Sous vide bear anyone?

[Karl Blanchard]

Anyone doing this? Internet says perfectly safe. Holding 137° for at least an hour will kill tric. I was gonna do 145° for 3hrs on a backstrap then torch sear. Family is out of town and I've got lots of bear meat so figured if it doesn't work it'll only be me getting sick 

[NRA4LIFE]

Was that specific for bear meat that you read or pork?  I have read where the bear meat tric is a bit tougher critter than the pork tric.

[Karl Blanchard]

Was that specific for bear meat that you read or pork?  I have read where the bear meat tric is a bit tougher critter than the pork tric.

Specific to bears.  Read at least 10 articles that were pretty unanimous on it but I'm still pretty leary 

[KP-Skagit]

I did a bear leg roast at medium rare for like 48 hours hoping I would also soften it up a bit. It was an older tough bear.

I did not get tric, however it was still the toughest cut of meat I have ever had.

[Karl Blanchard]

I did a bear leg roast at medium rare for like 48 hours hoping I would also soften it up a bit. It was an older tough bear.

I did not get tric, however it was still the toughest cut of meat I have ever had.

Interesting. I'm still fairly new to SV so was the cut itself maybe hinder the tenderness? Hinds are usually lean with no connective tissue so typically doesnt break down well vs shoulders and necks? I know in a crock pot or Dutch oven there's no way to make a steak or lean roast acceptable to me vs a hot fast grill to medium rare.  I braised a shoulder roast off this bear last week at 250° for 5hrs for sweet and spicy barbacoa Street tacos. Absolutely amazing.

[Stein]

3 hrs is pretty short for SV, like something I would do for a New York steak that is already tender.  With backstrap, I bet that is good assuming the trich issue is resolved like you mentioned.

Tougher cuts will take much longer than 3 hrs even on moo cows, not to mention game.

If it's not where you want it, simply pack it back up and dunk it for another couple hours, but I bet it's good.

[hunter399]

I always go 160 on my bear summer sausage.
With that said ,I did read on the meat eater website and a few others that 135 is all that is needed.

[Karl Blanchard]

I always go 160 on my bear summer sausage.
With that said ,I did read on the meat eater website and a few others that 135 is all that is needed.

yeah it comes down to holding temp to nuke the tric. With more traditional cooking methods you have to get to 160 to kill it but with SV it's the length of time at temp that kills it. I mean...I read it on the internet so it's gotta be true 

[hunter399]

I always go 160 on my bear summer sausage.
With that said ,I did read on the meat eater website and a few others that 135 is all that is needed.

yeah it comes down to holding temp to nuke the tric. With more traditional cooking methods you have to get to 160 to kill it but with SV it's the length of time at temp that kills it. I mean...I read it on the internet so it's gotta be true 

I no expert.
Probably right.
At my place if it doesn't hit temp ,wife won't eat it.
Making summer sausage tomorrow,then taking it to the deer woods in October.

[Pathfinder101]

 ... following, just to see if you are in shape to make a post tomorrow...

[jrebel]

Had a buddy do moose steaks in a SV and it was the best steak moose steak I have ever eaten.  It was from my big bull that was tougher than a board.  Never done bear but I imagine it would turn out great.   

Everything I have ever read or been told about trichinosis is 135 will kill it.  The problem lies with large pieces of meat and making sure it all hits 135 if your flirting with the lowers end.  This the recommendation to cook to a min 145.   I would think 145 then a hard seat would work out great. 

[mcrawfordaf]

3 hrs is pretty short for SV, like something I would do for a New York steak that is already tender.  With backstrap, I bet that is good assuming the trich issue is resolved like you mentioned.

Tougher cuts will take much longer than 3 hrs even on moo cows, not to mention game.

If it's not where you want it, simply pack it back up and dunk it for another couple hours, but I bet it's good.

Same thoughts on length. We do elk shoulder roasts for 24hrs than sear on the grill and it's butter knife tender.

[KP-Skagit]

I did a bear leg roast at medium rare for like 48 hours hoping I would also soften it up a bit. It was an older tough bear.

I did not get tric, however it was still the toughest cut of meat I have ever had.

Interesting. I'm still fairly new to SV so was the cut itself maybe hinder the tenderness? Hinds are usually lean with no connective tissue so typically doesnt break down well vs shoulders and necks? I know in a crock pot or Dutch oven there's no way to make a steak or lean roast acceptable to me vs a hot fast grill to medium rare.  I braised a shoulder roast off this bear last week at 250° for 5hrs for sweet and spicy barbacoa Street tacos. Absolutely amazing.

I am a SV novice as well but have experimented a decent amount. The person that gave it to me told me cooking longer would make something more tender. After several attempts, I have never had that result. In my experience the cut of meat (and the animal itself) determines how tough it will be and that's that. Aside from the trich consideration, which I have also been told and read, to me its just a foolproof method to get the same end result. The other leg roast got cut up and turned into a great stew.

Sounds like others have had some different experience on the toughness front. Might be the animals. I have only tried with exceptional tough animals that I wasn't going to toss directly in the pan.

[Karl Blanchard]

I did a bear leg roast at medium rare for like 48 hours hoping I would also soften it up a bit. It was an older tough bear.

I did not get tric, however it was still the toughest cut of meat I have ever had.

Interesting. I'm still fairly new to SV so was the cut itself maybe hinder the tenderness? Hinds are usually lean with no connective tissue so typically doesnt break down well vs shoulders and necks? I know in a crock pot or Dutch oven there's no way to make a steak or lean roast acceptable to me vs a hot fast grill to medium rare.  I braised a shoulder roast off this bear last week at 250° for 5hrs for sweet and spicy barbacoa Street tacos. Absolutely amazing.

I am a SV novice as well but have experimented a decent amount. The person that gave it to me told me cooking longer would make something more tender. After several attempts, I have never had that result. In my experience the cut of meat (and the animal itself) determines how tough it will be and that's that. Aside from the trich consideration, which I have also been told and read, to me its just a foolproof method to get the same end result. The other leg roast got cut up and turned into a great stew.

Sounds like others have had some different experience on the toughness front. Might be the animals. I have only tried with exceptional tough animals that I wasn't going to toss directly in the pan.

guess we'll find out here shortly on the bear 

I haven't used the SV for much else besides pork (incredible) and a prime rib I was far too scared to screw up. That rib roast was actually why I bought the SV. Seemed like a dummy proof way to cook it perfectly.  Venison steaks roasts turn out fine but to me it's a more complicated way of just grilling off a steak to medium rare.

I've never bothered doing anything with bear besides various grinded meat products so very curious to eat a bear steak that isn't the texture of a shoe 

[Karl Blanchard]

Had a buddy do moose steaks in a SV and it was the best steak moose steak I have ever eaten.  It was from my big bull that was tougher than a board.  Never done bear but I imagine it would turn out great.   

Everything I have ever read or been told about trichinosis is 135 will kill it.  The problem lies with large pieces of meat and making sure it all hits 135 if your flirting with the lowers end.  This the recommendation to cook to a min 145.   I would think 145 then a hard seat would work out great.

I saw a lot of recipes that said 137 but I don't know if I'm that brave so I'll go 145 to be "safe" 😬

What's your experience on moose meat? Seems like it's all over the board on tenderness. Guys shoot young bulls that are tough and others that are tender. Same goes for old bulls. You notice any correlation between age and toughness? I've eaten zero moose so my experience is exactly zero.