Rendered Bear Grease

[jrebel]

For those on the fence.......rendering your bear fat to make lard / bear grease is easy and super amazing.  I have been waiting to kill a bear with enough fat to make it worth my time.  Well this year I did just that.  I rendered the fat and have about 12 pints of the whitest grease a person could ask for.  I have used it to cook with and thus far no one in my family has complained.  I use it in my cast iron pans to cook up deer tenderloin and........it was mouth watering good.       

Absolutely no game flavor or smell.  If anything it smells a little like the wild plums the bear had been eating...a slight sweet smell to it.  I will be doing this with every bear I kill that has a decent amount of fat. 

How I did it for those on that want to try. 

1.  cut all the clean fat off the bear while butchering.  No blood shot fat, no hair, no anything nasty. 
2.  Trim as much meat off fat.
3.  Put fat in freezer / fridge to harden a little.
4.  Grind fat through grinder once.
5.  In a pot big enough for all the fat, ad 1/2 cut of water and start warming on the lowest setting your stove top has. 
6.  Add about a cup of ground fat to the pot and let it start to render.  When it starts to liquify, add additional fat and stir. 
7.  Stir occasionally and let the fat render.  This will literally take hours.  Mine took 7-8 hours before it started to bubble just a little bit. 
8.  Strain through three layers of cheesecloth into jars you want to store grease in. 
9.  Let it cool, put a lid on it and store in a freezer. 

The video I watched and learned from was using leaf lard from a pig.  It recommended the low and slow method over faster to keep the color bright white and not burn the lard causing it to turn colors.  I may try a little warmer burner next time.....but definitely not to warm.  I don't want it to ever boil or turn brown.  The video stated the leaf lard from a pig has more Omega 3 fatty acids that fish when done on low heat.....not sure if the applies to a bear. 

Everyone needs to do this.....it really is amazing and very easy. 

[callturner]

I use the same process without grinding it.

[Skywagon_185]

Bear grease makes the  very best boot grease that exists!!  Mix with equal parts of beeswax, neatsfoot oil and bear grease and apply warm.  Excellent waterproofing.  My mom claimed it was also the best fat to use for piecrusts.  Ya,  I'm an old timer. Pure pork lard is a close second.
Mike

[h3x0ctb1n]

Want to do this so bad! I need a bear first...

[Sutherland]

That sounds amazing I must try this is I can get the time to find a bear this year! Thanks for the detailed instructions Jreble!

[callturner]

Bear grease makes the  very best boot grease that exists!!  Mix with equal parts of beeswax, neatsfoot oil and bear grease and apply warm.  Excellent waterproofing.  My mom claimed it was also the best fat to use for piecrusts.  Ya,  I'm an old timer. Pure pork lard is a close second.
Mike

Mixed right it also makes an awesome bullet lube!

[lokidog]

I didn't grind mine, diced to about 1/4 by 1/2 inch. I didn't use water either, maybe goes faster? I just cooked slow until it quit bubbling, no moisture left in the fat.

The chitlins make great doggy treats also.

Still looking forward to making a pie crust with it.

[jrebel]

I didn't grind mine, diced to about 1/4 by 1/2 inch. I didn't use water either, maybe goes faster? I just cooked slow until it quit bubbling, no moisture left in the fat.

The chitlins make great doggy treats also.

Still looking forward to making a pie crust with it.

I didn’t get any chitlins.....I has a mushy pulp that I strained off.   I thought it may be contributed to my grinding method..    I wonder if that pulp would have crisped up with hotter temps??   

[huntnnw]

grind ours also, wife makes soap with it.

[lokidog]

I didn't grind mine, diced to about 1/4 by 1/2 inch. I didn't use water either, maybe goes faster? I just cooked slow until it quit bubbling, no moisture left in the fat.

The chitlins make great doggy treats also.

Still looking forward to making a pie crust with it.

I didn’t get any chitlins.....I has a mushy pulp that I strained off.   I thought it may be contributed to my grinding method..    I wonder if that pulp would have crisped up with hotter temps??

The chunks probably contributed to something more remaining. I just fried mine on low (still hot enough to fry) until all of the moisture was cooked out of them.  I did overheat one batch which ended up slightly brown, that was made into some wonderful soap.

[buckfvr]

My wife experimented with her large crock pot/slow cooker on low setting and now leaves it overnight and it turns out pure white nearly odorless.

Main stay for soap and baking for several years.

[jrebel]

My wife experimented with her large crock pot/slow cooker on low setting and now leaves it overnight and it turns out pure white nearly odorless.

Main stay for soap and baking for several years.

That's a great idea.  Does she leave the top to let the moisture evaporate?  I'm sure I could have left mine longer and maybe rendered a little more out of it....but it was bedtime, LOLOL. 

[KFhunter]

Turkey roaster oven on the deck overnight.

I use those cheap 22 qt or so roaster ovens a lot!  I do my tomato sauce in them too, just cook hours and hours.


They also made liners for easy cleanup

[yakimanoob]

Yeah!  We got a bear this year and I got all the fat I wanted to carry.  I should end up with about 8 qts, including my first batch which was a bit gamier than intended (I failed to trim enough meat off and also didn't grind it). 

Trimmed the meat off, partially froze then ground the fat, then let the crockpot on low work its magic for ~4 hours.  Voila! 

For those experimenting or concerned: my good batches still have a faint hint of gamey aroma to the fat itself, but once it gets warm there is ZERO aroma.  I make my living selecting coffees, at least partially on the aroma.  I'm not always the best at identifying what I'm smelling, but smelling something with no aroma at all is always a memorable experience. 

Hash browns cooked in bear fat are MAGICAL. 

[buckfvr]

My wife experimented with her large crock pot/slow cooker on low setting and now leaves it overnight and it turns out pure white nearly odorless.  She was doing bear fat when bear fat wasnt cool.   

Main stay for soap and baking for several years.

That's a great idea.  Does she leave the top to let the moisture evaporate?  I'm sure I could have left mine longer and maybe rendered a little more out of it....but it was bedtime, LOLOL.

Lids always on when I notice, but then again its her gig so I dont pay attention to details (other than delicious pie crust and pastries).     And incredible soap.