Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Food, Cooking, and Game Preparation Smoking a bear ham

Anyone have any experience curing and smoking a ham? I have a couple that I would like to do this with but can't find any directions.

Thanks

Strip the exterior fat, then brine and smoke as for a pork ham. If the bear is not too old the muscle structure is fine and will accept curing without injecting at the bone. If the ham is more than 15 lb, injest as well.

You are in for some great eating. Bake after smoking at 300 degrees for 3 hours, or freeze to store

why strip the exterior fat? I thought bear fat was supposed to be delicious and I would think like a pork ham, would help keep the ham moist during baking and create a nice crisp "shell"

I have always stripped bear fat as it sours easily when stored. We used to render the fat for lard, and perhaps that is a leftover practice from my youth. It will be interesting to see others imput.

I guess the "I have always done it that way" really isn't a reason is it.

not trying to question your method, just trying to learn something new!! Hope to one day need to know what to do with a recently shot bear!!

I've only shot 1 bear so my exp is very limited.
Another forum I found when I got home with the bear suggested trim all the fat off , then before cooking re -trim and get all of those lil bits you missed the first time.
The meat was awesome , in my opinion as good or better than the best beef I've ever had.
Any way , I had one last rolled roast left and decided to not unroll and re trim , just cooked it. The very first bite left a nasty pasty slime on my and my wifes toung . Wasted roast.

It doesn't last long in the freezer with any fat on it that's for sure.

I'm of the fat stripping school as well