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Another favorite goose recipe for the holidays. Breast out goose cut in 1-1.5" cubes. Marinate in ginger brandy and olive oil for 12 to 24 hours. Wrap in bacon and grill just until the bacon crisps. Serve as appetizers make plenty they go fast. My none hunting family members and one aunt that has a soft spot for animals can't get enough of these. They request them every year.

These Goose cooking tips, jogged my memory to many years ago. As you may or may not know, Sage Grouse, are great eating if they are young. But when they get older, and are BIG, we called them: "Blue Bombers".

You avoided shooting Blue Bombers at all costs! But when you did, the formula for preparing them to eat was something like the following. Remember, this is from my memory 60 years ago.

Immediately gut the bird, skin it as soon as possible, marinate in in about anything for a day or two, wrap the breast in bacon, pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Baste entire bird in butter and any seasonings to your taste.

Put bird in plain brown grocery sack, place in the middle of oven cook approx 30 mins per lb.

Remove from oven, carefully remove bag, throw away bird, eat bag. Wink

Dale

Member Joined: 27 Jun 2012 Posts: 1113

I've always considered the goose as the garnish...

Seriously though, it makes a very good Canada goose filet, and I generally discard the bacon...however iv ed never had snow geese, brants, crane, etc...I could see where they would taste fairly, wel, brown is the only word I can think of.

UncleDanFan wrote, "I took two guns, a Husqvarna mod 50 12ga hammer gun that I just acquired and hadn't fired before, using 2.75" 1oz. ITX #2's, , and my 1890's damascus Husky mod 44 16, choked light mod/light full, using 2.5" 7/8oz ITX roll crimped #4's..."

I think you made a wise decision to pack a 12 as well as your 16 plus your ammo choices for the guns. I'm also happy to hear you had a great hunt.

Anyone who thinks geese (or any game birds) are predictable is in for some unpleasant surprises. This is especially true when hunting an area they've not been to w/o a back up plan. You played it smart. Good on you. I hope others here follow your example.

Joined: 12 Mar 2012 Posts: 684 Location: Ontario

Even still, my ex wife makes tourtieres for me.

They are traditional French Canadian spiced meat pies made with pork or sometimes with a mix of pork and beef. She uses the goose (or duck) breast mixed with pork. If you know how to make good pastry (I make the pastry for her) and like meat pies, these are phenomenal. The gamey flavour of the goose is sufficiently tamed by the pork and spices but still amps up the flavour with a touch of the outdoors. Mmmmmm!

Enjoying waterfowl is simply a matter of cooking it right (usually not over cooking it) in a recipe that suits the meat. It can all be delicious.

Joined: 12 Sep 2010 Posts: 1973 Location: Maine

Google up "Anthony bourdain cooks wild duck" - he spent a whole episode of his Travel Channel show hunting ducks in the Ozarks and then showing the guys - who couldn't get duck right - how to cook it properly.
There are youtubes of the show, too. I can't get youtube where I am right now (on the commuter bus) but I recall he also showed them how to make dirty rice, the key ingredient for that being the livers and hearts.
FWIW, I think he is about the only "serious" cook on TV who ever even addresses wild game cookery. He does it well, too.

One of my, if not the, favorite hook and bullet shortstories is "The Great Duck Misunderstanding" by Russell Chatham. He describes in detail how to cook an array of small to large ducks simultaneously by staggering putting them in the oven at different times at high heat. Bottomline--rare. It is a bawdy, funny account and worth reading. Gil