Bear fat

I use bear fat around the kitchen all the time. All I've ever done is stick the fat in the slow cooker on high for pretty much an entire day. Skim the crackle off and strain through cheesecloth, pour into mason jars. I'll have one on the counter, one or two in the fridge, and store the rest in the freezer.

I find large quantities of bear fat don't keep well even frozen, but once it's been rendered down and filtered it keeps quite well, at least until next bear season :)

EDIT: slow cooker method is best done outside, otherwise wifey might have you sleeping outside!
 
Had the best bannock in my life at a powow where they cooked it in bear grease. Dont hunt bear but have been given some by friends. From the little we get, hands down the best fat for baking and frying.
 
BigUglyMan said:
I've heard that, but I didn't have any success the one time that I tried it. Will have to do it again. What I do use it for is added tallow when I'm smoking a brisket. I add a few scoops onto the paper when I do the wrap, or into the foil boat if I'm going unwrapped and it's outstanding. Very neutral flavour.

When I rendered mine I ran it through the grinder to decrease the size of individual pieces. Ended up with about a cup of what looked like bread crumbs once the fat had rendered out. I believe I got 3 quart jars and 4 pint jars out of 10lb of fat.

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never thought about that trick and will use for one if we ever got fat ... seems the ones we re taking are always avoiding to give their fat ...

on another question anyone used the grizzly fat as well?
 
jlovie said:
Op, is that all from 1 bear?
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The pic posted was from two 5 lb bags of fat.

I had almost 30 lbs of fat in total off the bear.

I rendered down another 8-10 lb this past weekend. Still have another 10 lbs of fat.

Needless to say, I have a lot of bear grease. I'm finding it great for cooking eggs, fish, whatever. Don't need much, cleans up very easily, no smell or taste when cooking. I'm liking it a lot.
 
We are certainly using grizzly fat. There is very little difference between it and black bear as most of our bears are berry and root foragers.

It is so rich, that Marg uses 1/3 the quantity called for in a recipe. I bake bread regularly, and bear fat is top shelf for that.

Ted
 
Did up the final bag of fat today.

It weighed 13 lbs on a digital bathroom scale.

Ended up with 4.25 litres of grease. Probably could've gotten 5 full litres, if I had really worked at it but I was running out of time.

Three bowls of cracklins were all that was left from the 13 lbs.

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I freeze it. Take out a jar as needed amd keep that one in the fridge.

I've read that it will last pretty much indefinitely in the freezer.
 
Would Bear fat substitute for Pork fat when making sausage? I also have heard that Buffalo fat can be used as an alternative to Pork fat.
Anyone try Buffalo fat to add to venison when making sausage?
 
Peppysan said:
Would Bear fat substitute for Pork fat when making sausage? I also have heard that Buffalo fat can be used as an alternative to Pork fat.
Anyone try Buffalo fat to add to venison when making sausage?
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I think it depends. For raw sausages I would stick with commercially farmed pork fat. If you are going to smoke them, so long as the temp gets up to 145 internal you should be okay with bear fat, but it's pretty greasy.

One thing I will say (or may have already said it) is it doesn't keep well as fat. As a grease with most of the solids stripped out it seems to last forever (like a year or more easily) but as whole fat on meat I find it starts to develop a taste after 6 months or so.
 
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