RFI: Black Bear meat

[Totem Polar]

Give me your opinions; give me your recipes.

Black bear harvesting has come up 3 separate times in 24 hours—which is pretty weird for an arts/academia guy during the shut in of the century. I gotta chase this one down. I tried bear once, decades ago at a sportsman‘s fundraiser dinner. Not impressive... but, then again, my first escargot experience was in a dorm room with a hot plate decades ago, and I eventually figured that I’d been had on that too, at a 5-star resort.

So, bear? Thanks in advance.

[mtnbkr]

I don't have any recipes but the one time I had wild-harvested black bear it was great. It was a combination of the best characteristics of beef and pork. I cooked it on a charcoal grill with just salt and pepper. It was medium rare because I didn't know any better at the time.

Bear meat varies wildly depending on diet, with those that eat fish or carrion or garbage being the worst. The best are the ones that feed on nuts and berries.

I buy a bear ticket every year, but they continue to elude me. I run across them all the damn time outside hunting season, but on the first day of bear season, they evaporate.

Chris

[GJM]

The last person I know who ate black bear meat got Trichinellosis. I would rather eat something gluten free, and I don’t eat that.

[Paul D]

The last person I know who ate black bear meat got Trichinellosis. I would rather eat something gluten free, and I don’t eat that.

Mmmm, Trichinellosis....yummy. I agree with GJM. A big nope for me too, and I'm Vietnamese and we eat everything!!!

[Matt O]

Trichinosis is killed at 137 degrees so treat it like pork and you're good.

https://honest-food.net/wild-game/wild-pig-recipes/

[Clusterfrack]

I had some bear meatballs in AK, and I like moose better. Bear was kind of meh.

[MickAK]

It varies wildly and violently depending on what they've been feeding on. Berries are good. Carrion is bad. Depending on the season where you are you can kind of target them based on this but it is not a sure thing. Just because you saw it eating berries doesn't mean it wasn't eating garbage that morning. Bears are opportunists.

If you luck out and get a good early berry bear render the fat and use it for cooking. It's phenomenal.

[GJM]

I had some bear meatballs in AK, and I like moose better. Bear was kind of meh.

Never would have guessed you were a Rocky Mountain oysters kind of guy.

[Clusterfrack]

Never would have guessed you were a Rocky Mountain oysters kind of guy.

Hahah! Nope. I’ve eaten some horrible guts during my years in Asia. Been there done that. No need to eat offal ever again.

Now, Mrs CF (now also known as the Pepperspray Princess) will eat that sort of stuff.

[Borderland]

Moose is far better, by far.