Bear Fat Cobbler

Cobbler was the first thing I ever made using bear fat, and it remains one of my favorites. Bear fat, also known as bear oil or bear grease, is a near-perfect culinary fat. It has a neutral flavor and smell, balanced richness, and the consistency is easy to work with. Using bear fat in any baking application is a shoo-in. You can substitute bear fat for butter or shortening without any additional modifications to the recipe. Do note that bear fat...

Bear Fat Pop-Tarts

Pop-Tarts are one of the most iconic American breakfast treats—and for good reason. What kid doesn’t love a sugar-packed fruit pocket wrapped in a firm crust that’s covered in colorful icing? These pastries have a nostalgic place in my heart, but we can one-up these morning pies with a wild twist. Bear fat has been long known to be a great substitute for butter in baked goods. Rendered bear fat has a neutral flavor, is very stable, and is...

Wild Game Mincemeat Pie With Bear Lard Crust

My grandparents lived about four hours away when I was a kid, so they were never able to attend Grandparents’ Day at our elementary school. Thankfully, my parents were friends with an older couple named Vivian and Barney Kokuma, who faithfully dropped by to play the role. What I remember most about Vivian was that she loved to make mincemeat pies. Her preferred meat was venison neck. My dad would pass a couple of necks along to her every year...