Spring Bear Recipes and Processing Tips
 

Hey guys,

My hunting partner and I are embarking on our first bear hunt this spring and we'd like to hear your tips for processing and cooking bear meat. Please let us know what's worked well for you over the years and share some of your favourite recipes as well.

We're documenting our adventures as new hunters in the form of a podcast (The Rookie Hunter) which is available on iTunes and can be found from the link in my signature. We're going to choose our favourite tips from this thread and share them on an upcoming episode.

We'll be getting out there in May to find a bear, so I'll keep you posted on our success. Thanks in advance for your input guys!

Cheers!

Bear meat is wonderful if cooked properly. After the harvest we gut and skin ASAP to get the meat cooled down as fast as possible. We take one of the back straps and cut into small cubes about the size of a fun size candy bar. Then we season with Frisco's Prime Rib and Roast seasoning and wrap a thin slice of bacon each way covering the wholle piece of meat. Now we get them on the grill until the bacon is crispy and the bear meat is well done. Its scrumptious. With the remainder of the meat we cube into chunks spread it out on cookie sheets cover and then freeze it for a couple days. When we remove the meat from the freezer we place meat on a grate so as it thaws the blood drains away from the meat and then we place meat in mason jars and pressure can all of the meat, instead of canning salt we season with the Au Jus Base we sell here at our store. After its finished its shelf stable, requires no refrigeration and is melt in your mouth tender. Great for beef (bear) tips and noodles, over rice, use as the meat for a hot Beef Sandwich, stir fry, also it makes the best Philly cheese steak sandwiches and last but not least and my favorite in Fajita's. We quit using the liquid in the canning jar as our gravy base because its a bit wild. We just use a beef gravy mix.

I've never shot a spring bear and all of our fall bears have a steady diet of sweets and granola before we butcher them. In my opinion their meat is second only to squirrel.

Like the other poster said skin them fast and cool them down. If it's warm where you are pack the chest cavity with Ice and take it to the butcher. If you are doing it yourself keep the flies off with cheese cloth and cool the meat as you take it off.

I cook it the same as any large game and with many of the same recipes. Like pork trichinosis is a concern so cook it completely.

The tenderloins should be eaten the day the bear is killed. Coated in seasoned flour and pan fried with mushrooms can't be beat.

Enjoy your hunt.