what to do with my bear?

[weasel28]

I'm sure some of u feel I should be posting this in butchering and cooking but got no replies.for those of u who have shot ur bear,skinned it and cut it up what's next for the meat.do u have to cure all game meat before u cook and eat it or what do u all do with it when preserving it or about to cook it and not meaning seasoning it???

[madmack76]

butcher it up figure out what cuts you want steaks roast, hamburger and make it happen cut it like any other animal just follow the seams or send it to a butcher

[Jingles]

I had some bear summer sausage made and it was mmmmmmmmm great

[JohnVH]

made a bunch of burger out of mine, weve been eating it all winter in everything, some roasts, summer sausage, bear is awesome meat! Mine is way better than deer.

[CementFinisher]

once its cut up and ground get it frozen. treat it like pork. i wouldn't hang it and let it age like deer. I really like grinding it up into breakfast sausage.

[madmack76]

summer sausage is great breakfast sausage is 100 times better hade a little sage and your golden.

[weasel28]

But my ? Is for any health reason or whatnot does the game meat have to be cured before eating or soak in water before packaging it and eating?

[JohnVH]

But my ? Is for any health reason or whatnot does the game meat have to be cured before eating or soak in water before packaging it and eating?

No, never done that, just cook it all the way through

[Blacktail Sniper]

  

How about some pictures and a story??

[madmack76]

that would be really nice.

[h20hunter]

Yep...pics and story please. No curing needed or special packing like others have said. Cook all the way. I find that teriyaki marinades go very well with bear. I've had steaks, breakfast sausage, pep sticks....all that and it is all good. Looking forward to eating some of my spring bear. I've been told that bear is most influenced by what it eats when it comes to taste. Berry/grass bear very good......garbage rotten fish bear very bad.

[oldschooltrucks]

Will you get sick if you don't cook it all the way through?   I'm not a big fan of well done lol.  Is it easier to just grind it up and easy enough to do it myself?

[Blacktail Sniper]

There is a chance, yes.  So think of cooking bear like you would cook pork or chicken. 

[ICEMAN]

We cut ours into steaks, and stew meat sized pieces. The steaks are usually on the small size and make great little cutlets for a breakfast steak, or dinner too...  The stew meats gets frozen in a couple pound packages for later stew.

I also pressure can up jars of stew meat. Talk about yum. 

[oldschooltrucks]

We cut ours into steaks, and stew meat sized pieces. The steaks are usually on the small size and make great little cutlets for a breakfast steak, or dinner too...  The stew meats gets frozen in a couple pound packages for later stew.

I also pressure can up jars of stew meat. Talk about yum. 

Do you take yours in to a butcher or do it yourself?

[ICEMAN]

Do it ourselves, very easy.

Debone the animal, take each section and with a good sharp knife disect along obvious muscle groups. Trim out all fat and/or sinew, grisle, etc. Your objective is meat only, nothing else. Then toss pieces into two bins, steaks and stew meat. Easy as that. Do it at our kitchen counter with the bear...not the garage.

You need to force the issue and learn this,... get it under your belt. You are not going to ruin anything. Good luck!

[oldschooltrucks]

Thanks...still working on getting the bear

[ICEMAN]

Doh! Thought you might have one chillin' My bad!

[oldschooltrucks]

Not yet.  I like to have things planned out as much as I can.  Thanks

[weasel28]

Sorry no story or pics I don't start hunting till the fall,just gathering every bit of info I can get.

[RB]

Just my  I have only harvested one Bear and I swear if I ever get another the whole thing is going to be Burger! The steaks were OK the Pepperoni and summer sausage were really good, BUT the burger was by far the best game burger I have ever had! Good luck 

[Turner89]

Do it ourselves, very easy.

Debone the animal, take each section and with a good sharp knife disect along obvious muscle groups. Trim out all fat and/or sinew, grisle, etc. Your objective is meat only, nothing else. Then toss pieces into two bins, steaks and stew meat. Easy as that. Do it at our kitchen counter with the bear...not the garage.

You need to force the issue and learn this,... get it under your belt. You are not going to ruin anything. Good luck!

I do exactly what Ice does with every thing I take. Except the canning. Hope to get into that at some point.  I like doing it, and I save $$$$.
 We had bear steaks tonite......very good   I was a bit nervous because the last bear I shot was in the salmon, and that was nasty. My youngest won't touch venison, fish, or just about anything, but he actually asked for more of the bear . I had to make him try it.....  Like Iceman said......don't be afraid to mess it up, and cut the grissle, and fat out. You will either throw that stuff away now, or after you cook it so you mite as well be a little picky when cutting and wrapping.

[oldschooltrucks]

I've never done my own meats before but I do like the idea of saving money! 

[Turner89]

I've never done my own meats before but I do like the idea of saving money!

The first buck I cut up, was because I couldn't afford to take it to the butcher. I didn't have a clue what I was doing, but found out that you really can't mess it up. Every now and then I will take a portion down to have pepperoni made, but that is for the kids. I really like the steaks, of deer , and now bear.

[JohnVH]

Just my  I have only harvested one Bear and I swear if I ever get another the whole thing is going to be Burger! The steaks were OK the Pepperoni and summer sausage were really good, BUT the burger was by far the best game burger I have ever had! Good luck 

depends on what it ate

[billythekidrock]

once its cut up and ground get it frozen. treat it like pork. i wouldn't hang it and let it age like deer. I really like grinding it up into breakfast sausage.

 

[danderson]

I would make summer sausage out of the whole thing, trim as much fat out as you can, no aging necessary