I have a frozen brown bear (roast?) from somewhere in Alaska
I have a small 1.3-pound brown bear roast and don't know what to do with it. It looks pretty lean thru the plastic wrapper. I am certain it was handled and prepared well, though have no more info. I tried a marinade on 2 small steaks and have 2 more left. It was pretty good overall, though the (connective tissue?) was stringy.
Would chunks in the crock pot be best? Any advice appreciated.
Best Answer
Like any meat, the best cooking method for bear depends a lot upon the cut of meat. Brown bear, even if taken in the early spring (before they start eating salmon), is pretty strongly flavored. A lot of hunters in Alaska don't even eat brown bears that they take, preferring to use them for taxidermy purposes only. (BTW, I don't like that, I firmly believe that hunters should eat what they kill, but that's beside the point)
Considering the gaminess of brown bear, that your cut appears lean, and that you're not entirely sure what cut it is; I recommend that you make sausage. Trim away any noticeable pockets of fat since bear fat is not particularly pleasant. Grind the roast with about 25% fat by weight. Since pork is the closest easily available fat to bear, I would go with that if you can. You can use a meat grinder, if you have one available, or food processor. If you don't have either of those, you can also use a knife. Just pound it as you mince it as finely as possible. From there, you can use any recipe for pork sausage that appeals to you, just increase spice a bit to compensate for the strength of bear meat flavor. You don't need to stuff sausage casings or anything like that unless you care to. Smoking or any other specialty technique is also entirely optional.
The one thing that isn't optional is that bear meat should be cooked to a minimum of 160°F (71°C) because many bears carry trichinosis.
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Is bear roast good?
Bear meat isn't tough, but it isn't good for steaks It's tough, rubbery and dry. Bear meat is best for roasts and braised dishes (like spicy pulled taco meat \u2013 YUM!) or making into ground meat.How do you cook a bear roast in the oven?
Salt and pepper the meat well. Lay a few fat slices under the roast, put it in preheated oven, and roast 20 minutes or so until the fat browns. Turn the heat down to 300-325 degrees and roast about 2 1/2 hours. When done, remove roast and the fat cracklings to a hot pan or platter.How do you make bear meat taste better?
One of the tastiest ways to cook your bear meat is as a roast. Trim off all the excess fat, since it doesn't always have the best flavor. Add seasonings such as garlic, thyme, balsamic vinegar, and roast it low and slow for a tender roast.Can you eat bear meat rare?
Eating undercooked bear meat can cause trichinosis, which can cause severe sickness or even death in humans. That's why bear is most often cooked in stews, chilis, braises, or in well-cooked sausage. Skip the medium-rare bear steak.Incredible Up Close Encounter With Alaskan Brown Bear
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Answer 2
Lean, gamey meat benefits from braising - it will result in a somewhat more tender dish, taking some of the unpleasant intensity from the game and imparting pleasant complimentary flavors.
With game as strong-tasting as bear, a braising liquid with a similarly strong base component would be ideal. Try braising recipes that include red wine as the primary ingredient, with fresh herbs and aromatics more on the intense side of the spectrum.
Answer 3
This could be the perfect instance to cook the roast sous vide which would tenderize the connective tissue without drying out the meat. It works wonders on the toughest cuts of beef.
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