Roasted Bear with Gravy

Eating omnivores, like bear, can give you all kinds of parasites. It’s best to cook it well done; I used the same temperature guidelines recommended for cooking pork. I cooked a rump roast, but this recipe should work well for any smaller cut of bear. The gravy is a must because the meat is a little dry; and because the sauce is made with pure bear goodness, it doesn’t detract from the flavour, but enriches it. After my first bite of bear, if someone had told me it was beef, I would have believed them. There is a darker, gamier note, but not the stringy, gamey meat I expected.

1 (1-4 lb) bear roast
sea salt
black pepper, freshly ground
butter
1-2 cups mushrooms (or squash, parsnips, etc.)
1 Tbsp. all-purpose flour, unbleached
2 cups boiling water

Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C/200°C fan, Gas Mark 7).

Rinse bear meat and pat dry. Cover generously with salt and pepper.

Clarify the butter:  Heat it in a saucepan until it melts, wait till it bubbles and gets foamy, then gently skim off the fatty solids that have separated to the top. Pour butter into a cast-iron skillet, being careful not to disturb any sediment that may have sunk to the bottom.

Heat skillet over high heat. Place bear in skillet and sear on all sides until browned. Add mushrooms to the skillet - it’s ok if the bear is buried in mushrooms. They’ll cook down.

Move bear directly from stove-top into oven; roast 10 minutes per pound, until a meat thermometer in the center reads 145°F. Remove from oven and allow to rest before carving.

In the meantime, make the sauce. Pour bear drippings from the skillet into a saucepan and add flour. Cook over medium heat until the flour is browned, then add water while whisking constantly.

Let the sauce cook until it thickens to your desired consistency - anything from a thin sauce to a thick gravy is fine.

Carve meat into 1" thick slices.

Serve, topped with mushrooms and sauce.