If you have access to the Open Mapping Theorem at this point, then there's an easier way then trying to directly show that $\displaystyle\cos\left(\frac{1}{2z^4+3z^2+1}\right)$ has an essential singularity at $z = i$.
In any neighborhood of $z = i$ we can make $100 \tan^2(z) + e^{-z^2}$ arbitrarily close to $A = 100 \tan^2(i) + e^{-i^2}$. Find a $\delta$ neighborhood around $z = i$ so that inside it you get $| 100 \tan^2(z) + e^{-z^2} - A| < \frac{1}{2}$. The image $U$ of this neighborhood under $w = 2z^4+3z^2+1$ is (using Open Mapping) an open set containing $w = 0$, since $z = i$ is a root of $2z^4+3z^2+1$.
Note that $\cos(\frac{1}{w})$ has an essential singularity at $w = 0$.
Now using Casoratti-Weierstrass find $w \in U$ so that $|\cos(\frac{1}{w}) + A| \lt \frac{1}{2}$. $w = 2z^4+3z^2+1$ for some $z$ in the $\delta$ neighborhood of $z = i$, so you get
$$
\Big| \cos\left(\frac{1}{2z^4+3z^2+1}\right) + 100 \tan^2(z) + e^{-z^2} \Big|
\le \Big| \cos\left(\frac{1}{w}\right) + A\Big| + \Big| 100 \tan^2(z) + e^{-z^2} - A \Big| < 1
$$