Slow Cooker / Instant Pot Bear Roast, Oven-Caramelized
Bear is one of my favorite wild game roasts. I cook it low and slow in the crockpot or fast in the Instant Pot until it’s fork tender, then finish it in a hot oven with a glaze so the outside gets sticky and caramelized. Here are both ways.
Food safety: cook bear to 160°F
Bear meat can carry trichinella, the parasite that causes trichinosis. Freezing doesn’t reliably kill the kinds found in bears, so always cook bear to an internal temperature of at least 160°F, checked with a thermometer in the thickest part. A braised roast that shreds easily will be well past that, but check anyway. Keep raw bear separate from other food, and wash hands, boards, and knives in hot soapy water after handling it.
Why it works / tips
- Bear is a hard-working muscle with lots of connective tissue. Slow, moist cooking turns it tender.
- The oven finish is all about texture: the glaze reduces and caramelizes on the outside.
- Trim off as much bear fat as you can. It can taste strong and goes rancid faster than other fats.
Slow Cooker / Instant Pot Bear Roast, Oven-Caramelized
Ingredients
- 3 to 4 lb boneless bear roast (shoulder or hindquarter), trimmed of fat and silver skin
- 2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 2 tbsp neutral oil
- 1 large onion, sliced
- 6 cloves garlic, smashed
- 2 cups beef broth
- 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary or 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- Glaze: ⅓ cup brown sugar, ¼ cup ketchup or barbecue sauce, 2 tbsp shoyu (soy sauce), 1 tbsp Dijon mustard, 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
Instructions: Slow cooker
- Pat the roast dry and season all over with salt and pepper.
- Heat the oil in a heavy skillet over medium-high and brown the roast on all sides, about 8 to 10 minutes total.
- Put the onion and garlic in the slow cooker, set the roast on top, and add broth, Worcestershire, herbs, and bay leaf.
- Cover and cook on Low 8 to 10 hours, until it’s fork tender and reads at least 160°F in the thickest part.
Instructions: Instant Pot
- Season the roast. Use Sauté (high) with the oil and brown on all sides. Remove.
- Add the onion and garlic and sauté 2 minutes. Pour in the broth and scrape the bottom well (this prevents a burn warning).
- Return the roast. Add Worcestershire, herbs, and bay leaf.
- Pressure cook on High 75 to 90 minutes (75 for a 3 lb roast, 90 for 4 lb), then natural release 15 minutes. Check that it’s at least 160°F and fork tender. If not, cook another 10 to 15 minutes at pressure.
Finish: Oven caramelize (both methods)
- Heat the oven to 425°F with a rack in the upper-middle. Line a rimmed baking sheet or small roasting pan with foil.
- Whisk the glaze ingredients together. Move the roast to the pan and brush it with a thick coat of glaze.
- Roast 10 to 15 minutes, brushing with more glaze halfway, until it’s bubbly and dark at the edges. For more char, broil on high 2 to 3 minutes at the end, watching closely so the sugar doesn’t burn.
- Meanwhile, skim the fat from the cooking liquid and simmer it to reduce for a jus (discard the bay leaf).
- Rest the roast 10 minutes, then slice or pull apart. Serve with the jus, mashed potatoes, or on buns.
Notes
- Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours and reheat to 165°F.
