Oakman resident cooks up a bear of a meal

Leah Lee often cooks wild game for delicious meals.

For Oakman resident, Leah Lee, cooking is something she’s always done.

“I came from a large family and I had to cook,” she said. “When I was tall enough to reach the knobs and see what I was doing, I was cooking. I guess that’s why I love it.”

The oldest of seven, she often took point on meals, a skill she carried into adulthood.

“My mom taught me the basics but she said if you can read, you can cook. She was right,” said Leah.

For her, a home cooked meal is the perfect end to a long day at work. . .or a cold day in the woods.

She and husband, Michael, are avid hunters. Not just deer, but turkey, boar, and bear. So she’s adapted and learned to cook wild game to serve.

“A friend’s daughter actually wanted my bear for her birthday dinner instead of Outback,” she laughs.

She said her recipes for how to cook bear meat are more of a guideline.

“I’m just a wife, not a chef, so amounts are just guestimates,” she said.

Bear Roast

Leah says she’s soaks the back strap overnight in a saltwater brine.

Bear Back Strap

5 Red Potatoes

4 Carrots

1 Onion

1 Can Beef broth

1 Clove of Garlic

1 Bay Leaf

1 C Red Wine

Season to taste

Olive Oil

Add olive oil to pan and braise all sides of meat with onion and garlic. Place in Dutch Oven or Crock Pot. Add vegetables and seasonings along with bay leaf. Add wine to pan until bottom of pan releases. Pour beef broth and wine from pan over top of vegetables and meat. Cook in Dutch oven at 350-degrees for 4- hours or internal temp is 160-degrees F or in the Crock Pot on high for 4-hours.

Bear and Rice

Leah Lee doesn’t just wait for her husband to bring home dinner, sometimes, she does it herself.

1 lb Bear

2 cans Golden Mushroom Soup

1 can Beef Broth

1 Cup of Water

1 onion

Rice

Plain Flour

Season to taste

Dice meat to size of conventional stew meat. Dredge in flour and season. Brown well in oil or butter. Dice onion,add to pan a few minutes. Place meat and onions in Crock Pot. Turn to high. Meanwhile, mix well, soup broth and water. Pour into Crock Pot. Slightly stir hourly. Cook 4 hours.

Serve over favorite rice.

Bear Meat Loaf

1lb Ground Bear

1 cup bread crumb or oats

1 small onion

1 garlic clove

1/2 cup red bell pepper

1 large egg

1/2 cup milk

2 TB ketchup

1 tsp salt & pepper

Dice onion, bell pepper and garlic. In large bowl combine all ingredients mixing well. Spray loaf pan with a nonstick spray. Press mixture into pan. Add ketchup to top of mixture.

Bake at 350-degrees for 45 – 55 minutes.

Combine the recipes with our previous Cook-of-the-Week, here.

Susan Kirkland