How to deal with frozen meat?

[Biathlonman]

I've been hunting and processing my own game my whole life.  I recently returned from a bear hunt where the meat was frozen in one large block.  Can I unthaw and process into usuable pieces and refreeze?  Do I need to use it all once thawed?  Just new territory for me.

[Hawkeye]

Hey, Brad!  Thought of you last week and wondered how you were faring since you'd returned from the wilds of Birch River.

You may get some other opinions on this, but here is what I learned in a career as a 5th generation hog farmer...

The only real detriment to meat in a freeze/thaw cycle is the loss of some of the natural moisture due to ruptured cell walls in the muscle.  (Other kinds of damage to meat are generally due to oxidation, or of course bacterial growth).

My experience was that beef was the most affected by re-freezing and moisture loss, and became drier and more poorly textured.  Pork was damaged MUCH less by these processes, and was really fine after a second thawing. We could not tell the difference when it (pork) was thawed a second time.

I am guessing that bear will perform much like pork since they both have so much fat content.  I have found deer to behave more like beef, and really try to avoid refreezing it.  I don't know, but imagine elk, antelope and other ungulates would also be more like beef...

I believe you'll be fine if you get the meat thawed, processed to the extent you want, and get it refrozen promptly.

If I had been skillful enough to bring some bear meat home with me       , I planned to partially thaw it and "peel" the chunks of meat away from the outside layers as I was able to.  Clean if necessary, cut or grind as desired, and package it as air tight as possible and get it back in the freezer.

I hope you have good results.  I guess the alternative would to thaw 'er all out, and have the biggest wild game feed Lexington has ever seen!

Hope you are doing well.  I still haven't been able to draw a bow with the bum shoulder since I got home!  Working on it with exercises....

Best wishes in dealing with and enjoying the meat from your trophy.

Daryl

I have never had a problem refreezing deer meat, and I've done it on several occasions. The processor I used for years with great satisfaction even advised to do that if there was a reason that kept you from getting the deer to them in a reasonable time.

I would not have a clue about bear meat though???

Bisch

Oops! Double post!

Bisch

[Chumster]

One large block meaning the entire bear?

I was always taught, that if thawed or partially thawed in a refrigerator, the meat could be  re-frozen. That is if separated/cut or divided then refrozen immediately.

I would have to try it vs thawing and cooking the entire block.

[Biathlonman]

Ok guys thats what I was thinking.  Majority will be made into summer sausage, but I didn't want to have to grind everything if it wasn't necessary.  Time to thaw her out and get to work.

[M60gunner]

I am with chumster on this. Try to do it in refer rather than sitting out. One reason it is not recommended on store bought meat is because it may have been frozen before it was cut up for display.

[Cory Mattson]

YES OK to thaw and refreeze - best to thaw inside a refrigerator. You have a couple of days if you need no rush. Your concern would be the unknown and any impact to meat quality when it was originally frozen in a block.
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[zipper bowss]

No worries, Brad. Your meat will be fine. We have thawed,processed, and refrozen bear meat with good results many times.

[killinstuff]

Can I suggest you eat some of that bear before it's turned into sausage.  Bear is way better than deer if it's a nice eating size bear.  I only have sausage made when I'm cleaning out the freezer of old meat and it might have hog, deer and bear in it but it all tastes like sausage when I get it back.  Never understood using good fresh meat for my sausage is all.