Braised Bear Round Steaks

Braising is a cooking method that combines dry and moist heat. It is excellent choice for less tender cuts that need moisture and long cooking times. It works great for stringy fatty meats such as shanks, shoulder, brisket, etc. Due to the fact that bear meat needs to be thoroughly cooked, braising is an excellent choice because the meat is always cooked well done or fork-tender.

When braising meats, you will never need to stick the meat with a thermometer or worry about undercooking because it will always be well done. This recipe is basically a variation of traditional Swiss Steak.

Good Cooking, Chef Wutsch

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Ingredients:

• 2 lbs Bear Top Round Steaks

• 1 T Kosher Salt
• 1 tsp Black Pepper
• ¼ tsp Cayenne Pepper

• 1 tsp Garlic Powder
• 1 tsp Onion Powder
• Pnch Nutmeg

• 1 c Flour

• ¼ c Bacon Fat

• 1 c Onion Chopped
• 1 qt Quartered Mushrooms

• 1 c Madeira Wine
• ½ cn Diced Tomatoes (14 oz )
• 1 jar Brown Gravy 12 oz
• 1 Bay Leaf

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Methods:

• Remove fascia from outer surface of top round.  
• Fabricate top round into steaks, Jaccard, (meat tenderizer) cube, or pound, reserve.  
• Blend spices, reserve.  
• Gather mise en place (everything in its place).  
• Season steaks with spices, dredge in flour.  
• In large cast iron pan, sautoir, or rondeau,(straight sided sauté pan) sear in bacon fat, brown both sides, remove and reserve meat.  
• Do not stack, spread steaks out to let heat dissipate.  
• Add onions, cook until translucent, add mushrooms and sauté.  
• Deglaze with wine, add tomatoes, gravy, and bay leaf.  
• Bring to boil, add meat back to sauce, bring to boil, cover with foil, and roast in 350-degree oven until fork tender, approximately an hour.  
• Adjust the consistency and flavor of the sauce.  
• Serve the meat smothered in sauce with parsley boiled potatoes, corn, and green vegetable.  
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Substitutions:

Use any preferred fat or oil for bacon fat

Use Burgundy wine in place of Madeira wine.

Substitute green onion or pearl onions for diced onion.

Your choice of mushrooms.

Cooking Options:  

Use approximately ½ c of Yoshida sauce or molasses for more rich sweeter sauce.

If you like tomato, add the entire can of tomatoes.

Garnish with bacon bits.

Finish sauce with sour cream or half & half, as you would with stroganoff.

When using fall bear which has much more fat content, bacon is not necessary.

Notes:  

Marinate meat in brine before braising.  

This recipe works well with other less tender cuts such as the thighs of Sandhill Crane and turkey, boar or venison shoulder clod.

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