[Clinging Bitterly]

>> Muttly eat black bear.

Me love bear meat too! The black bear from around here has slightly sweet & almost spicy taste, and I like it cut into thin strips and rolled in flour and fried. A lot of people don't like it, and I've had it that wasn't prepared correctly, and it was pretty bad. But bears are filthy creatures and you need to clean them well or they'll taste just like they smell.

I like to butcher my own game. Right after the kill I hang it and make sure it bleeds out real good, then I hang the carcass in a cool place and skin it. I want to remove every bit of skin and then carefully locate and remove all the leftover bits of hair. Over a period of a few days the carcass dries and stiffens, making it easier to cut. During that time, I'll sponge the whole thing down in vinegar a couple times a day, and I'll wash the individual cuts (under cold running water) before freezing and again before cooking.

And when you're cooking it, it doesn't hurt to use lots of lard. Biggest problem with game meat it that it is usually very lean, and lean usually means flavorless, and since you want to cook it well done, also dry and tough. Lard will fix that problem. Vegetable oil will not.

Haven't tried the ice water trick.

Dave in Eugene

[Calpernia]

>>>Lard will fix that problem. Vegetable oil will not.

Maybe that is why the bear stew came out so good. I make my stews with shortening.

We only had a femur. So I don't know if the bleeding you do will affect the length of time for the ice water. It took us 3 days of changing water to finally have clear water. Salt helps draw the blood out too. But I think you know that :)

Thanks for the fried strips tip. I'll keep it in mind if I get a hold of game again.

[PoorMuttly]

Sounds good.

Muttly, being a dog, will just eat the stinky bear, and roll himself around in flour, just for the joy of it.