Only after seeing the meat inside did he understand why bear paws were hyped up to be so legendary.
Collagen. It was chock-full of collagen!
He carefully used his military knife to slice the meat above the five phalanx bones, then picked the bones out one by one. After pulling off the sharp claws, all that remained was the meaty part.
Pig trotters, also popular and full of collagen, were another example. But pigs were far too common; they couldn't compare to a Black Bear in either rarity or fighting prowess. That was why bear paw was lauded as an imperial court dish fit only for an emperor.
It took him over an hour to prepare the two paws.
Next came the standard steps for braising. He rendered the bear fat, added rock sugar to caramelize it, then put the paws in to brown them. Finally, he added light soy sauce, sea salt, and snowmelt, letting it all simmer slowly.
