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Bear hunting has received plenty of exposure in recent years, and hunters are even seeing renewed opportunities in places like Missouri<\/a> and New Jersey<\/a>. but many people still don\u2019t realize the value of bear meat. Some don\u2019t even think it\u2019s edible.<\/p>\n I\u2019ll admit, bear meat is a little different than the deer<\/a>, elk, or moose that many big-game hunters associate with a well-stocked freezer<\/a>. In some ways, I consider it second tier meat\u2014you won\u2019t find me cooking bear steaks when I have moose<\/a> in the freezer\u2014but bear meat fills some great niches and is excellent when cared for and prepared properly.\u00a0<\/p>\n As with any animal, but especially omnivores, you can run into bad tasting ones now and then. Bears that have been feeding on salmon and carrion are often not palatable, and the rancid smell of the meat itself will be a good indicator. However most black bears make fine table fare. When cared for properly, they make excellent eating. It\u2019s critical to get the animal skinned promplty, keep the meat clean, and trim the excess fat from the meat for best results.<\/p>\n More than a few hunters here in Alaska like eating grizzly meat as well, but of the several grizzlies I\u2019ve tried to eat, none were fit for a dog. Like any animal, diet plays a huge role, and perhaps the bears I\u2019ve tried all jumped straight to the rotten winterkill diet\u2014that\u2019s what they smelled like anyway. I\u2019m sure that any bear (grizzly or black bear) that\u2019s only been eating berries for a couple months is going to taste just fine.\u00a0<\/p>\n Black bears have dark, rich meat and, depending on the season, will have a significant layer of fat that can be rendered for baking and used for many other purposes. Spring black bears are almost always excellent to eat. Depending on the region and timing of the season, they often have been feeding only on fresh greens, and haven\u2019t gotten into too much fish or carrion. Spring bears usually won\u2019t have too much fat since it\u2019s been depleted throughout hibernation.<\/p>\n In areas where bears have been feeding on salmon, it\u2019s a roll of the dice whether your fall bear will have edible meat. However, in most areas that we can hunt bears in the United States, that\u2019s not a factor. Fall bears are prized in many areas because they\u2019ve been feeding on berries, acorns, or other crops, and have a healthy layer of fat. Good bear fat can be used in a number of ways<\/a>, and it should be trimmed off the bear meat while processing.\u00a0<\/p>\n You can get creative with bear meat of course, but here in Alaska there\u2019s not much call for fancy recipes, and there are three simple ways that I like to prepare bear meat. Remember that bears often carry nasty parasites, but you will be fine if you always make sure to cook the meat to an internal temperature of 165\u2109. I often go higher than that just to make sure it\u2019s safe for consumption.<\/p>\n Here are my three favorite ways to prepare and eat black bear meat.<\/p>\n I don\u2019t grill a lot of bear meat, but there is one way I\u2019ve come to really enjoy it. I typically will do this when I have a fresh bear that I\u2019ve just skinned and butchered. When breaking down the bear, I cut the backstraps off and leave the top half of the ribs attached. I use my knife to separate the backstrap from the spine, then use a saw to detach the ribs from the spine, trim off the bottom (belly) half of the ribs, leaving a backstrap attached to a half-rack of ribs. This also works fine with a section of backstrap that\u2019s bone-free. After cooking, you can slice it into tomahawk-like steaks.<\/p>\n Seasoning this bear meat is simple. Just cake all sides of the meat with a dry rub seasoning<\/a>, then sear all sides on a raging hot grill or cast-iron pan. I have a Camp Chef smoker<\/a> that I\u2019ll finish it on. After searing, I\u2019ll put it on the grill at about 225\u2109 to finish it with a smoke. I use a temperature probe (many Camp Chefs come with electronic probes that hook into your grill), and as soon as the center of the meat hits around 170\u2109, I take the meat off and let it rest.<\/p>\n READ NEXT: <\/strong>Best Wireless Meat Thermometers<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n Slice the backstrap between each rib, and you\u2019ve got something like a little black bear lollipop. This isn\u2019t the only way to grill black bear; it\u2019s just my personal favorite. The key is temperature, checking the meat so that it\u2019s safe, but not overdone, which will make it tough and dried out. With this method and cooked to the right temperature, I usually get an ultra-tender, and very juicy finished product.<\/p>\n If you happen to be a fan of corned beef, then you\u2019re in luck. Black bear meat corns up about as nicely as anything. It\u2019s also a surefire way to know that it\u2019s going to be both delicious and cooked well enough for safe eating.<\/p>\n The nice thing about corning is it\u2019s flexible. You don\u2019t have to have specialty cuts of meat, and it lends itself to being a low-waste method of cooking. I happen to own an antique Butcher Boy band saw<\/a>. After freezing hind quarters solid, I\u2019ll knock out bone-in cross sections 1\u00bd to 2 inches thick, all the way down the hind quarter, wrap them, then put them back in the freezer. If you don\u2019t have a saw, don\u2019t fret\u2014this will work with just about any roast or loin.<\/p>\nThe Pros and Cons of Bear Meat<\/h2>\n
Spring vs. Fall Bear Meat<\/h3>\n
Three Simple Methods for Cooking Bear Meat<\/h2>\n
Bear Meat On the Grill<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Irish-Style Bear Meat<\/strong><\/h3>\n