What the heck do I do with a goose?

[Stalker69]

I don’t care to eat them, so I don’t hunt them for that reason. But every once in a while ( unfortunately) a friend will give us a couple. I make jerky out them.

 

[mtnridge girl]

Goose stir fry is probably our favorite goose meal.

 

[z987k]

Farm Raised goose is quite good. I love roasting a whole goose. Goose fat is incredible to render. Fry up some fingerling potatoes in the fat to go with the roast.

Wild snow goose tastes like liver. It's terrible.
Canada and emperor goose are pretty good.

 

[Ralphie]

Waterfowl hunting is the only kind of hunting where everyone who shoots argues that they are NOT the one who hit something

 

[Fogalo]

Goose + grinder = tacos and chili

Other than that I know an old Chinese guy that firmly believes it’s great for male vitality. He just boils it and eats it by itself. He claims it’s a flying blue pill.

 

[Laramie]

Goose makes very good jerky- don't think of it as a compromise. I hunt geese so I can make jerky. Pineapple habanero is my favorite.

 

[PVHunter]

Throw in another vote for all of the posters who suggested rendering the fat and using it to make roasted fingerling potatoes, confit legs, rillettes, and so forth. That fat is liquid gold.

 

[Bassman]

I turn most of them into sausage, brats and summer sticks. I prefer to eat duck and venison vs a goose breast straight up

 

[hutty]

I have hunted geese for going on 30 years and they are awesome to eat. Here are a few insane recipes that will have you taking other people's geese.

Pagi Pagi- Quick, easy and it will disappear ASAP
4-6 goose breasts
1 tbsp pepper
2 tbsp chopped onion
2 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tbsp minced garlic
2 tbsp soy sauce

Cut goose into 1/2-1/2 strips, mix ingredients and marinate 1-2 days. Place on hot grill and cook 4-5 minutes.


Havoc goose Pastrami-

This recipe is INSANE. I have brought it to more parties and people are AMAZED when I tell them its goose. You will not be able to make it fast enough. Pair it with some cheese and spicy mustard and blow people away.

• 1 gallon distilled water
• 5 pounds goose breasts
• 1 cup tender quick (a type of curing salt from Morton’s)
• ¾ cup of sugar
• 3-4 cloves fresh garlic smashed
• 3 tablespoons coriander
• 3 tablespoons peppercorn
• 3 tablespoons pickling spice
• 4-5 bay leaves

Take the coriander, peppercorn and pickling spice and place in a plastic bag and break it down. A meat tenderizer or rolling pin will do the job. Add all of the ingredients to the gallon of water and slowly simmer for 20-30 minutes. Let cool and pour the entire mixture over the goose and refrigerate for 7-10 days (10 days is my preference).

Remove goose and pat dry. Lightly coat the goose with a mixture of black pepper, sea salt, coriander and pickling spice.

Fire up the smoker with either apple or alder wood. Get the wood smoking and then decrease the heat to 150-160 degrees and smoke for 3-4 hours. You want to reach an internal temp of 140 degrees. Slice the finished product thin with a sharp knife and enjoy.

 

[magnum44270]

Pluck and roast whole. Breast out and cook hot and fast med rare. Skin and slow cook whole and pull meat, add bbq for sandwiches

 

[hutty]

Here is one more that is great for cooking in the blind or for a late breakfast.

Canada goose Sausage patties
6 cups goose breast in cubes
2 cups pork in cubes
1/2 pd bacon rough chopped
1 tsp ground mustard
1 tsp red pepper
2 tbsp kosher salt
2 tbsp black pepper
1 cup chilled apple juice
1 1/2 cup of peeled and minced apple

Combine pork, goose and bacon and grind. Add the remaining ingredients and mix together and make into the size of a small patty.

 

[kit_man_duu]

We make kabobs out of goose breasts.

 

[switchback7]

pastrami

 

[Megastink]

Watch how Gordon Ramsey cooks Duck Breasts and do that. If you're doing thighs, flex some culinary muscle and make confit. Its fabulous.

 

[JeffP_Or]

I was in the same boat this year after shooting a 12.5# western Canada – my first. Please bear with the protracted explanation:
I pulled the breast out whole with the breastplate and skin then carved off the legs/thighs [will do them in slow cooker at some point later]. I piggy-backed the 4.5# skin-on breast on the neighbors pellet grill/smoker with his T-giving turkey; I hit 154-degrees which was a bit much for my liking – will pull at 150 next time.

For the Cliffs note version - the recipe came from HARVESTING NATURE [but I was late in making my mind up and didn’t get all the needed items so went off the rail a bit]:

Brine [recipe did not specify but I boiled then cooled this before starting; see below]
2 goose breasts 1/2 gal water [again, I plopped the entire breast and bone in the brine with attached skin]
1/2 cup Kosher salt
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 tbsp onion powder
2 tbsp garlic powder
1 tbsp mustard powder
1 tbsp whole peppercorns

Rub
"Assault and Pepper" seasoning [tacticalories.com]
Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Dipping Sauce
Melted butter
Mayonnaise
Ketchup
"Assault and Pepper" seasoning to taste

Preparation

• Combine water, salt, brown sugar, onion powder, garlic powder, muster powder, and peppercorns in a non-reactive dish [I threw this all in a pan and boiled it up for about a minute and then let it completely cool – hoping for more aromatics and infusion]
• Rinse breast meat and place in brine, allow it to sit in brine in the refrigerator overnight.
• Remove meat from brine, discard brine. Wash and pat the meat dry.
• Apply olive oil and Seasoning [see improvised rub notes below].
• Smoke at 225-235°F for approximately 4 hours until they hit an internal temperature of 150-155°F. [I hit 154-degrees and thought that was a bit much]
• Allow meat to rest, then slice thin and enjoy

Dipping Sauce

• Melt a spoonful of butter in the microwave
• Mix with 2-3 spoonful of mayonnaise
• Mix in an equal part of ketchup
• Mix in seasoning to taste, about half a spoonful.

The assault & pepper seasoning I did not have so improvised: started with Montana Steak and added Garlic powder, Onion powder, White Pepper, Mustard Powder, Red Pepper flakes, Paprika, Dark Chili Powder, Turmeric and Coriander. No real plan – threw it all together and dry taste tested it.

I am also not a great fan of ‘dipping sauces’ and the sauce described didn’t sound that great to me but made it [using the improvised dry rub] – was pleased; in moderation with each piece of goose it was good!

Overall, after everyone telling me that westerns are horrible and best fed to the dog or used in jerky or pepperoni, I really liked it. And will have it again. Key, as with all waterfowl, is not overcooking! I do think the breastbone helped keep some moisture in the breast meat. The neighbor ran the smoker much hotter for his turkey [300-325] than the goose instructions so I went solely by internal temperature and checked it every 15-30 minutes. Will try the lower temps next time for sure. Part of the fun is the experimentation!
I have also heard the Wild Goose Pastrami from Hank Shaw is really good.

This is what I started with - did not take a finishes pic....

 

[Ryanbusk23]

We make a ton of jerky, and bulk sausage with it. It’s good stuff!

 

[Sky]

Stuffing the bird with your materials before roasting gives it more flavor compared to marinating.

 

[Travis907]

I’ll add to the jerky list! Goose makes great jerky, you won’t be disappointed!

 

[RSather528]

BBQ pulled goose sandwiches are a go to for me. If you get one with decent fat and isn’t too shot up smoked goose sandwiches with the fat on them is good as well.

 

[gjs4]

5lbs birds plucked are amazing smoked. Brine for a day in a 5gal pail (1 container of salt 2 cups br sugar)- smoke until the thighs skin breaks. Place in front of skeptics and watch the voracious consumption begin.

Breast strips tenderized, marinate in soy sauce brown sugar and red pepper flakes. Wrap a jalepeno and water chestnut then wrap with bacon (tooth pick) grill until bacon is crispy on the edges.

Ground with wild rice for dirty rice or inside of cabbage leaves with a sweet red sauce “for pigs in the blanket”.

As mentioned- Pastrami is a winner. Jerky is a winner. Sausage works but goose has a smell that nonFowlers point out.

Whatever you do- DO NOT GO PAST MEDIUM RARE or chuck it…and be cautious of steel shot.