Black Bear with Coca-Cola®-Lime Sauce
The intensely flavored sweet-and-sour sauce is the perfect complement to the rich taste of the bear meat. The sauce is also excellent with sauteed beef steak, or, if you prefer something more exotic, with ranched buffalo meat or venison.
Ingredients
- Parsnips - 4 large (about 8 ounces) or carrots, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch julienne
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
- Olive Oil - 8 tablespoons, divided
- Beef Stock - 2 cups
- Bear Steak - 1 top round, about 2-1/2 to 3 pounds, silverskin removed (substitute: beef, buffalo, venison)
- All-purpose flour for dredging
- Juice and julienned zest of 2 limes
- Coca-Cola® - one, 12-ounce can
- Fresh Spinach - 6 cups, stemmed
- Salt to taste
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 500 F. Lay the parsnips on a baking sheet in a single layer and sprinkle with pepper. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and bake in the preheated oven for 12 to 14 minutes, or until browned.
While the parsnips are roasting, boil the stock in a small saucepan over high heat until it is reduced by half; set aside. Slice the top round into six 1-inch-thick steaks. Dredge the meat lightly in flour and set aside.
Place a large cast-iron skillet over very high heat and add 3 tablespoons of the olive oil. When the oil is hot, sear the steaks for 4 to 6 minutes on each side. Remove the steaks to warmed serving plates. Add the lime juice, lime zest, and the Coca-Cola® to the pan and boil for 3 minutes, stirring to scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the reduced stock, stirring to combine. Turn the heat to high and cook to reduce the liquid to 1/2 cup. Set aside and keep warm.
Place a medium saute pan over high heat and add the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil. Add the spinach and cook, stirring constantly, until it is wilted, about 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper.
To serve: Place one steak on each plate. Mound some of the spinach at the base of each steak and arrange toasted parsnips across the center of each plate in a band. Pour the warm sauce over the meat and around the plates.
