Bear meat question?

[beaverhunter]

Hey guys I shot a bear in mid November I took it to the butcher and asked that they put it in 10lbs bags for sausage. They said they were going to cut it and freeze it for a month. Today I go to pick it up and they can't find it in the freezer. Well it tuns out it was thawing out to make sausage tomorrow.(which I never asked them to do.) So I asked them to refreeze and never paid and said I would come back to pick it up. My question is what are people's opinions on thawing out and refreezing meat?

 

[cliffcarter]

ChefJimmyJ can answer that question, you could PM him.

IMHO you should find another butcher.

 

[daveomak]

If it's still cold it can be refrozen...  Since it is for sausage, the refreezing doesn't affect the structure of the meat..  Like cells rupturing from internal ice crystals...  The meat will be fine..

Freezing for a month is a good deal for you...  Kills any parasites like worms etc..   JJ knows all the bugs...

 

[mummel]

People eat bear?

 

[BandCollector]

 
People eat bear?

Sure,  bear have no problem eating you.  So why not?

 

[aeroforce100]

Yes, people do eat bear.  Consider it revenge for bears that eat people.

 

[mummel]

 
Yes, people do eat bear.  Consider it revenge for bears that eat people.

It just that humans mostly consume meat from herbivores, hardly from omnivores, and not from carnivores (fish excluded).  I suppose people eat shark but meh.

What does it taste like?

 

[mowin]

It tastes like... well... bear.:biggrin:

It's a mild meat, kinda like beef that isn't aged. The fat is down right nasty. All fat needs to be removed as it has a rancid like flavor.
Bear sausage is one of my favorites.

 

[chef jimmyj]

Yep as Dave referenced, No safety issue refreezing, PROPERLY thawed meat, as I would hope a reputable butcher would do. Freeze, thaw and refreeze can cause texture or quality issues, as the ice crystals break up the muscle cells causing moisture loss when cooked and a somewhat softer texture. Now the Colder the freezer the faster the freeze and the smaller the crystals. So, the Blast Freezers common in commercial operations, rarely degrade the meat. Much bigger issue thawing and refreezing in Home Refrigerator/Freezers that are meant to freeze once or keep meat frozen. In any event, with sausage the meat is ground and the texture of the original meat matters less. You should be fine. If the butcher didn't follow your directions, I would seek another. If just a miscommunication and you are overall happy, good processing price and well cut and wrapped, give him another chance. Let him know you are not happy, maybe he will do something to make it right...JJ

 

[alelover]

I had bear stew once. Pretty good. Kinda like beef. As mowin mentioned, don't eat the fat. It's pretty gross.