Not much help , but , from my limited experience with only 2 bears here are some opinions.
Yes , cook like pork , they are related ( to some extent ) and can carry that trickywhateveritscalled bug that needs a high temp to kill it.
The meat itself is very lean.
The bear fat, when cooked with the meat will cover your toung with a slimey paste
Bear fat is good for pastries ( pie crusts and such ) from what I've read.
Pork fat or bacon grease works very well with bear meat for frying , sausage , hamburg , or whatever .
No clue on the ribs though , but mayby smear them with bacon grease , rub and smoke ?
Bear fat is created different than most other animal fat. Reason being it's designed to get used up easily by the bear during it's long winter nap. That's why it doesn't seam to cook the same as other animal fats. Render some down for your leather boots and gloves though