bear grease biscuits
Title: Bear-Grease Biscuits —
There’s something honest or just feels right about bread cooked over a cast-iron and made with ingredients you hunted and rendered yourself. These biscuits are a family favorite and what I turn to whenever I have a guest staying at the house. Bear grease is an awesome ingredient; it’s actually my favorite part of the bear. Natives used bear grease for a variety of purposes, from food and medicinal uses to waterproofing. It gives baked goods a silky, deep, savory note that is totally unique. Simply put, these are the best biscuits you’ll ever eat! Prefect with coffee at dawn or stew at dusk. Treat the fat with respect; this is one of nature's most amazing ingredients and they are easy to make.
Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 tablespoons baking powder
1 tablespoon salt
1/3 stick (about 1 1/2 tablespoons) cold butter, grated
1/2 cup cold bear grease, diced or chilled until firm
3/4 cup milk or cream (buttermilk is a great substitute)
Equipment & prep
Large mixing bowl
Pastry/patty cutter (or two knives/fingers)
Grater for cold butter
Rolling or floured surface for folding
Biscuit cutter or sharp round cutter
Cast-iron skillet or baking pan, pre-greased with bear grease
Method
Preheat the oven to 475°F (245°C). Place your cast-iron skillet or baking pan in the oven to warm slightly, or pre-grease it and set aside.
In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix until evenly distributed.
Add the grated cold butter and the chilled bear grease. Using a pastry cutter or spatula, work the fats into the dry ingredients until the mixture is coarse and clumpy — you want small, pea-sized pieces of fat still visible. Don’t overwork it.
Pour in the milk (or buttermilk). Use the same pastry cutter to incorporate the liquid until a shaggy dough forms. Again, handle it gently.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Pat it down with your hands to about 3–4 inches thick. Fold the dough over itself and press down; repeat this folding and pressing 5–6 times. This creates flaky layers without heavy rolling.
Flatten to your desired thickness (about 3/4–1 inch for a taller biscuit, thinner for faster baking). Cut biscuits with a cutter (or make them by hand if you don’t have one) and place them in the pre-greased cast-iron pan, leaving a little space between each.
Bake at 475°F for 12–15 minutes, or until the tops are golden and a toothpick comes out clean. Baking time will vary with thickness and altitude (I’m baking up at 7000 ft above sea level).
Remove from oven and brush tops with a little warm bear grease or butter, if you like. Serve hot.
Notes & tips from the hunt
Render and strain your bear fat well. Any moisture or impurities left in the fat will shorten shelf life and affect flavor. Keep rendered fat refrigerated or frozen if not used immediately. I freeze my rendered bear fat in mason jars and treasure them.
For extra flaky layers, keep ingredients cold and avoid overworking the dough. Warm hands mean smoother, less flaky biscuits.
Buttermilk adds a tender tang and reacts with the baking powder for extra lift. If using regular milk or cream, the texture will still be good.
Cook over medium-high heat in a preheated covered cast iron to mimic the oven method if you want a campfire variation—watch closely to avoid burning.
Serve suggestions
Split and slather with butter and honey or serve alongside venison stew, eggs, and bear sausage, or smoky bacon. These biscuits stand up to bold flavors or are great on their own!
There’s a comfort in food that remembers where it came from. Make a pan, gather around, and eat like you earned it.