What's in Mrs. Fin's oven?

[BackofBeyond]

Respectfully disagree. All of that connective tissue in the front is just flavor waiting to be unlocked in a dutch oven, plus I don't love all of that silver skin in my sausage.

Oh I have to cut out the silver skin. Labor intesive, yes, but my little wimpy grinder won't handle it. In my mind, bear is a lot closer to pork than anything else, to the point I want to try making bear bacon if I get a bear this spring, and I'll take a good pork sausage over a great pork roast any day.

I'm also having a hard time not snickering as I write about how much I love sausage. I'm a grown man, but sausage jokes are still funny.

 

[BrentD]

just out of curiosity, can one get a bear tested for Trich? And if you had a ham tested and it was negative, is that any assurance that the shoulder also negative?

Maybe no one has the answers to these questions, but I'm just wondering out loud while procrastinating.

 

[Colorado kid]

I am not sure about the testing part but all you need to do is cook the meat through and the trichanosis will not be a concern.

 

[rideold]

From what I understand, bear is like pork. It most likely has it. Handle the meat properly and it isn't a concern.

 

[BrentD]

I have no idea about the likelihood of it in a bear, but I know bears from anywhere CAN have it. If there were decent odds that they didn't, and one could test with confidence, then we wouldn't have to cook the bejesus out of it. Store bought pork is safe to eat medium or even medium rare and it tastes much better, so I was just thinking what bear might be like if I could eliminate the threat of Trich in some way that does not require 160F or whatever.

 

[Colorado kid]

I agree with rideold. However.....farmed pork in the USA no longer has the parasite thrichinella and can be eaten medium rare. Wild hog and bear is infested with it and should be cooked through no matter what.

 

[Colberjs]

Please pm me your addresses for those who'd like bear meat in the spring.....I'm sure Greenhorn would be willing to share some of his as well.

Is this a serious post or you yanking our chain? Because I’m game if your serious. Like Cush, I too will pay for ice and shipping.

 

[Colorado kid]

Is this a serious post or you yanking our chain? Because I’m game if your serious. Like Cush, I too will pay for ice and shipping.

Second that!!

 

[Lawnboy]

I will hit you boys up in the spring then. You’d think I was giving away donuts

 

[dirtclod Az.]

Bear or donuts I'm In!!Colorado kid is correct Bear is a carrier of Trichenosis All bear cooked thoroughly.Watched a video with Rinella,he undercooked bear in camp and everyone got it.

 

[Gerald Martin]

IMO, a bear roast is the one wild game that benefits the most from low and slow, long cook times. I'll often cook a roast 8 hours @ 250. Just make sure you don't let all the liquid cook off it. You might have to add more water to the stock to keep it from drying out. There is a lot of connective tissue even in the muscles and it takes a while for it to break down. The meat will be safe to eat (from trich) hours before it is tender.

Bear roast, bone in or bone out...
ample portion of cheap red wine
beef boullion
finely chopped onion
garlic cloves
rough chopped celery, tops and all
half a dozen juniper berries (pick them back out before you eat the meat)
one raw chopped jalapeno ( leave the seeds in if you like it spicy, core and remove seeds if you like it mild)
Kosher salt
fresh ground pepper
smoked paprika

rub the roast down with olive oil or cooking oil if its a spring bear, if it's a fall bear there should be plent of fat that will render plenty of oil. Cover the roast with a generous rub of the smoked paprika and sear it in a skillet to brown the exterior. Salt and pepper generously, put the roast in your roasting pan. ( make sure the pan is at least as tall as the roast.)
Mix the red wine (couple of cups, half a bottle, whatever you like for taste) beef boullion ( I prefer the "Better than Bullion" brand that I get from Costco) and enough water to cover the roast at least 3/4 with liquid.
Add the chopped onion (at least one, two if you like), chopped celery and crushed garlic cloves to the top of the roast. It helps protect the top of the roast from browning too much and getting too dry.
Juniper berries and jalepeno (s) can go on top or in the liquid.

Cook for a minimum of 6 hours @ 250. 8-10 will be better. When the meat is easily separated with a fork it's done. If it is "bouncy" keep cooking to melt the collegen in the meat. You can cover the roasting pan with foil or a lid, I like to let just a little vent hole to vent steam and allow the stock to condense over the cook rather than just boil. Ideally, when you are finished the liquid in the pan should have reduced to about 1/3 of the original amount. Do not let it run out completely or the roast will get way too dry and be tough.

All the vegetables will pretty much turn to mush from cooking that long. If you want to have veggies with your meat, add some more chunked onions and chunked carrots to the pot about two hours from when you want to eat. Do not discard the jus. It makes a fine gravy or sauce to pour over the roast when it's pulled.

This recipe works great with deer and elk shanks as well. Cook time will be about 3-6 hours instead of 8-10.

 

[BackofBeyond]

I will hit you boys up in the spring then. You’d think I was giving away donuts

Dollars/donuts/ice whatever... I'll be due for a trip over to that neck of the woods to fish. I'll just pick it up.

 

[MJE2083]

What's in Mrs. Fin's oven?

Hopefully not another bun...eh Fin?