Bear fat baking recipes?

[kselkhunter]

Hi All,

In my wishful thinking that I will fill a bear tag soon, I plan on saving the fat and having my wife render it for baking as she's an amazing baker.  And I've read that bear fat is great for pastries and baking recipes.   I've seen a few recipes online, but am curious if anyone on this forum has any favorite pastry or pie crust recipes using bear fat that has worked well for them that you'd be willing to share? 

I didn't find any using the search function on here. 

Thanks for any inputs. 

[JimmyHoffa]

The highly desired fat for baking is the leaf lard (kidney fat).  Kidneys are generally they most temperature sensitive of the organs for proper functioning--especially with an animal that sleeps for long periods in winter.  The fat surrounding sets up at the higher baking temps.

[jennabug]

I'm curious about this as well, tagging. I tried "tallow" in the search and didn't find much.
Searching for "rendering" got me to this thread: http://hunting-washington.com/smf/index.php/topic,182043.msg2403529.html#msg2403529

This site has some good info on rendering tallow and people in the comments said they have used it for baking too. I believe you just substitute the fat for the butter or shortening in any recipe, perhaps adjusting the consistency with more/less flour.
http://www.theprairiehomestead.com/2012/02/how-to-render-beef-tallow.html

[merkaba93]

The highly desired fat for baking is the leaf lard (kidney fat).  Kidneys are generally they most temperature sensitive of the organs for proper functioning--especially with an animal that sleeps for long periods in winter.  The fat surrounding sets up at the higher baking temps.

Yep. Leaf fat. Cut into flour. Best biscuits and southern baked dishes.

[sumpnz]

Do you folks mostly keep the leaf (kidney) fat separate when rendering then?  Or is that the only fat you even bother to save? 

My plan, if I ever get a bear, is to save as much fat as possible and render most of it down to lard.  I probably would reserve un-rendered some fat for adding to elk/deer/bear sausages in lieu of pork back fat. 

[Remnar]

 My Great Grandma used to use it when she could get it . Im pretty sure she rendered all internal and external fat together . When done right and off of a good eating bear it looks just like Crisco . Snow white and smooth .
 I think she used her normal baking recipes and used as she would lard or Crisco . But being a kid  was more interested in the end results 
  Personally if I have bear fat i render it to ad into a blend for leather treatment .

[kselkhunter]

Thanks folks.  I understand the rendering part, as my wife renders fat off the waterfowl I bring home.   

I'm trying to figure out if substituting bear lard instead of butter for baking is it a 1:1 ratio, or if recipes have to be altered.   

[Fletch]

I second what Remnar said...I think my Gma and Mom just used it in a pie crust recipe in substiture for crisco or whatever...from my memory it was good.  And we used to melt the fat down add a little mink oil and put it on our hunting boots... multiple uses 

[GBoyd]

I keep and use bear lard, and I give some to my sister who bakes with it.

You can use any of your typical recipes and substitute out butter, lard, or crisco for the rendered bear fat. My only caution would be to avoid it in recipes that rely on the butter flavor.

[boneaddict]

I second what Remnar said...I think my Gma and Mom just used it in a pie crust recipe in substiture for crisco or whatever...from my memory it was good.  And we used to melt the fat down add a little mink oil and put it on our hunting boots... multiple uses 

Yes!

[Karl Blanchard]

I swear it was on this forum but a guy took his sharps rifle on a backpack trip up in the northeast corner, picked a pile of huckleberries, shot a bear, rendered the fat, and made a dutch oven huckleberry bear crust pie.  swear it was here but can't find it.  Super cool story

[h20hunter]

It was....ill try and find it.

[kselkhunter]

That's my goal.  I picked huckleberries and have them in the freezer ready to go, but no bear yet.  The plan is use the rendered fat in the pie crust for huckleberry pie.   Going out for bear again this weekend.