“Most people may not know that bear meat is not only edible but also delicious. The meat is similar to beef in appearance and makes amazing stews and sausages. Although wild game meat is generally extremely lean, bear meat tends to consistently have slightly more intramuscular fat than any other game. For this reason, most of my Spring bear meat will find its way into sausages. Currywurst is a young traditional German sausage dish developed post–World War II after British soldiers brought ketchup and curry powder to Germany. This cultural mashup has caught on in a big way and is now served all over. Bear meat can carry a parasite that can be harmful when ingested; however, if it is cooked to a minimum temperature of over 160℉ it is perfectly safe. Be vigilant when handling and cooking bear meat to prevent any cross-contamination.”
– Connor Gabbott, Backcountry Chef
Makes approximately 3-4 servings plus extra sausage.
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Bear Wurst (Sausages)
2 lb Bear meat, trimmed of all fat and cut into 1”-thick strips
½ lb Bacon
1½ lb Pork butt, cut into 1”-thick strips
4 tsp Salt
2½ tsp Brown sugar
2 tsp. Coriander seeds
½ tsp. Ground white pepper
3 cloves Garlic
1 tsp Black peppercorns
2 tbsp Onion flakes
¼ tsp Ground nutmeg
¾ cup White wine
Hog casings
French Fries
5 Russet potatoes, cut into ½”-thick french fries
2 tbsp. Kosher salt
3-4 qt. Vegetable oil
Curry Ketchup
14 fl. oz. Ketchup
1 tbsp. Vegetable oil
½ White onion, finely chopped
2 cloves Garlic, finely chopped
1 thumb Ginger, finely chopped
1 tbsp. Curry powder
Pinch of ground clove
½ tsp. Smoked paprika
⅛ tsp. Cayenne pepper
1 tbsp. Tomato paste
1 tsp. Honey
½ tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp. Yellow mustard
1 tbsp. Cider vinegar
½ cup Chicken stock
Bear Wurst
1. Season the meat with the dried spices and salt and place it in the freezer for 30 min.
2. Grind the meat twice through a coarse grinding plate.
3. Transfer the ground meat to a work surface and sprinkle ¼ of the white wine over top.
4. Mash the meat together until the wine has been absorbed.
5. Repeat step 4 until all the wine is mixed in and the sausage filling is cohesive and tacky. This process should take approximately 10 minutes total and is crucial to a juicy sausage.
6. Fill the hog casings with the sausage filling and twist the casings to form individual sausages.
7. Sauté the sausages in a hot pan with some vegetable oil and cook to a minimum 160℉ internal temperature. Let the sausages rest for 5 minutes before serving.
French Fries
1. In a large pot, cover the cut fries with 1” of cold water and season with salt.
2. Bring the fries to a simmer and gently cook until the fries are almost fully cooked.
3. Carefully strain the fries from the water and allow to cool.
4. In a large pot, heat the oil to 350℉. Ensure that there are at least a couple of inches of space left in the pot, as the oil will expand when you start frying. Overflowing hot oil will ignite.
5. Gently lower the cooked fries into the oil and use a strainer to ensure that the fries are not sticking together.
6. Adjust the heat as needed to keep the temperature at 350℉ during the entire cooking process.
7. Cook the fries for 3-4 minutes or until they are dark golden brown and very crispy.
8. Drain the fries well, transfer to a large bowl, and season liberally with kosher salt.
Curried Ketchup
1. Heat the oil in a medium-sized pot over medium heat.
2. Sauté the chopped onion, garlic, and ginger until the onions are translucent, approximately 4-5 min.
3. Add the dried spices to the pot and toast for 30 seconds.
4. Combine all the wet ingredients in the pot and simmer for 15 min.
5. Serve the curry ketchup at room temperature.
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