Since the beginning of recorded history, humans have had existential questions on profound matters never quite answered fully or correctly. Questions about God, the afterlife, our universe, and Canada geese come to mind. First three are comparatively easy to answer, but mankind still wonders about Canada geese and why they exist. Most think they are here to fertilize every #%$*&^%# lawn outside a bank or shopping mall or playground sandbox. That may be part of it, but the main reason they are here is for us to kill the damned locust-like honkers with whatever means available (in season with a license and state and federal stamps and non-toxic shot). After the carcasses are collected and pillow cases filled with breast feathers you still have to do something with the meat. Some folks like to thoroughly char the meat over apple wood for a couple hours, then throw away the meat and eat the wood. I have a better recommendation. The following recipe is one of my Shirley's very favorite entrees in the world. I heartily endorse it.
Steve's Custom Basic Goose Kabob Recipe:
Ingredients:
Breast fillets from 3-4 geese cut into one inch chunks
One bottle of Kikoman's Lite Teriaki sauce
One pound of thick uncooked bacon, cut in half
Your favorite fresh vegetables for grilling
Extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt
Method:
Remove all fat and fillet goose breasts into cubes approximately one inch square. Marinade in plastic ziploc bag with enough Teriaki sauce to cover them. Squeeze out air from bag. Let the goose sit in the refrigerator overnight or several hours. I prefer to use the Lite sauce due to much less included sodium. Not really for health reasons, but the regular is just a bit saltier than I like.
Dip half piece of bacon in marinade and wrap around goose chunk. Skewer so that the bacon stays on. Alternate with vegetables of your choice. I use mushrooms, potatoes, cherry tomatoes, various colored peppers, zucchini, onions, or whatever I have a taste for or whatever is ready in my garden. Use whatever you like. There are no rules. Experiment. I have even used pineapples and occasionally jalapenos. Sprinkle vegetables with salt and baste with olive oil.
Using two skewers on each kabob will prevent the food from spinning on the skewer when you turn them.
Grill over medium heat for 15-25 minutes. Overcooking will ruin the meat. Rare is what you want. If you want your bacon a bit crispy, baste with remaining teriaki sauce about 5 minutes before the food is done and turn the heat up if using a gas grill. You may also microwave the bacon for a minute before wrapping it around the goose. Have a water bottle handy for flare ups. I usually serve the kabobs on a bed of wild rice.
The preceding and following recipes work equally well on blue geese and snow geese.
Steve's Custom Sweet Smoked Goose Breast Recipe:
Ingredients:
For goose:
6-8 goose breasts
One cup honey
4 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup apple cider
Seasoned salt
For water pan:
Bottle red wine (your choice dry or sweet)
Remaining gallon of apple cider
Small handful of whole cloves
6-8 cinnamon sticks
Hot water
For smoker:
6-8 chunks of fruit wood, about the size of your middle finger, soaked for several hours in water
Cooking spray
Method:
For goose, sprinkle with seasoned salt. Melt butter in saucepan over low heat. Add honey and cider and heat until warm, stirring occasionally. Add goose breasts and coat. Remove the breasts and place in bowl for transport to smoker.
For water pan, combine red wine, cider, cloves, and cinnamon. Fill remaining space with hot water. Check water pan when checking goose and add hot water only if needed. Resist the temptation to open the lid unnecessarily. Open only for basting and turning meat. Every time you open the lid you add another lengthy period of cooking time because the heat builds up slowly. Every time you add water it also slows the cooking time. Such temperature variations also tend to dry the meat.
For smoker, place wet wood chunks around heating element or place around coals so that the chunks smoke slowly. Carefully install filled water pan. Spray grates with cooking spray. If you don't, clean up will be terrible with this recipe.
Heat until water is simmering and place goose breasts on smoker grate. Don't touch it for an hour, then baste breasts quickly. Turn, baste again and recover. Check again in about an hour. Depending on the temperature of your smoker, the breasts may be done in anywhere from 1 1/2 hours to over 2 hours. Meat will shrivel when cooked, and have lovely grate marks singed in. Again, goose should be more rare than not. I usually put the least pretty breast on the top grate for slicing and sampling for doneness. Remove the breasts when done to your liking and wrap with foil to rest and redistribute the internal juices.
I prefer mine cold, sliced thinly against the grain, and served with my homemade horseradish. This is also excellent with a variety of mustards. My Shirley and I like honey mustard or stone ground, but use what you like. Again, experiment. These slices can be put on crackers with cheeses, or even on a roll for a delicious sandwich similar to roast beef.
Many hunters won't eat geese to save their lives. I guarantee these recipes will change their minds. Enjoy!
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