Bear Meat

[Slamadoo]

So I got my first bear this past weekend. Any opinions on the genera quality of bear meat this time of year? I know the best way to know would be to just taste it, but I haven't had time yet. For some context, he was sitting on a spike-elk carcass that was pretty ripe when I came across him. He didn't want to leave that treasure. haha

Also, what is your favorite preparation for bear meat? Burger, sausage, hams, etc? Maybe a special recipe you like.

Do you guys worry about trichinosis?

Thanks Everybody!

[callturner]

You ALWAYS worry about Trich. That being said, cooking above 149 degrees kills it and most cook around 160 - 165. just like pork. Save the fat and render it. Roasts , steaks and burger are excellent!

[bear]

Bear roasts are great. Everything else goes to sausage.

[Jingles]

Bear summer sausage will make your tongue slap your brains out it is so good

[Tracker0721]

I found a recipe online for huckleberry bourbon bbq bear. It was flipping amazing doing little medallions. And I overcooked the crud out of it, 180 degrees, and it was still tender. Cooked it in the cast iron to sear it than tossed it in the oven to finish.

https://www.leupold.com/leupold-core/stories/field-to-table-bourbon-blueberry-bear-roast

[jrebel]

Canned bear is fantastic and very versatile.

[Boss .300 winmag]

😉

[D-Rock425]

Makes great burger, Pepperoni and summer sausage.

[LITTLEBUCK]

 For me, I cut it just like I do deer. Crock pot roast is fantastic

[Pacific Ghost]

Mine all went to summer and garlic sausage. It is good 

[Pathfinder101]

We are big fans of biscuits and gravy in my house.  Whole bear goes into breakfast sausage for us.   

[HikerHunter]

Lots of good suggestions already: summer sausage, breakfast sausage, burger. If you still have a ham, cure it and cold smoke it and then glaze and cook it like a holiday ham, delicious. Always cook thoroughly.

[SpicyTacos]

This year my bear went into Pepperoni,  breakfast and summer sausage. Thumbs up.!

[acrim]

I would suggest a hind quarter ham , if you have the fridge space to do a 20-25 day wet brine injection and a smoker big enough , it is an outstanding way to eat bear.

[Twispriver]

Pat McManus might say that bear meat is just as good as deer or elk meat when you're out of deer and elk meat. Personally I'm not a huge fan of bear meat so it usually gets ground and used in sausage or salami. I've done the cured and smoked route and if I have to eat bear that's not ground that's the best way.

[sagemd]

You guys got it all wrong.
Making bear into peperoni or sausage is a waste of good meat.
Bear ham is better than pork.
Roasts are great and burger is good.
Back straps are small but great.
I have eaten all of the seven I harvested.

[yakimanoob]

I've had a few roasts, some stew meat, and ground meat in chili and spaghetti from my first bear we got on the high hunt this year.

I'm sure sausage and cured meats are great but don't miss out on the regular preparations.  Bear meat is fantastic, all around. 

As for the rotten spike carcass - I doubt any single meal, no matter how funky, would affect the meat.  Just like us, it's the habits, not the single meals, that matter most. 

Congrats! 

[yakimanoob]

Also yes, always have your radar up for trichinosis.  There does not seem to be good science around whether the parasites will die in a deep freezer, so IMHO you should always cook the meat to a safe temp. 

 

[callturner]

  Seems that it takes several months at a low temp. Most all bears carry it. just cook it and your safe. I love the roasts and steaks . Only the trimmings go to sausage, And bear makes the best chicken fried steak without a doubt!!!

[huntnnw]

sausage all of mine, not a fan of hams,steaks and roasts. had many no thanks

[CaNINE]

Bear is some of the finest slow braised roast meat I've ever prepared.  It also makes for very nice pastrami.   

[Pathfinder101]

Here's what Little Pathfinder's bear looked like when we visited him this morning...

[Axle]

MMMMMM bear tacos! 

[dmoua]

Bear street tacos are my favorite.

[444Marlin]

I like smaller bears early in the season that have been feeding on a berry diet.  I do straight burger grind and steaks.  My kids love it.

Older bears and those that have been feeding on dead animals is not so good.  I had a big 7 foot black bear a number of years ago that was very tough to get through.  Metallic taste.

I've been using my su vide to cook the bear steaks at 145 for 2-3 hours and then pan sear.  It's the only way to safely eat medium rare bear steaks.  Hank Shaw writes about it, and I haven't had trich yet.

[idaho guy]

We turn all of our bears into German sausages. I have tried bear most ways. I think it’s all ok to pretty good but it’s the best meat for german sausage hands down.

[Pathfinder101]

We turn all of our bears into German sausages. I have tried bear most ways. I think it’s all ok to pretty good but it’s the best meat for german sausage hands down.

Do you do your own, or have them done by someone?

[Slamadoo]

Thanks for all the info. I have a hind quarter thawing right now. Gonna go in a brine and then smoked ham. Plan on some summer sausage and burger with the rest. Maybe a roast or two. Depending on how this ham turns out, I might save the other hind quarter for another ham as well.

[idaho guy]

We turn all of our bears into German sausages. I have tried bear most ways. I think it’s all ok to pretty good but it’s the best meat for german sausage hands down.

Do you do your own, or have them done by someone?

 

I have them done by a guy lives near me

[Angry Perch]

Thanks for all the info. I have a hind quarter thawing right now. Gonna go in a brine and then smoked ham. Plan on some summer sausage and burger with the rest. Maybe a roast or two. Depending on how this ham turns out, I might save the other hind quarter for another ham as well.

Please follow up on how the ham goes, with pics, of course. I did a ham and it was money!

[csaaphill]

I found a recipe online for huckleberry bourbon bbq bear. It was flipping amazing doing little medallions. And I overcooked the crud out of it, 180 degrees, and it was still tender. Cooked it in the cast iron to sear it than tossed it in the oven to finish.

https://www.leupold.com/leupold-core/stories/field-to-table-bourbon-blueberry-bear-roast

book marked that page that looks awesome.

[dilleytech]

I like smaller bears early in the season that have been feeding on a berry diet.  I do straight burger grind and steaks.  My kids love it.

Older bears and those that have been feeding on dead animals is not so good.  I had a big 7 foot black bear a number of years ago that was very tough to get through.  Metallic taste.

I've been using my su vide to cook the bear steaks at 145 for 2-3 hours and then pan sear.  It's the only way to safely eat medium rare bear steaks.  Hank Shaw writes about it, and I haven't had trich yet.

I would agree younger bears are better. Personally every mature bear 300#+ I have Eaten has been very tough. But your results might very on taste. My 420# 7.5’ 20.5” skull boar I got this fall I believe is the best tasting bear I have eaten. Which is good news for the 46 pints of fat I rendered.

7 bears in our house the last 3 years and all fantastic eating. It’s my preference for anything sausage related. But it’s good cooked any way. I consider it similar to beef.

[Jonathan_S]

Single pass through the rough grinder and we have sausage gravy for the whole winter. Steaks and kabobs are good but sausage is so versatile.

Shot a very large boar in ponderosa/sage country a few Augusts ago and it was the only nasty Eastside bear I've ever shot. It was edible but just barely. I think he'd been digging roots and mice a lot. Meat care wasn't the issue on that one.

[Curly]

Dang, I sure am getting hungry reading this thread. 
 

[logola512c]

I like smaller bears early in the season that have been feeding on a berry diet.  I do straight burger grind and steaks.  My kids love it.

Older bears and those that have been feeding on dead animals is not so good.  I had a big 7 foot black bear a number of years ago that was very tough to get through.  Metallic taste.

I've been using my su vide to cook the bear steaks at 145 for 2-3 hours and then pan sear.  It's the only way to safely eat medium rare bear steaks.  Hank Shaw writes about it, and I haven't had trich yet.

I would agree younger bears are better. Personally every mature bear 300#+ I have Eaten has been very tough. But your results might very on taste. My 420# 7.5’ 20.5” skull boar I got this fall I believe is the best tasting bear I have eaten. Which is good news for the 46 pints of fat I rendered.

7 bears in our house the last 3 years and all fantastic eating. It’s my preference for anything sausage related. But it’s good cooked any way. I consider it similar to beef.

4 bears in my freezer the last 3 years, and same thing.  All tasted good.  Since you basically have to cook the crap out of it to get rid of any trich, we just use it as a replacement for beef in meatballs, meat loaf, beef curries, and beef stew, along with italian sausage and a tasty maple-bacon breakfast sausage.  Probably gone through about 150 pounds of ground/chunk bear in the last 3 years, with another 60 or 70 pounds still in the freezer.  Also rendered the fat this year and got about 3 or 4 quarts from each bear.  Zucchini/carrot/pumpkin muffins taste mighty good with the rendered bear fat as I stir my iced beverage with one of my special swizzle sticks.

[DOUBLELUNG]

Bear is some of the finest slow braised roast meat I've ever prepared.  It also makes for very nice pastrami.   

I like bear most all ways, but where it really shines is in slow moist heat cooking, either whole (roasts) cubed (stews) or ground (spaghetti sauces, taco meat, chili).  The texture is just uniquely good when slow cooked, tenderizes but doesn't fall apart.

[birddogdad]

i didn't see it mentioned but i really like to corn bear...