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Farm Kitchen:  Tenderizing Bear Meat  |
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n/a
deleted
60 Posts
Tammy
Port Orford
Oregon
60 Posts |
 Posted - Sep 07 2005 : 10:52:15 AM
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Any ideas on the best way to tenderize meat. I have a freezer full of bear, I have been scared to cook it, because although everyone says cook it like beef; I don’t do very well with tougher type beef.
I just want to be able to cook it up, make it tender and have it taste good.
Any help you can give is greatly needed. 
When I feel spring coming I have to plant or I’ll go crazy! |
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Aunt Jenny
True Blue Farmgirl
11381 Posts
Jenny
middle of
Utah
USA
11381 Posts |
Posted - Sep 07 2005 : 11:03:38 AM
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I have cut up, frozen and over a winter cooked a whole bear before..ex husband killed one when we lived in Minesota years ago. It makes great stew and great roast,but I didn't do much like steak with it. (not because it was tough, it just was too dry for that in my opinion. Make sure you cut off the layer of fat if you didn't butcher it and do it ahead of time..it can taste really gamey..not the meat but the fat and connective tissue always carries that gamey taste if there is any. It does best with moist slow heat...like crock pot heat..honestly it is best as stew I use my favorite beef stew recipe which I would be happy to post if you want it. I loved it..did behave alot like beef. Ours was pretty young, so it wasn't really tough..if it was an older one perhaps it would be tough. Have you tried it yet? Some people said to soak it in vinegar...but I never needed to do that. I am not sure how good that would taste.
Good luck.
Jenny in Utah
The best things in life arn't things |
Edited by - Aunt Jenny on Sep 07 2005 1:01:59 PM |
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ivmeer
True Blue Farmgirl
409 Posts
Amanda
Pawtucket
RI
USA
409 Posts |
Posted - Sep 07 2005 : 12:47:42 PM
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| Wow. That is so cool. I have nothing constructive to add to this post except to say that I'm glad that I'm part of a forum where people offer tips on cooking bear. |
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therusticcottage
True Blue Farmgirl
4439 Posts
Kay
Vancouver
WA
USA
4439 Posts |
Posted - Sep 07 2005 : 2:00:29 PM
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Jenny -- why does it not surprise me that you've cooked bear??? Is there anything that you haven't done?? My hat is off to you as our resident "expert in almost anything"!!!
"If you are lucky enough to have a garden, you are lucky enough!" |
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MeadowLark
True Blue Farmgirl
2206 Posts
USA
2206 Posts |
Posted - Sep 07 2005 : 2:09:40 PM
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Kay, you took the words out of my mouth! Jenny, two questions for ya...Did ex save the bearskin for a rug? I had heard bear meat is really greasey from a friend of DH, did you notice that? Wonder if you could make some good bear jerkey? Maybe by letting the meat marinate would break down the toughness!
Being is what it is. Jean Paul Sartre |
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n/a
deleted
60 Posts
Tammy
Port Orford
Oregon
60 Posts |
Posted - Sep 07 2005 : 3:27:20 PM
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Jenny thank you for the information, I just assumed it would be tougher than beef, but maybe I assumed wrong. We get a lot of bear in our area, most of the people here seem to cook it overly done, so before I started cooking mine up I wanted to see what you all thought. It is a younger bear. We had it butchered once we picked it up from the trapper. We had some of it made into salami and it was to die for. I haven't had a greasy bear yet, but I have heard it taste like it's meal. Another words you don't want a bear that’s been trapped at the dump.
Jenny if you wouldn't mind posting your stew recipe, I would love to try it. Thank you so much for your help
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LadyCrystal
True Blue Farmgirl
593 Posts
Alicia
Rhode Island
USA
593 Posts |
Posted - Sep 07 2005 : 3:38:15 PM
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I cook a lot of venison,I don't know if this will help but I tenderize tougher cuts with Adolphs meat tenderizer and marinade it before I cook it.I buy the low sodium kind.But like Aunt Jenny said I found that those types of meat do better as pot roasts and stews.We have also made sausage out of older ones.
Alicia
Follow your dreams |
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ladybugsmom6
True Blue Farmgirl
128 Posts
Tami
Horicon
WI
USA
128 Posts |
Posted - Sep 07 2005 : 3:51:19 PM
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Oh years and I mean years ago my unlce and his father in law went hunting bear and the roasted it over a spit for a huge anniversary party. How yummy! I remember being afraid to try it as all youngsters are afraid of triing anything new, but once convinced, I was ready to go help hunt if that is what it took to get more! NOw I was about ten, so I didnt help cook and have no advice except, start cooking, like the little engine that could!
-Tami
livin' right and loven' life! |
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Aunt Jenny
True Blue Farmgirl
11381 Posts
Jenny
middle of
Utah
USA
11381 Posts |
Posted - Sep 07 2005 : 4:21:58 PM
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That's me...Jill of all trades, master of none..haha
I have never found that bear was greasy, but I dont' think it would be good to make jerky, since I have heard it is related to pork more than beef (which I didn't believe at the time since it tastes and looks like beef) I guess undercooked bear can have trichonosis (sp?) like pork can.
This is my stew recipe (works with beef, venison, elk, bear or whatever game meat
2 lb. meat cut into chunks
1 quart jar canned tomatoes or a large can
3 or 4 stalks of celery
4 potatoes cut in 1" chunks
10 or so carrots (I love carrots) roughly cut in 1" chunks
3 small onions cut in chunks
1/4 cup water
5 Tbsp minute tapioca
2 Tablesp worcestershire sauce
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1/4 tsp dried marjoram (or 1 tsp chopped fresh)
1/4 tsp dried thyme (or 1 tsp chopped fresh leaves)
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
Preheat oven to 300. Cut meat into bite size pieces. Put all the veggies and meat into a large heavy roasting pan or cast iron dutch oven. add all the ingredients except the parsley and stir well. Bake, covered, for 5 hours without stirring. Add parsley just before serving.
This dosn't freeze well for some reason just so you know..but the flavor is great!!!!
I hope you like it!
Jenny in Utah
The best things in life arn't things |
Edited by - Aunt Jenny on Sep 07 2005 4:50:10 PM |
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Aunt Jenny
True Blue Farmgirl
11381 Posts
Jenny
middle of
Utah
USA
11381 Posts |
Posted - Sep 07 2005 : 4:26:35 PM
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I forgot to answer about the bearskin rug, meadowlark Jenny....yep..he did have it made into one..even though we were so broke we sure couldn't afford it. (it was ALOT) and I imagine he still has it.
I learned alot from him....how not to be mostly. But the bear was good.
Jenny in Utah
The best things in life arn't things |
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Julia
True Blue Farmgirl
1949 Posts
Julia
Shelton
WA
USA
1949 Posts |
Posted - Sep 09 2005 : 4:30:36 PM
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Thanks Jenny, My DH has been going out hunting for bear,so far no bear. We were thinking about just grinding it and turning it into breakfast and italian sausage. Have deer, and elk, and beef so we don't need to worry about good cuts of meat, but I think it would be fun to make stew.
"The gloom of the world is but a shadow; behind it, yet within our reach is joy. Take joy!" Fr.Giovanni |
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Farm Kitchen: Tenderizing Bear Meat |
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Tenderizing Bear Meat
