frozen game question

[sidtrog]

Just brought home a bear from Montana and need to figure out best way to use the meat. I quartered the bear, then had it frozen within a day after I skinned it. Had to cut the quarters in half after frozen (used a sawsall!) to fit them in cooler for transport home so now I have frozen bone-in chunks 5-10 lbs each. I need to figure best way to thaw, cut and use the meat; expect I will need to cut off fat, render this, then grind most of the lean and maybe make an attempt at sausage. Can I refreeze the ground meat, what is best way to thaw? Have always dealt with fresh meat only so Im at a loss, sorry for the elementary question.

 

[troy2000]

When I was a kid, someone gave my grandmother some bear meat. It was tasty but tough, so she turned it into chicken-fried steaks: sliced it up, pounded it with a tenderizing mallet, breaded it, and deep fried it. She stacked the steaks up with waxed paper between them, wrapped them, and stuck them in the freezer.

We'd pull some out in the morning to make sandwiches - with home-made bread, lettuce, tomato, onion and mayonnaise. Being frozen, they kept the fixings fresh. By the time lunch rolled around, they'd be thawed in our lunch boxes and we'd chow down. Good times...

 

[kje54]

A little off topic but I had to laugh at myself when I read the title. Just finished playing Red October 2 multiplayer, saw the title of the thread and wondered why someone would be asking a video game freeze up question on this forum.........

 

[bluemule66]

It will be fine to thaw in the fridge. Clean it up and process and refreeze. We do this with the trimmings from our deer every year. Easter weekend my wife's family get together and make sausage with it.

 

[mooman76]

I would thaw or partially thaw and cut off what I wanted to use when I wanted to use some and repak and freeze the rest.

 

[deermanok]

Thaw it out in the fridge, cut, grind and wrap, refreeze. My old butcher did it with the deer meat. Never had any problems.

 

[Henry Miles]

Vacuum seal whatever you cut off of and refreeze, no problem. The vacuum sealer is the key.

 

[The Crisco Kid]

Bear meat makes some of the best corned "beef" I've had. Look up a recipe and give it a try. I used Tender Quick and Morten Sugar Cure.

 

[sidtrog]

Thanks to everyone for the help.
Im looking forward to rendering fat for patch lube!

 

[Daveboone]

Bear can be awesome! It isnt recommended.....but the tenderloins seared to pink in the middle on a fire are awesome (risk of trichinosis). We largely use it like pot /chuck roasts, and it is difficult to tell from beef. We do use beef stock with it. Trim the fat well, but folks who eat it alot like the taste of it. Friends of mine think ground bear is the finest burger ever had. Its real meat! I would like to try the corned beef version some time, but it is likely a long time befoe I can go on another bear hunt

 

[Cooleys]

Just be sure that you are cooking the meat thoroughly before consuming. Bear meat can host the parasite Trichinosis. Trichinosis is a roundworm parasite that lives in the muscle tissues of large carnivores and omnivores. It can be killed by heating the meat to 137°, although most recommendations are for 160° just to be cautious. This is not something you want to contract...very painful and stays with you forever

 

[Sean Gadhar]

I would do the thawing when I had a whole day. Keep checking to be sure to get to it as soon as it is JUST thawed enough to work with. (Still has ice crystals) If your hands don't hurt from the cold. . . .you let it thaw too much.
1- it grinds better
2- Bear fat can and will go off fast in summer weather.
I would then get the fat from the meat ASAP
Ground up I would NOT use Bear for Burgers (Too large a chance to under cook and give someone Trichinosis ) But low and slow does a fine job of killing Trichinosis, things like shepherds pie, meatloaf & chili should be just fine.


If there is a lot of fat, run down to the thrift store and buy a slow cooker with a low & high setting, cube and refreeze the fat and start rendering a small batch to be sure the slow cooker isn't to hot on the low setting. . . I can start some when I get up in the morning, stir a few times throughout the day and have the 1st rendered fat in a jar by late afternoon & the whole batch done by bed time.

 

[Mad Professor]

Haven't done it with bear, but I've frozen deer hindquarters whole, leaving membrane on to help with freezer burn.

Then we'd take a clean sawsall/blade and just cut it into steaks, while still frozen. Need two people, one to hold the meat the other to saw. The frozen steaks would get vacuum sealed, or a few thawed to eat that day..

The dogs would always get excited, as you lost some meat from the saw kerf. We gave that to the dogs.