bear meat questions

[DoubleJ]

2 questions

1.  If I get a bear down and have to freeze the meat before I can get enough pork to make sausage, is it OK to freeze the meat and thaw it out later to grind the sausage and then refreeze?

2.  What cut of pork do I get to mix with the bear to make sausage?

[pianoman9701]

It's fine to freeze meat that you'll grind later. It's easier when thawing if you cut it into smaller pieces before freezing. Adding pork fat will help you make great sausage. Trim all of the bear fat away and add about 40% pork fat by weight. Example: 30 lbs bear meat, 20% pork fat.

[DoubleJ]

It's fine to freeze meat that you'll grind later. It's easier when thawing if you cut it into smaller pieces before freezing. Adding pork fat will help you make great sausage. Trim all of the bear fat away and add about 40% pork fat by weight. Example: 30 lbs bear meat, 20% pork fat.

Just fat?  I thought I had to add pork meat as well.  I heard 20%, i.e. 50lbs of bear meat + 10lbs of pork meat/fat.  I was hoping to be able to go to costco and buy a pork shoulder and throw that in with the bear meat and mix it all up.  Will this end up being too lean?

[pianoman9701]

Nope, that will be good. I was thinking breakfast sausage. Sorry.

[NRA4LIFE]

You'll be fine.  Use Pork Butts (shoulder).  For breakfast sausage, I'd go at least 60-40 bear meat to pork butt.  And yes, trim ALL fat off the bear meat.

[kckrawler]

If there's a Cash and Carry near you, they are usually cheaper than Costco for pork butt.

[Echomules]

Last bear we did 50/50 with the pork. Great breakfast sausage, even better on the grill as sausage burgers.
Enjoy!

[Buckmark]

Partially frozen meat is easier to grind also, i will cut into chunks and freeze meat i am going to grind, freezing bacon before grinding it works real well also, grinds very uniformally in a food processor (bacon that is, not big chunks of game meat.)

[shedcrazy]

Last bear we did 50/50 with the pork. Great breakfast sausage, even better on the grill as sausage burgers.
Enjoy!

X10 on the breakfast burger's. They are so good off the grill. Iv'e had brott's and summer sausage, and they make the best pepperoni. You can cure up the hams also!

[Michelle_Nelson]

Billythekidrock and I just got done making sausage out of the Bear meat I brought home this spring.  I butchered it and cut all the sausage meat into 1" - 2" pieces and filled 1 gallon zip lock bags with about 5lbs of meat in each.  Push all the air out and lay them flat in the freezer with out stacking them.
 
There was 36lbs of Bear meat and BTKR brought over a 6lbs pork shoulder.  We ended up with about 42lbs of Sausage.  It was plenty moist.

[DoubleJ]

Billythekidrock and I just got done making sausage out of the Bear meat I brought home this spring.  I butchered it and cut all the sausage meat into 1" - 2" pieces and filled 1 gallon zip lock bags with about 5lbs of meat in each.  Push all the air out and lay them flat in the freezer with out stacking them.
 
There was 36lbs of Bear meat and BTKR brought over a 6lbs pork shoulder.  We ended up with about 42lbs of Sausage.  It was plenty moist.

That's more the ratio I was looking at.  At that ratio, is it a good all around mix?  I'm looking to turn 2/3 into unseasoned sausage (I can season it for whatever application I'll use it for before I use it) and 1/3 into brats.

[sebek556]

this is why i raise atleast 1 pig a year.. that and i love bacon 

[Michelle_Nelson]

Double J.  Your just going to have to expirement.  What works for one may not work for another.  The sausage me and BTKR made IMO is some of the best so far we have done. 
 
Bear meat isn't like Deer or Elk meat.  Deer and Elk are a much leaner meat and require more Pork Fat when making Sausage IMO.  Bear meat has a lot more fat/grease in the meat.  It requires less Pork Fat added. 
 
When doing hamburger out of Deer I like to add a small amount of pork fat to it. 

[pianoman9701]

Double J.  Your just going to have to expirement.  What works for one may not work for another.  The sausage me and BTKR made IMO is some of the best so far we have done. 
 
Bear meat isn't like Deer or Elk meat.  Deer and Elk are a much leaner meat and require more Pork Fat when making Sausage IMO.  Bear meat has a lot more fat/grease in the meat.  It requires less Pork Fat added. 
 
When doing hamburger out of Deer I like to add a small amount of pork fat to it.

Look at her picture. Listen to Michelle!

[uplandhunter870]

i use a 60/40 mix of bear to pork shoulder. i made the majority of last years bear into pepperoni and with that mix ratio it came out great, everyone ive given some all have loved it and didnt believe me when i told them it was bear pepperoni