I’m big on a classic beef bourguignon style stew. Braise in red wine(a burgundy if you want to stick with tradition) & stock, onions, garlic, potatoes, carrots etc. Little oregano and thyme in the background. Bake or buy a nice crusty loaf. Pair with the left over wine or a nice dark beer. Enjoy life.
One of my wife's favorite recipes for bear is an osso bucco of the forearms, lower legs. A lot of guys toss those cuts, but you would be surprised at how much flavor the right cooking method will bring out! Low risk, high reward.
I just did a ”corned beef” recipe on a bear roast. Just a basic brine with pickle seasoning, let brine for 7 days. 2 beers and the brined roast in the crockpot and cook about 8 hours. Last hour add a head of cabbage. Turned out spectacular.
We like to make ground Chorizo out of our bear. Typically we use the Chorizo in breakfast burritos or you could do a stew/soup with it as well! The meat being pretty close to pork in consistency and "fattiness" makes anything sausage a good idea, IMO.
Actually just had this tonight. Take one bear shoulder and power boil it til the water is clear ( about three times) renders the fat out. Cook in vegetable stock ( season the vegetable stock with garlic powder, Lowry salt, onion powder and some Cajun seasoning) in the crock pot on high for 5 hours. After five hours drain meat and put it back into the crock pot with two cans of rotella and half a sweet onion on high for an hour. Put half a bottle of baby rays bbq sauce and leave on low for thirty minutes. A mixer works good to mix and shred.
Another vote for osso bucco! Putting a roast in a crockpot with stock, red wine, carrots, onions, celery, etc is another favorite. In my experience you can do almost anything you’d do with beef so long as you get up to 160f.
I just made bear stew last night for the first time... AMAZING! Brazed the nuggest first before adding them to the stew. My entire family couldn't get enough.
PULLED BEAR TACOS
Ingredients:
BEAR roast
1 - head of garlic minced
1 - 2 Liter Dr. Pepper
1 - 28 oz bottle Sweet Baby Ray’s Honey BBQ sauce
Salt,
Garlic granulated,
Adobo to taste
Cabbage Coleslaw
Cilantro
Tortillas
Directions: Rub the Bear with the minced garlic, adobo, salt, garlic granulated. Put in the crock pot and add Dr. Pepper covering the roast. Cook on high for 7 to 8 hours. When bear is tender remove the Dr. Pepper broth but keep it on the side in case needed. Shred the meat with two forks. Add the BBQ sauce and about 1 cup of Dr. Pepper broth to moisten. Use to make tacos.
Throw on some slaw and cilantro!
Have a bunch more I need to edit, my sons favorite is slow cooked shanks made into sandwiches. Those ribs are awesome shredded up like pulled pork and made into sandwiches too.
Bear Roast
1 medium sized bear roast
Garlic powder
Salt and pepper
2 large chopped onions
4 chopped garlic cloves
1 lg. can of cream of mushroom soup
2 cups of beef broth
1. Brown the roast in a skillet with oil. rub the roast with garlic powder, salt and pepper
2. Place in crock pot on high
3. sauté onion and garlic cloves
4. add to pot
5. Mix the cream of mushroom soup with the beef broth well
6. add to the roast
7. cook on high until boiling
8. turn to low and let cook for the rest of the day
Even fat bears tend to have most of their fat between the muscle and skin, that fat is best rendered into lard and pork fat is best for sausage. Trim as much fat as you possibly can off bear meat before freezing or grinding, bear fat goes rancid in the freezer pretty quick but once rendered it's good for a long time.
@RazAlGhoul that might just have to go on the menu for next weekend, sounds awesome!