Bear Canape: Impress Your Guests With This Appetizer

Bear canapé

After a successful spring bear hunt, you may still have some bear left in your freezer. This a great, simple recipe packed with flavour for your guests. A canape is considered a one-bite appetizer, tantalizing your guests before your main course is served. The lemon garlic aioli in this recipe is prepared from scratch, so the spice of the fresh garlic and lemon juice is very evident. Do not use pre-diced garlic from a jar. Fresh, peeled garlic gives this aioli the snap it needs.

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Bear meat is one of my family’s favourite protein to prepare. Bear meat has been on the menu since the 17th century, and even longer in other parts of the world. It was sold in markets until the sale of wild game was outlawed in the 19th century.

Bear meat was commonly found in high-class restaurants and early cookbooks.

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Always be aware that bear meat can contain trichinosis. It has to be cooked to an internal temperature of 180 degrees. Freezing alone will not kill the parasite.

Nutritional information

Per 100-gram serving

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  • 155 calories (48.2 per cent from fat)
  • 8.3 grams of fat
  • 20.1 grams protein
  • Iron: 7.2 milligrams, 90 per cent
  • Phosphorus: 162 milligrams, 17 per cent
  • Thiamine: 0.2 milligrams, 11 per cent
  • Riboflavin: 0.7 milligrams, 40 per cent
  • Niacin: 3.2 milligrams, 16 per cent
  • Water: 71.2 grams

Bear meat is dark red and quite oily. Spring bear has very little fat, as opposed to a fall bear that has put on a thick layer for winter.

If you are wanting to make bear sausage, or pepperoni, always remember to add a nice beef chuck, instead of pork. Pork is already greasy, and you will find your sausage to be this way.

Uses for bear meat: Smoked sausage, pepperoni, smoked hams, stir fry, slow-cooked roasts, Indian recipes, Asian recipes and any type of well-cooked kabob.

I hope you enjoy this canape recipe as much as my family and guests do!

Ingredients

  • French baguette cut into two-inch slices
  • Sliced bear tenderloin (back strap) in one-inch pieces
  • Kosher salt, to taste
  • Pepper, to taste
  • Micro greens – two cups
  • Apple or fig balsamic, All of Oils brand
  • Rosemary olive oil, All of Oils brand
  • Garlic lemon aioli (ingredients: one cup mayo, one cup parsley, three cloves crushed garlic, juice of one lemon, salt)
  • Butter
  • Parmesan wedge

Method

  1. Lay out bear slices and sprinkle with Kosher salt and pepper. Heat up skillet and brown both sides to well, about two minutes per side. Put in a container and set aside, cover.
  2. Melt butter in pan, and place baguette pieces down. Crisp until golden brown, creating crostini, and lay out on a wooden board.
  3. Mix micro greens in a bowl with rosemary olive oil and kosher salt.
  4. Lay out crostini, add aioli as first layer covering crostini, but not dripping over the sides. Add bear back strap, top with microgreens and drizzle with apple or fig balsamic. Sprinkle with grated, fresh parmesan and serve.

This article was featured in the BC Outdoors November/December 2018 issue. Order it from our Shopify store now (while supplies last) or subscribe to our magazine to keep up-to-date with all of the latest issues!

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