Bear Jerky

[kingsax26]

I was given about 50 lbs of fresh bear meat by a friend. I want to make some jerky. I know bear commonly contains the trichinosis round worm and absolutely must be cooked to an internal temp of 160. I want to dehydrate the meat then place in oven @ 200 deg for an hour...has anyone done this? how did it turn out?

 

[coloradoclyde]

http://www.cdc.gov/parasites/trichinellosis/prevent.html
http://fyi.uwex.edu/safepreserving/2013/11/01/safe-preserving-making-safe-jerky/

 

[Black Hand]

Why jerky?
Bear meat is the most delicious game meat I've eaten and lends itself well to cooking techniques used for pork. As it can be fatty, rancidity is a potential problem if made into jerky.

 

[sidelock]

Might be the best game meat I have ever eaten also ---- except grey squirrels being the first, antelope being the second. Does that make bear meat 3rd?

 

[crockett]

Unless I knew for sure I wouldn't use bear for jerky. As stated- just cook it up. I've tried to find out if danger from bear jerky exists and never got a straight answer.

 

[Nativearizonan]

As someone else said, cook it just like pork. Try putting a roast in a crockpot all day and then pull the meat apart while it's hot, like pulled pork. Bear can be strong tasting, depending on various factors, but if it is, cover it with a liberal dose of BBQ sauce.

I've never heard of anyone making bear jerky, neither in person nor in literature. I'm guessing there is a reason for that, and of course folks dying a painful death from trichinosis would be one of those reasons.

If it was me, I would cut it into 2-3 pound roasts (m/l depending on family size), freeze it, go out and buy some cheap cuts of beef on sale, and make jerky out of the beef.

 

[coloradoclyde]

I've never heard of anyone making bear jerky, neither in person nor in literature.

Read the links I posted above.

This video isn't intended to be a tutorial but it shows people making it.

https://youtu.be/klwRdzkPrCM

Here is some Trichinosis survailence data from the CDC...

https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/ss6401a1.htm

During 2008”“2012, a total of 90 cases of trichinellosis were reported to CDC from 24 states and the District of Columbia. Six (7%) cases were excluded from analysis because a supplementary case report form was not submitted or the case did not meet the case definition. A total of 84 confirmed trichinellosis cases, including five outbreaks that comprised 40 cases, were analyzed and included in this report. During 2008”“2012, the mean annual incidence of trichinellosis in the United States was 0.1 cases per 1 million population, with a median of 15 cases per year. Pork products were associated with 22 (26%) cases, including 10 (45%) that were linked with commercial pork products, six (27%) that were linked with wild boar, and one (5%) that was linked with home-raised swine; five (23%) were unspecified. Meats other than pork were associated with 45 (54%) cases, including 41 (91%) that were linked with bear meat, two (4%) that were linked with deer meat, and two (4%) that were linked with ground beef. The source for 17 (20%) cases was unknown. Of the 51 patients for whom information was reported on the manner in which the meat product was cooked, 24 (47%) reported eating raw or undercooked meat.

The largest number of confirmed cases, 41 (49%) cases, occurred in the Pacific region* of the United States, including 35 cases in California and six cases in Alaska (Table 1). California accounted for 42% of the 84 cases (Table 1). The mean annual incidence of trichinellosis in Alaska (4.1 cases per 1 million population) was approximately 40 times higher than the mean annual incidence in the U.S. population (0.1 cases per 1 million population) (Table 1).

Strongly recommend reading the entire report....

 

[Loyalist Dave]

If you can elevate the temp of the jerky to 160-170 degrees that should kill off the parasite. Stick it in the oven for about two hours at say 170 degrees (I'd buy a secondary thermometer for your oven - you should have one anyway). You're going to have pretty dry jerky, but it will kill off the critters.

LD

 

[kingsax26]

thanks all,, im just going to skip the jerky not worth the risk. since the butcher grounfd the entire bear I ahve alot of burger. im just going to make sausage

 

[Black Hand]

Since the butcher grounfd the entire bear I have alot of burger. im just going to make sausage

How sad it was all ground - lots of good steaks and roasts.

On the other hand, sausage is always good. If you haven't made sausage before, season the meat and cook a small portion to see if it requires more seasoning (an important step that seems to be overlooked, resulting in bland sausage). Keep everything cold.

 

[tenngun]

I bought some dried cooked roast from turkey foot traders a few years ago. The meat had been boiled, then shredded then the fibers dried. Looks like tea, last forever, cooks fast on trail or camp. I have tried making it since and it works well.
It should work with bear :idunno: Boiling would kill the trich then you could shred and dry. You get about 4oz per pound in beef.

 

[Black Hand]

Can this product be documented historically?
The only thing similar is shredded jerky before the fat is added. There is a Chinese product made from seasoned pork that is close to what you describe.

All that aside, boiled, dried ground meat would have the texture and mouth-feel of small pebbles which wouldn't change much after reconstitution...

 

[coloradoclyde]

Towards the end.... https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rc...sQSSnC1o5DdA1EeBIE8JQg&bvm=bv.141320020,d.cGc

 

[Black Hand]

Interesting read.
Doesn't change what I said - the mouth-feel would be like pebbles that wouldn't reconstitute very well...

 

[coloradoclyde]

Wasn't trying to change anything...

 

[Black Hand]

Sorry - it wasn't clear.

 

[coloradoclyde]

From every thing I have read, bear shouldn't be a problem as long as you do two things....
1. freeze at 0 degrees for at least 10 days(30 would be better)
2. make sure the internal temp reaches 160 degrees.

When looking at the CDC data, one thing was
clear.

). In addition, 45 (54%) of the 84 cases that occurred during 2008”“2012 were associated with nonpork products; (41/84 [49%] bear meat), an increase from 27 (50%) of 54 cases during 2002”“2007 (21/54 [39%] bear meat) (13). Most of the cases associated with nonpork products during 2008”“2012 were the result of an outbreak that occurred in California in October 2008 involving consumption of raw or undercooked black bear meat. Among the 51 patients for whom information was available regarding the manner in which the meat product was cooked, 24 (47%) reported eating raw or undercooked meat, an increase from five (17%) of 30 cases reported during 2002”“2007 (13).

Perhaps serving black bear tartare at the party was a bad idea... :hmm:

 

[Sean Gadhar]

Have you thought about Kippered Bear Strips? As I understand it you heat the meat (while smoking) to between 160 and 200 for about 2 hours. That should take care of any trichinosis.

Most people that are not into our little world could not tell kippered from ****** meat on a bet. Much of what I see guys eating that they call jerky is really kippered meat.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

Perhaps serving black bear tartare at the party was a bad idea... :hmm:

YES while bears can eat people tartare, people shouldn't do the reverse.

LD

 

[tenngun]

Can this product be documented historically?
The only thing similar is shredded jerky before the fat is added. There is a Chinese product made from seasoned pork that is close to what you describe.

All that aside, boiled, dried ground meat would have the texture and mouth-feel of small pebbles which wouldn't change much after reconstitution...

I doubt it can be found in a reference in historic lit.i made mine in a dehydrator, I think you would have had to live in a very dry area to sundry it. Every fly in my state would be on it if I tried it out side I think. I don't think people would have tried it in old days as bear was hunted for fat and hide. The meat would quickly be eaten fresh. My grand father was a pro bear hunter in Montana in early 20th cent and would not eat bear at all.
I like it my self,I provided the idea as a solution to op question only,sorry I did not mean to imply it was hc or even in the realm af possibly hc.