By Lorelie Scorzafava

We all have hectic lives.  Dash to work in the morning, rush home to get dinner on the table, with barely time to catch your breath some days.  The slow-cooker is the friend of the harried.  You can prepare a meal in a few minutes leave it slowly simmering and come home to a meal almost table ready.  Bear meat must be cooked thoroughly and the gentle heat of a crock-pot or slow cooker will bubble in tenderness and infuse your bear meat with flavor, while you are free to go about your day.  The Slow-Cooker Mongolian Bear recipe is tender and scrumptious and the sauce does not stick or burn in the crock-pot.  Simply add rice or noodles and a veggie and your dinner will be on the table in no time.    

Slow Cooked Mongolian Bear

• 1 ½ pounds bear flank steak, or whatever you have on hand
• ¼ cup cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• ½ teaspoon minced garlic
• ¾ cup soy sauce (I use Gluten Free)
• ¾ cup brown sugar
• ¾ cup water
• 1 cup grated carrot

 

Cut bear meat into thin strips.  Put cornstarch in a zipper-style bag and shake a few pieces of meat at a time to lightly coat.  Add olive oil, soy sauce, garlic, water, brown sugar, and carrot to the slow cooker and stir until dissolves.  Turn cooker on and add the coated near steak and stir gently until completely coated with the sauce mixture.  Cook on high 2½ - 3 hours or low for 5-6 hours until meat is tender.  Serve over rice or thin noodles or linguine.  Garnish with sesame seeds and serve with a green vegetable and/or salad. 

To convert this recipe to stovetop, do not shake meat in cornstarch, just add it to the sauce and let it simmer on stovetop, covered.  When meat is tender stir in 2 tablespoons of cornstarch dissolved in ¼ cup cold water.  Let boil for 2-3 minutes until sauce is thick and clear.