Grin and Bear Eat

There is a Bear Hunt Season in New Jersey. They are not at all endangered. Indeed, I once famously saw a family of four of them walk across my lawn.

Someone from our Crossfit Gym (notice that anyone who does Crossfit doesn't just say "Gym"?) bagged a bear in the latest season and recently generously offered a sample of the meat to any of us interested in trying it out.

I describe myself as a "Human Supremacist."  The animals had a good run. But we've taken over this planet. And there's really not a one of the animals I wouldn't like to taste at least once.

And so, this evening, I made Bear Stew. I searched online and arrived at a recipe I used which was a hybrid of several I found.

I started with the meat, cut into stew sized pieces. You'll notice, it really just looks like beef, very red. 

I coated them in coconut flour and pepper and then browned them.

I then put the meat, onions, garlic, carrots, potatoes, and turnips into a pot. I poured in a can and half of Guinness Beer and water and cooked that down.

When it was nearing completion I added a can of cream of mushroom soup and a bag of assorted frozen mushrooms.

I took my twin's advice and removed a portion of the carrots, potatoes, and turnips and pureed that and reintroduced it to the stew, which gave it a nicer stew-like consistency.

And then, we ate.

I know what you're wondering. What does bear taste like?

In consistency, how it feels in the mouth, etc, it is identical to beef.

In taste, it's hard to describe. It tastes like meat, but I know that isn't exactly helpful. It maybe tastes in the direction of pork, but it isn't exactly like pork. 

I guess, truth be told, it tastes like bear.

And bear is delicious!