Eating animals that eat you

December 27, 2011 9:25 AM

(Bear Meat Filter) - I came in to possession of some bear meat, best recipes/grillling techniques.

So I've got some bear meat over the holidays and would like some tips or recipes for preparation. I plan on grilling it. I've had it before and really enjoy it, now its my turn to cook some up. Suggestions? Tips?

Thank you in advance!

posted by handbanana to Food & Drink (14 answers total)

Well, like any animal, how to cook it depends on the cut of meat. That said, wild-caught meat should be cooked thoroughly to reduce the risk of disease. My recommendation would be for bear kebabs. Cut against the grain of the muscles, and slice very thin. Rub with salt, pepper and minced garlic. Put on skewers, and grill.
posted by Jon_Evil at 9:31 AM on December 27, 2011

I've had it ground (in a burger-style patty, no less). It was pretty decent that way, if you wanted to go to the trouble of having it ground. Additionally, it would open up tons of quick-cooking options (BearMeat Helper, anyone?!?)
posted by chrisfromthelc at 9:47 AM on December 27, 2011

I say keep it whole and keep it simple. (Whole meaning "not ground")
I like the idea of kebabs, or just grilled chunks. I would just use salt and pepper. The bear will probably be fatty (given the time of year when people usually hunt bears, but sometimes . . . lean years = lean bears), but if it is not fatty, I'd coat with some oil before grilling.

Because it is bear, I'd probably eat it outside, at night, squatting in the dirt, by myself, with a decent bottle of a hearty red wine.
Then I would go inside to eat a salad.
But I am a little weird.
posted by Seamus at 9:55 AM on December 27, 2011 [8 favorites]

Save a bit for spaghetti sauce.
posted by sammyo at 10:07 AM on December 27, 2011

My old copy of Bradford Angier's "Wilderness Cookery" suggests that you save the fat: "Any excess fat should be trimmed off before the meat is cooked. This fat may then be heated in open pans to extract the grease. Strained into jars, that of the black bear hardens into a clear white solid that makes the best shortening that any user I've talked to has ever come across. That procured from a grizzly is also excellent and, when similarly rendered, remains a more easily measured oil."
posted by MonkeyToes at 10:10 AM on December 27, 2011

Bear stew.
posted by Lieber Frau at 10:37 AM on December 27, 2011

Curses, foul mobile functionality! Here's the recipe.
posted by Lieber Frau at 12:00 PM on December 27, 2011

If you have some way of making sausage (not sure what this entails, a grinder and some sort of mixer attachment, I think?), bear sausage is incredibly delicious. Juicy, too. Sorry I don't have any recipes at the ready, I've only had it when it was made by an acquaintance's dad.
posted by Fuego at 1:07 PM on December 27, 2011

Note that bear can contain trichinella. It needs to have been frozen for six weeks at -20F, and cooked thoroughly to avoid disease. It's fairly greasy. Older bear will have a strong flavor. Burger is good with young bear. Kebabs, too. For old bear, I'd stew it.
posted by DaveP at 1:10 PM on December 27, 2011 [1 favorite]

What has possessed you for even considering eating not just a carnivore, but one that is near the top of this hemisphere's food chain?! There's a reason why most of humanity shuns devouring predator meat.

Having said that, I believe a simple combination of olive oil, onion and black pepper marinade will result in a 'relatively' tender portion of meat, with the added benefit of reducing any strong flavors while not totally masking the meat's original flavor.
posted by Kruger5 at 2:43 PM on December 27, 2011

What has possessed you for even considering eating not just a carnivore, but one that is near the top of this hemisphere's food chain?!

Sometimes you eat the bear, and sometimes, well, he eats you. -- The Big Lebowski
posted by exphysicist345 at 3:02 PM on December 27, 2011 [3 favorites]

I had a bear burger not long ago. My host, on recommendation of the person who shot the bear, mixed the ground meat with some beef. It was delish.
posted by The corpse in the library at 3:05 PM on December 27, 2011

From Joy of Cooking (1975 edition):

BEAR

Remove all fat and bone from the bear meat. The fat turns rancid very quickly. If rendered at once, it is prized for cooking; if held, it is good only for boot grease. All bear is edible. Tough, strongly flavored bear may be improved by refrigerating at least 24 hours in an oil-based marinade before cooking. Cook, after marination, as for any recipe for Beef Pot Roast or Stew. Bear cub will need about 2-1/2 hours' cooking; for an older animal, about 3-1/2 to 4 hours. –> Bear, like pork, can carry trichinosis, so be sure the meat is always well cooked through.

The Joy's oil-based "Cooked Marinade for Game" is oil, vinegar, and water, with chopped veggies and 9 seasonings, simmered for 1 hour and cooled. (Recipe on request)
posted by exphysicist345 at 3:18 PM on December 27, 2011 [1 favorite]

One of my favorite cooking blogs has a section devoted to game meat, including a section on bear meat.
posted by xmts at 6:55 PM on December 27, 2011 [1 favorite]