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A Hunter's Tale: Tassleberry Farm's
Strawberry Vinegar Smoked Goose Breasts
Curing and smoking poultry is a ancient process hunters have used worldwide for generations to cure and preserve fresh meats while infusing them with a unique flavor and texture.
Smokehouses traditionally were small permanent structures, wooden outbuildings or tents dedicated to the purpose. Nowadays, customized portable smokehouses are available at most major outdoor outfitters, but many hunters modify and vent old refrigerators, using hot plates and wood chips to provide the low heat and smoke required.
The rest of the process is subjective, depending on the recipe used for the soaking brine, a combination of water, sugar, salt, spices and cure (a nitrite-rich solution), and the times and temperatures desired.
The recipe below was excerpted and modified from a posting on http://forum.bradleysmoker.com/. Before editing, this recipe ended with this cautionary statement: "The secret to this fabulous recipe is Tassleberry Farm's Strawberry Vinegar. Nothing else will do."
Snow Goose, Blue Goose, Canada Goose or Ross’ Goose are so numerous now in North America that they are a target of opportunity, not sport, during hunting season.
The most usable part of the these bird are the breasts. On greater snow geese they will average about a pound , or one serving after cooking.
Succinctly, for this recipe, we need a mess of snow geese breasts and a dozen or so thigh and drumsticks portions for giblets.
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Traditionally brined meats are cold smoked. This means that it is smoked at temperatures around 60 degrees F. We will be hot smoking our geese for a shorter time, and I promise you won't know the difference. Still we will keep the smoker temperature low, around 200 degrees F and smoke the geese for about 3 hours
You do not need to worry about drying out the goose, it is a dark, moist meat by nature. The object is to cook down the meat and put some smoke flavor into it.
For wood you will want something mild. While the smoke flavor is going to add to the quality of the brined goose you do not want to over power the flavor with a strong wood like hickory or mesquite. In the Bradley smoker I like to use Alder, Maple, or Apple and keep smoke on the meat for the entire cooking time.
Reduction Sauce Ingredients
Goose thigh and drumstick portions
3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp minced garlic
1 cup red wine
½ cup Tasselberry Farms Strawberry Vinegar
½ cup heavy cream
Directions
While the goose is smoking heat the olive oil over medium heat and sauté the garlic mince to infuse the oil. Remove the garlic. Increase to high heat until almost smoking. Drop the goose portions into the hot oil and turn when well browned. Cook the goose thoroughly and remove from heat. Set aside to cool. Reduce heat to medium high and add wine and vinegar.
Stir pan vigorously to loosen cooking solids and continue to stir until half of the liquids are gone. Reduce to low.
Strip the thigh and drummy meat from the bones. Slice to thin, small pieces. Add to the reduction sauce. Add Tasselberry Farms Strawberry Vinegar to taste. Add ½ cup heavy cream and stir until incorporated.
Serve at once.
Serving
Breasts may be served whole and warm with a reduction sauce or chilled and sliced thin on a mandolin or a with chef’s knife with the reduction as a dipping sauce.
