How do you process/cook your bear meat?
Contributors to this thread:Bears
From: Bowfreak
11-Jul-24
It has been nearly 20 year since I shot a bear but they are starting to really pique my interest. Anyway....of the couple of bears I shot I really enjoyed the meat but I felt a little contrained eating it because of needing to cook it to a safe temperature. For those of you who routinely eat bear, how do you process your bear (do you do mostly whole muscle, lots of burger, etc.) and how do you typically eat it? I know braising is popular and using grind in chilli, tacos, spaghetti sauce, etc. is popular but do any of you just patty out burgers and grill them? For your ground meat, do you add fat like many do with deer, use the bear fat or what?
From: Bou'bound
11-Jul-24
Grind and add bacon not fat. You get fat that way and some Bacon meat as well.
From: ILbowhntr
11-Jul-24
Had a lot of mine turned into brats, bacon added. Boil for 10 minutes then throw them on the grill. Wife said they’re the best she’s ever had.
From: bad karma
11-Jul-24
bad karma's Link
Find a recipe for beef bourguignon, slow cooked in red wine with root vegetables, substitute bear meat. Here's one recipe....
You'll be unable to stop eating it. It is that good.
From: VAMtns
11-Jul-24
Crock pot and root vegetables , remove as much fat as possible before cooking and ladle off fat on top of pot too . Grind for burgers without adding fat , VA bears are so fat removing as much as you can helps IMO . Searing roasts before adding to crockpot helps .
From: DanaC
11-Jul-24
A friend makes bear 'stroganoff' style, in a cream sauce with noodles and it is amazing. Any youtube 'beef stroganoff' recipe would be a good start.
From: Jaquomo
11-Jul-24
Sous vide at 145, then sear with clarified butter. Melts in your mouth. Or crock pot with vegetables.
From: Basil
11-Jul-24
I think bear meat makes the best tasting stew of all. Hate to butcher them but I prefer to eat bear over venison.
From: longsprings
11-Jul-24
Make sure you clean all the fat off , a nice roast with Knorrs vegetable soup mix double wrapped in foil in the oven at 250 for 4 to 5 hours it will melt in your mouth
From: longsprings
11-Jul-24
Make sure you clean all the fat off , a nice roast with Knorrs vegetable soup mix double wrapped in foil in the oven at 250 for 4 to 5 hours it will melt in your mouth
From: arlone
11-Jul-24
Stews and pot roasts. Didn't care for steaks and do not personally grind.
From: BoggsBowhunts
12-Jul-24
Roasts and grind, smoke the roasts like a beef brisket. I had old ladies at church going wild over it at a wild game dinner, they couldn’t believe it was a bear.
From: APauls
12-Jul-24
Don't forget ribs and bacon. Had the best ribs I've ever eaten in my life earlier this year. I made them and they were bear. They also make good bacon from belly and brisket meat.
From: Saphead
12-Jul-24
Basil x2 Haven't tried the ribs! dang it. They probably are amazing. Won't forget the next time...
From: Beendare
12-Jul-24
Bump this to the top thanks for the info so far. I plan on shooting a bear this fall, it’s been a while since I’ve shot a bear.
From: WV Mountaineer
12-Jul-24
It smokes very well too. It’s a good way of getting all the meat off the front shoulders. No meticulous trimming. Just smoke the whole shoulder.
I’ve also taken a whole front shoulder and seasoned it well. And wrap it well with heavy aluminum foil. Put some chopped garlic and onions in there with it. Some rosemary. Oven at 275 for the first hour and a half. Then down to 220. Cook it in a casserole dish. Cook it all day. 6 hours minimum. 8 is better. Boom!!!!!!!
From: IdyllwildArcher
12-Jul-24
I've been doing mine Mexican carnitas style: Slow cook in a roasting pan or in the crock pot then deep fry big chunks in lard in a cast iron skillet. Then make into tacos with cilantro, onion, guac, lemon, and salsa. It's amazing.
The deep frying rehydrates with the fat and makes the outside crispy and the inside stays moist. Slow cooking makes it fall apart. After cooking a full size roast, cut it into 3-4 inch cubes for the deep frying part.
And I don't understand why people remove the fat. That's the best part.
Another recipe: grind with the bear's own fat, then add garlic, sage, Montreal seasoning, paprika, and some red pepper. Then fry as sausage patties and eat with fried eggs for breakfast. Just make sure they're cooked all the way through. I use one of those digital meat thermometers that are less than 20 bucks on Amazon.
From: Tyler
12-Jul-24
I canned my spring bear this year and it’s like opening bottles of the best pulled pork you’ve ever had! Eat it hot or cold. Add it to soups or stews or whatever you want. Makes for quick easy meals for the family
From: Tyler
13-Jul-24
I canned my spring bear this year and it’s like opening bottles of the best pulled pork you’ve ever had! Eat it hot or cold. Add it to soups or stews or whatever you want. Makes for quick easy meals for the family
From: shade mt
13-Jul-24
we use it and prepare it just like any other red meat.
From: fuzzy
13-Jul-24
Sausage. Makes the best Italian sausage.
From: ILbowhntr
13-Jul-24
Brats and burgers for family supper tonight.
From: VAMtns
14-Jul-24
Looks GOOD ILb !
From: Al Dente Laptop
14-Jul-24
Render down the fat for biscuits and pie crusts.
