 large paper grocery bags volume of processed, packaged frozen meat at most. There is enough room for this bear alongside about 40 lb. of venison remaining from 2018 and 2019, perhaps 30 lb. of other fats and trimmings from large cuts of pork and beef waiting to become saussage, a few chickens, ducks, turkeys and sundry other proteins, perhaps 40 quarts of stock and whatever other odds and ends I store long term.

I don't do trophy mounts, I think taxidermy is fine for museums and useful for teaching but too creepy for my home. A look at Etsy shows professionally cleaned, bleached and stabilized bear skulls on offer from around $250 to $800. A taxidermist quoted me $180 today for cleaning the skull with flesh eating beetles (shudder!), bleaching and stabilizing for display. Anyone want to buy a small bear skull?

The crunch in freezer space will come if/when I kill another deer. ESPECIALLY if Mira gets one too, we are going to have to eat real fast or find more cold storage. Some storage of frozen food in unheated buildings is possible during a Minnesota winter but it's less and less dependable every year as our climate gets more erratic.

 

[Up_dog128]

130 to 150 lb. live weight.

A little guy! I think the biggest bear I ever processed was near 300#... I got 8 gallons of rendered fat off that guy. When I skinned it, the entire carcass was white from an inch+ fat layer.

A taxidermist quoted me $180 today for cleaning the skull with flesh eating beetles (shudder!), bleaching and stabilizing for display.

That seems outrageous, but I guess by 'stabilizing for display' he means mounting? Curious what he quoted you to tan the hide?
I've got friends in MN who would probably tan it for you using traditional methods instead of heavy metals. Although really, with a rug like that, unless you want it very supple, you can just do a partial tan and then smoke it, b leaving it rather stiff.

 

[29palms]

The old saw is to "cook it twice". Since they can carry trichinosis like ferrule swine. Yeah they look like a man when skinned out, but hey - if you shoot it deal with it. Seriously it's a delicious meat that lends itself well to a lot of recipes.

 

[Twigg]

You did well. Get the fat and render it. Freeze the meat and save the hide. Very little waste. You are doing great!

 

[Bert2368]

To

You did well. Get the fat and render it. Freeze the meat and save the hide. Very little waste. You are doing great!

Too late- They called earlier today, I will pick up meat, hide with head/skull still attached tommorow. They charged me nearly 2X what a large deer processed the same way costs, $200. 40 lb. of free bear meat costs more than pork?!

The taxidermist quoted $200 per foot of length nose to tail for a rug, head stuffed with a styrofoam "skull", glass eyes (did I mention I think taxidermy mounts are creepy?), claws attached, felt backing and some tie points on back side in case you want it on the wall rather than the floor. This bear just fit inside a 4'6" long ice fishing sled to drag out of the brush, I'd expect that to mean $800 - $1,000 for a rug.

I need to learn to butcher and skin for myself. Not like my day job is happening much of late.

 

[29palms]

Skinning ought to be your biggest challenge if you are caping, but butchering is the same for most anything. Back straps, tenders and follow the seams. @Twigg I've never had rendered bear fat for consumption. How does it taste?

 

[Twigg]

Damn, they are putting the wood to you.

 

[Twigg]

Skinning ought to be your biggest challenge if you are caping, but butchering is the same for most anything. Back straps, tenders and follow the seams. @Twigg I've never had rendered bear fat for consumption. How does it taste?

It is more mild than rendered pig fat. Great for use on biscuits and some baking in place of butter. It make a great allaround grease.

 

[Bert2368]

I'm picking up the bear shortly.

http://corksoutdoors.com/blog/julia-child’s-“ours-bourgignon”-bear-bourguignon/
Ignore the first part of this article which is the author's over active imagination and skip to the "bear Bourguignon" recipe.

Any critiques or other thoughts?

I have my own clarified beef stock made with the bones and trim, strong enough to jell in a cool room, no Campbells required. The red wine will be an issue... Largely due to my ignorance.

Have not made Boeuf Á La Bourguignon in several decades. John Roussos, the owner of (now closed) New Orleans Takeout made me a very tasty batch even longer ago. Don't keep good red wine to cook with, because, expensive, frequently broke and I'd probably drink it rather than cook with it... Used to like some reasonably priced Hungarian reds but have not seen them in years.

---------
Ours Bourguignon/Ours Á La Bourguignon

Ingredients :

1-2 lbs of bear stew meat

1 tbsp olive oil

1 chopped carrot

1 chopped onion

1 tbsp flour

1 tsp salt

1 tsp Herbs de Provence

1 bay leaf

3 cups of red wine ( Don’t cook with wine you wouldn’t drink: I used Francis Ford Coppola’s 2005 Claret [Cabernet Sauvignon])

1 can of Campbell’s beef consommé

1 tbsp of tomato paste

¼ lb of applewood smoked sliced bacon

18-24 small white onions

1 lb of fresh mushrooms sautéed in butter

1 tbsp chopped parsley

¼ cup of butter.

Render that bacon fat



Steps :Take a cassoulet or clay pot ( I prefer to use a large Vietnamese/Chinese clay pot that go for only $9 in San Francisco’s Chinatown—just before using make sure you soak it in cold water for at least 45 minutes, else it’ll crack, especially if using it for the first time).Cut the bacon strips into tiny squares, and fry them in the olive oil clay pot.Render out all the bacon fat, setting aside the brown bacon bits.Brown the bear stew meat, frying only a few pieces at a time to make sure they brown instead of cook, setting browned bear meat with the brown bacon bits.With all the bear meat browned, sprinkle the flour, salt and black pepper on top and toss the meat and bacon to make sure they’re all lightly coated.Toss the chopped onions and carrots into the claypot and sweat them until the onions are almost translucent.Pour in the 3 cups of red wine and scrape off as much of the brown goodness that has stuck the bottom of the clay pot.Add the can of beef consommé and dissolve the tbsp of tomato paste in the pot; then add the browned bear meat, bacon bits, and the spices and give a good stir.Here’s where you a lot of leeway with a claypot. You can either put it in the oven at 325-degrees Fahrenheit. NOTE: DO NOT preheat an oven for a clay pot—you’ll crack the pot! Just insert the clay pot and turn the heat on the desired degree.Or, do as I did. Put it on the stove on high heat and get the bourguignon boiling, then back off to medium heat and cover to simmer for the next 3-4 hours: until the bear meat is fork-tender.In the last 45 minutes, pour in the small white onions.During the last 15 minutes add the butter-fried mushrooms, giving a slow stir.

 

[Twigg]

I would be happy to eat this.

 

[Bert2368]

And also happy to NOT be eaten by this...

Anyone want to suggest red wines for the recipe/chef's nerves?

 

[Michi]

Anyone want to suggest red wines for the recipe/chef's nerves?

Pick any dry red. Shiraz, cab sav, pinot noir—they'll all work. Just avoid sweet stuff. No need to pick an expensive wine. Something at $10 a bottle will do fine.

 

[juice]

Something at $10 a bottle will do fine.

Bearly, though.

 

[Bert2368]

Decent red wine is among the bear necessities of life. Any francophone knows that...

 

[Bert2368]

Tried the "Bear Á La Bourguignon", modified the recipe given above a bit.

No ready made "herbs de provence" dried herb mix as the consensus was that this is not a good thing (lavender in particular was discouraged). See the "herbs de provence" thread for that discussion: Recipe Requested - Herbes de Provence- Lavender or no?

I further modified the recipe by approximately doubling the given quantities. Used 3 lb. of bear meat which was reduced by about 6 oz. after trimming fat and some silver skin, other ingredients in proportion.

After cooking bacon, rendering fat, browning the bear meat on high in 3 batches to make sure it browned, not boiled I sweated carrots & chopped onions, added 4 cups of wine and deglaze pan as per recipe.

I do not have any of the recommended clay cookers, pots & etc. Instead of 4 hours slow cooking in clay, put all ingredients except mushrooms in the instant pot for 45 minutes with natural pressure release. Heresy of the darkest kind but it did turn out to our satisfaction.

Finished with 2 lb. of sliced portobello mushrooms fried in butter with a squeeze of lemon juice and some additional fresh thyme leaves added after removing from instant pot.

Served with parsley buttered potatoes, Klondike Gold potatoes I had on hand.

Have been told I should make this again.

Bear doesn't taste like beef. Or pork. Or anything else I've had but it was certainly good. This particular bear had eaten at least it's own body weight of windfall pears, plums apples, buttercup squash and pumpkins from our orchard and gardens during the previous month. When I did put out some cooked meat trimmings as bait, she ignored that and ate the veggies instead, although she did relish drinking a couple of quarts of stock made from pork ribs and pork shoulder skin, bones and trim cooked with a star anise based oriental BBQ spice mix. If a fruit diet makes for tasty bear, she had that going on.