Bear meat

[fillthefreezer]

i love bear meat. im still not sure where its gotten such a bad rap. thats fine by me though, family never asks for any
my favs are pepperoni, canned, crock pot roasts and the backstraps are delish steaks.
keep it clean. get it cool asap. be diligent in your trimming. the fat and silverskin is nasty. and you'll have some of the best tasting game (imo) for your table.
my wife far prefers it to deer nowadays. i must concur..

 

[Bar]

I think it got a bad rap from those who don't take care of the meat right, and those who don't cut off the fat before cooking.

 

[Becca]

I think it got a bad rap from those who don't take care of the meat right, and those who don't cut off the fat before cooking.

Probably true, as with many kinds of game meat people think they don't like.

I will say again though, the risk of trichinosis is rare but very real. Either get your meat tested (as folks mentioned above) or make sure it's cooked well done. Less scary to me than pork (which also has to be cooked well done for the same reason) just need to be mindful of it.

 

[Bar]

I was thinking of canning it this year if I get one. That would certainly cook it enough. Anybody do that?

 

[fillthefreezer]

I was thinking of canning it this year if I get one. That would certainly cook it enough. Anybody do that?

one of my favorite ways to prepare it. pm me if you want to talk recipes and such

 

[Bar]

one of my favorite ways to prepare it. pm me if you want to talk recipes and such

Thank you. PM sent.

 

[Bughalli]

one of my favorite ways to prepare it. pm me if you want to talk recipes and such

. I would be interested in the canning recipe as well if interested in sharing. I've never canned meat, but hear good things. Bear seems like the perfect starting point.

 

[fillthefreezer]

. I would be interested in the canning recipe as well if interested in sharing. I've never canned meat, but hear good things. Bear seems like the perfect starting point.

i pilfered some of this from our members here (becca, hunt n fish, others i forget..), random google, and my canning mentor..
heres pretty much a cut and paste from mine and the OP's messages..
ya its really pretty simple but i know it can seem intimidating at first. i know it was for me.
so i start with wide mouth pint jars.
you can start as simple or in depth or a mixture of everything as far as the meat goes. things like sea salt, coarse black pepper, onion or garlic powder, hot sauce, etc can all be added. a place to start would be 1 tsp sea salt, 1 tbsp pepper, if you know you like garlic, add that too.
i cut all my meat into 1in cubes. jars should be clean, sterilized and hot. i run them through the dishwasher right before starting.
the can rings are reusable, lids are not. if you buy new jars they come with.
you'll need two sauce pans in addition to the canner going, one with extra hot water to top off the canner after you load the jars(this helps speed up the whole process) and one with the lids simmering in hot water.
i like to mix my meat with my spices in a bowl before putting into jars.
leave about 1in headspace. they hold about 1lb each. wipe the mouth of the jars down very well so you get a clean seal. then use a magnet to seat the lids and screw the rings on. load the canner. cover the jars with water(the water you already have hot)
put lid on tight and bring it up to 11psi. once you hit 11 psi start your timer for 75 min. adjust your heat to hold steady pressure. after 75min let it cool naturally. all done. enjoy.

anything doesnt make sense or you have more questions, let me know.
some of the best meat i know of.

 

[CentennialELK]

^^^^Yeah, that.^^^^
I like to season mine the same as I would for any shredded meat. Garlic, pepper, onion, cumin, ancho, and the salt. Don't use too much onion or you'll get some serious heartburn... I also like to can some of salmon catch. Makes a great snack and a good sandwich too.

 

[amp713]

How about southern idaho bears? Ive got a friend who hunted up there for years, i called him and asked some questions since we are heading up this week, and he says he would take the hind quarters make them into sausage and that was about it. He said that he didnt like the taste, the backstrap was never good and not big on most bears he got.... He actually said he didnt even really like the sausage. Any state specific input? Maybe he was just hunting in an area where the bears were eating something bad????

 

[Bar]

Bears were probably feeding on fish.

 

[Rizzy]

If they are eating carrion, like winter kill or fall gut piles, then they probably will taste horrible. Diet sounds like everything with bear meat. Personally I have only taken one bear and it was in the fall. The meat smelled so bad, I didn't want to eat it. It had probably been eating gut piles. I had it made into summer sausage and that was good. You can take any kind of meat and make good summer sausage though.
I got a bear tag this year and want to give it another try with a spring bear. This winter wasn't to bad and the bears should be mostly vegetarian this spring.
Also I would imagine the guys that bait with sweets get good tasting bear, those that bait with stinky stuff probably get summer sausage

 

[Bar]

The bears around here bulk up on berries in the fall. I want to get one when it has a mouthful of berries.

 

[Stid2677]

Love fresh Black Bear,, always let my nose guide me. If it smells good, it most often taste good. Cook it like pork and use a meat thermometer. You are what you eat and that includes bears. Get a spring bear eating vegetation and they are awesome table fare,, the fat makes some of the best grease for baking. IMHO some processors will NOT take bears. Best to check before a need arises. After numerous epic failures by meat processors, I have decided to do all my own, NOBODY cares for your food like you will.

 

[Nick Muche]

How about southern idaho bears? Ive got a friend who hunted up there for years, i called him and asked some questions since we are heading up this week, and he says he would take the hind quarters make them into sausage and that was about it. He said that he didnt like the taste, the backstrap was never good and not big on most bears he got.... He actually said he didnt even really like the sausage. Any state specific input? Maybe he was just hunting in an area where the bears were eating something bad????

Nothing wrong with the bear meat we kept each year, doesn't get much further south in Idaho either in terms of where they were taken... Granted, we kept them well fed most of the spring

 

[orionthehunter1]

I've only killed fall bears since we don't have a spring season but they have all been excellent. Acorn and chokecherries are what my bears have been full of. I would reiterate though that getting the meat off quick and clean and trimming off the fat and silver skin makes them that much more tasty. My wife and kids love bear meat.

 

[Bughalli]

Thanks.....now I just need to get a bear and try the canning.

 

[amp713]

Well I will for sure be trying it here soon! (Power of positive thinking right?)

 

[elkmule123]

i pilfered some of this from our members here (becca, hunt n fish, others i forget..), random google, and my canning mentor..
heres pretty much a cut and paste from mine and the OP's messages..
ya its really pretty simple but i know it can seem intimidating at first. i know it was for me.
so i start with wide mouth pint jars.
you can start as simple or in depth or a mixture of everything as far as the meat goes. things like sea salt, coarse black pepper, onion or garlic powder, hot sauce, etc can all be added. a place to start would be 1 tsp sea salt, 1 tbsp pepper, if you know you like garlic, add that too.
i cut all my meat into 1in cubes. jars should be clean, sterilized and hot. i run them through the dishwasher right before starting.
the can rings are reusable, lids are not. if you buy new jars they come with.
you'll need two sauce pans in addition to the canner going, one with extra hot water to top off the canner after you load the jars(this helps speed up the whole process) and one with the lids simmering in hot water.
i like to mix my meat with my spices in a bowl before putting into jars.
leave about 1in headspace. they hold about 1lb each. wipe the mouth of the jars down very well so you get a clean seal. then use a magnet to seat the lids and screw the rings on. load the canner. cover the jars with water(the water you already have hot)
put lid on tight and bring it up to 11psi. once you hit 11 psi start your timer for 75 min. adjust your heat to hold steady pressure. after 75min let it cool naturally. all done. enjoy.

anything doesnt make sense or you have more questions, let me know.
some of the best meat i know of.

Just a heads up, the pressure that you cook the pint jars is dependent on the elevation that you are at. I need to cook my pint jars at 15 psi. Be sure to refer to your pressure canner manual for the proper psi. Also if you have a really old pressure canner, it would be a good idea to get updated instructions. They have changed a bit.

Love fresh Black Bear,, always let my nose guide me. If it smells good, it most often taste good. Cook it like pork and use a meat thermometer. You are what you eat and that includes bears. Get a spring bear eating vegetation and they are awesome table fare,, the fat makes some of the best grease for baking. IMHO some processors will NOT take bears. Best to check before a need arises. After numerous epic failures by meat processors, I have decided to do all my own, NOBODY cares for your food like you will.

That is an awesome looking table. What tree is it made out of?

BTW the food looks delicious as well.

 

[elkmule123]

How about southern idaho bears? Ive got a friend who hunted up there for years, i called him and asked some questions since we are heading up this week, and he says he would take the hind quarters make them into sausage and that was about it. He said that he didnt like the taste, the backstrap was never good and not big on most bears he got.... He actually said he didnt even really like the sausage. Any state specific input? Maybe he was just hunting in an area where the bears were eating something bad????

What units are you planning on hunting? I'm from SLC and was thinking of heading up this year but my cousin drew a wasatch west bear tag, so I've been helping him.