bear-meat-msg - 3/1/20
Period recipes for and the eating of bear meat.
NOTE: See also the files: organ-meats-msg, haggis-msg, frogs-msg, caviar-msg, blood-dishes-msg, exotic-meats-msg, eels-msg, goat-msg, horse-recipes-msg.
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From the fb "SCA Cooks" group:
Richard Rossow
December 13 at 9:25 AM
Anyone ever found and used period recipes specifically for bear meat?
M Cat Grasse
there is a recipe for bear paws in Rumpolt. I have not made it and can't get to my translation till Monday. No clue why ONLY the one recipe, only for the paws....
James Prescott
Original, followed by Ranvaig (Sharon Palmer)'s translation:
Von einem Beeren.
NIm die Füß von einem Beeren/ setz sie zu mit Wasser/ vnnd laß sie so lang sieden/ biß daß das Haar herab gehet/ butz sie darnach sauber auß/ vnnd koch sie in einem gutten Pfeffer/ (or??) in einem Mandelgescaharb/ weiß vn~ saur mit Limonien/ so werden sie gut vnd wolgeschmack. Nim~ die Beerenfüß/ vnd den Beerenkopff/ besengs auff dem Feuwr/ wie man ein wild Schwein besengt/ setz es zu/ vnd kochs/ wie man es von einem wild Schwein macht/ zeuch jn auß/ vnd laß jn kalt werden/ beschneidt jn/ vnd säuber jn auß/ so ist es gut zu essen.
From a Bear
Take the feet from a bear/ set them to (the fire) with water/ and let them simmer so long/ that the hair goes away/ then trim them clean/ and cook them in a good pepper (sauce)/ in an almond gescharb sauce/ white and sour with lemon/ then it becomes good and well tasting. Take the bear feet/ and the bear head/ singe on the fire/ as one singes a wild pig/ set it to (the fire)/ and cook it/ as one makes it from a wild pig/ take it out/ and let it become cold/ trim them/ and clean them off/ like this it is good to eat.
James C Bergeson
Be real careful with bear meat. I heard that it has a very high probability of having trichinosis.
Richard Rossow
In Alaska eating bear is pretty common, I really like it.
Daniel Myers
Sauce for Any Game Animal (stag, bear, deer or other). Clean the meat and roast or boil it; then make this sauce: get a toasted, crustless loaf of bread with a handful of the animal's meat and pepper, ginger and saffron, and grind it up together; distemper this with lean broth, verjuice and honey, and boil it until it is thick; put it into bowls. [The Neapolitan recipe collection (Italy, 15th c - T. Scully, trans.)]
Glenn Gorsuch
Scappi —
88. Various ways to cook bear meat. The bear has to be young and caught in its season, which is the winter, for even though in July it is much fatter because of its grazing, nevertheless in winter its flesh gives off a less offensive smell. When it is skinned, take its best parts, which are the legs and the shoulders, and let them hang a little. For spit-roasting, sear them on a grill, not larded but only sprinkled with salt, fennel, pepper, cinnamon and cloves. Mount them on a spit and cook them as a goat is done. With that meat you can make all the dishes that are made with a stag, above. The head of a goat, stag and bear are not good and not commonly used, nor is bear88 meat, though I have prepared it.
Glenn Gorsuch
And yes, I did it. Using the permission given above about using bear as you would a stag, I used bear meat with a recipe that was essentially stag meat simmered in strong red wine with onions and bacon...—bear burgundy, if you will. Came out very well.
Glenn Gorsuch
Katira Al-Maghrebiyya Wooden Spoon win, thanks to Chani and Klaus who gave it to me as they were very tired of bear by that point. Also went to the West Coast Culinary Symposium for the traditional potluck.
Katira Al-Maghrebiyya
Glenn Gorsuch lucky symposium! I've been reading about eel. Ever cooked that? I think I ate some once. Then there was an eel in aspic at an event and I tried some. Yuck.
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