Hibernating Bear w/Black Magic Sauce

 

      Now firmly in the depths of winter (lol) in South Texas it is time to try one of our black bear roasts.  I had planned to smoke one but decided to do this one in the crockpot.  This is a tried-and-true recipe from Montana Outdoors Magazine.  We made this in our small 2-quart RV crockpot.  

2 – 3 lb. bear roast 

1/2 cup chopped potatoes

1/2 cup chopped carrots 

BLACK MAGIC SAUCE

2 cloves garlic, minced

4 Tbsp butter

Add and simmer 4 minutes:

1/2 C cabernet

Add and simmer 5 minutes:

1 tsp salt

1 – 2 tsp pepper

1/1/2 tsp dry mustard

3 packed T brown sugar

1 T Worcestershire sauce

1 ½ Tbsp lemon juice

1 cup prepared brown gravy

      Brown roast well on all sides.  Place in crock-pot with a cup or so of water and salt & pepper.  Cook on Hi for 3-4 hours.

Browning in a HOT skillet

Halfway done

      Turn down to Low.  Add potatoes and carrots in large cubes.  Add more water if necessary.  Cook another 3-4 hours.  Don’t lift the lid any more than necessary.  Check internal temperature to ensure @ least 165F.  While cooking, prepare the Black Magic Sauce.  

 

Black Magic Sauce

Done is @ least 165F. This is a little over

      When temp is reached and carrots/potatoes are tender, plate the roast, slice, and add the sauce on the side.  Meat reached temperature a bit early.  Next time I would adjust cooking times perhaps shorter.  The meat fell apart with no toughness at all, fork tender.  Very much like a rich pot roast.  A hearty dish; great for fall or winter.  Barb and I loved this.  Definitely our favorite bear recipe so far.  Even with the leftovers being used with eggs for breakfast the next day it was fall apart delicious.  

Fork tender

"To abhor hunting is to hate the place from which you came, which is akin to hating yourself in some distant, abstract way.”

Steven Rinella

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A Look at Portable Power Stations

 

      Although we don't dedicate ourselves to solely boondocking as much as we used to, we still can.  We did it whenever possible for nearly 20 years, saving thousands.  But age has a way of changing how you think outside the box.  The new RV has 400W of solar panels and a 400AH Lithium-Ion battery.  We can stay 'off the grid' w/o electric or generator 5 days easily: with good sun, maybe 8.  There are, however, other considerations.  

      In the past 5 months while boondocking I needed a solution to power my CPAP without readily available 120VAC.  Further research and a recommendation from my best friend led me to the portable power station arena.  My friend uses a Jackery unit for his wife's CPAP needs.   

      This is not a new science but much improved.  There are many products out there relating to these needs and the best thing is the battery technology now so much better that you can use these for your RV, camping off grid, backpacking, and even home backup.  Yes, I said backpacking.  Although these units aren't light (some are smaller), they do offer recharge via solar.  Of course, they offer solar panels of all sizes that will easily fit their own individual product. 

 

 These are the top options available:

Best Portable Power Stations (2024): Power Capacity, Portability, Camping, and More | WIRED

      Jackery, rated #1 and Bluetti, #2 are at the top of their game.  Most offer 12VDC output at 2048-watt hours at 2000 watts with recharging times at 2 hours with solar connections, 12VDC cigarette plug or 120VAC.  

      Additionally, there are options for a complete home back up system.  For example, Jackery offers a 5000W home backup system with solar panel recharge.  Others are similar.  I'm not going to deceive you.  The prices for these systems can run from a couple of hundred dollars up to $5000.  Your individual needs and requirements will dictate this.  

      I can however quote you the specs and price of the unit I purchased for my needs.  The Jackery 300 Plus provides 120VAC power, the duration depending on the wattage required.  For me, it will provide wattage sufficient to run my CPAP for up to 6 hours.  Recharge time runs anywhere from 2 to 5 hours depending on conventional or solar.  

      The only drawback I have found with all of these units is their individual cabling and connector requirements.  It's like Microsoft and all the programs that can only run on that platform.  It was not easy for me to adapt the unit to any conventional cabling needed to connect from solar panels, car chargers, or USB unless you bought their particular items.  I have been able to recharge mine with conventional 120VAC when available, but also with a USB C to SAE connector for a set of portable solar panels I have.  

      In the end the unit works very well for my needs and once I circumnavigated the product connectivity issues, I have been happy.  Price for my unit is $299.  

"I bought some batteries, but they weren't included"

Steven Wright

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