Grilling goose is an exquisite culinary experience that tantalizes taste buds and evokes a sense of accomplishment. However, the prospect of grilling goose can also raise questions, particularly regarding the appropriate cooking time. This comprehensive guide delves into the intricacies of grilling goose, providing a detailed exploration of cooking times and essential techniques to achieve succulent and flavorful results.
Determining Grilling Time
The grilling time for goose primarily depends on the size and thickness of the goose breast. As a general guideline, allot approximately 10-12 minutes of grilling time per pound of goose breast. This duration ensures thorough cooking while preserving the goose’s natural juices and tenderness.
Essential Techniques for Grilling Goose
1. Brining:
Brining the goose breast overnight in a solution of water, salt, and sugar enhances its flavor and moisture content. This process allows the brine to penetrate the meat, resulting in a more succulent and flavorful end product.
2. Searing:
Before grilling, sear the goose breast skin-side down in a cold pan over medium heat. This technique renders the fat and creates a crispy, golden-brown skin while preventing the meat from sticking to the pan.
3. Indirect Grilling:
Once seared, move the goose breast to the indirect heat zone of the grill and continue cooking until the internal temperature reaches 115 degrees Fahrenheit. This method ensures even cooking and prevents the meat from drying out.
4. Resting:
After grilling, allow the goose breast to rest for 10 minutes before carving. This resting period allows the juices to redistribute throughout the meat, resulting in a more tender and flavorful dish.
5. Carving:
Carve the goose breast against the grain to create thin, tender slices. This technique ensures maximum tenderness and allows the flavors to fully emerge.
Grilling goose is a rewarding culinary endeavor that requires careful attention to cooking time and techniques. By following the guidelines and employing the essential techniques outlined in this guide, you can achieve succulent, flavorful, and perfectly cooked goose that will impress your taste buds and leave you craving for more.
Adventurous carnivores won’t just settle for regular ‘ol turkey this holiday season, so why not try this incredible charcoal roasted goose recipe?
Goose has a distinct flavor and is entirely dark meat, in contrast to its milder poultry counterparts, chicken and turkey. It is more frequently compared to beef than to chicken in terms of flavor and cooking behavior. Cooking goose is not difficult at all once you finish a few simple prep steps. However, the main factor in selecting geese for your holiday table is their fat content. Schmaltz is undoubtedly to poultry what lard is to pork and tallow is to beef. Schmaltz, or goose fat, is the Cadillac of animal fats and adds a ton of flavor to anything it comes into contact with.
In this case, it will touch potatoes. And you will love them. Since the goose has so much fat, you can (and should) remove the larger deposits surrounding the cavity by pulling them off and rendering the bird This rendered fat is a secret weapon against blandness that I keep in my refrigerator in a mason jar.
For this recipe, I decided to use a grill rotisserie because it helps cook the bird evenly and lets it inhale the aromas of the chargrilled food. In this instance, I used Kingsford Cherrywood charcoal to turn it up a notch. Because real cherrywood chips are used in its creation, it has a subtle fruity smoke flavor that goes well with poultry. Additionally, the rotisserie works incredibly well because it provides ample space for a pan of potatoes to be nestled precisely so that all of the delicious drippings are captured.
Don’t worry if you don’t have a rotisserie; you can use the two-zone method to make this recipe on your grill. To create your hot zone, just light your coals and pile them on one side of your grill; the side without coals is your cool zone. In this instance, you would cook your goose completely on the cool side of the grill, allowing it to absorb all the rich flavors of cherrywood and charcoal as it roasts gently. Perhaps turn it halfway through cooking to ensure even color development.
The most widely cultivated domestic goose is the embden variety, though you can also use wild Canadian, snow, or specklebellies. Furthermore, although we typically hunt for enormous turkeys to adorn our tables, I suggest sticking with medium-sized or smaller geese because they are much more tender. Goose can be ordered online or through your neighborhood specialty food or meat market, but keep in mind that delivery could take up to two weeks.
Finally, it is worth noting that the recipe below calls for the goose to be cooked to 165f, which is USDA’s advised safe temperature and how you 100% avoid making any of your guests ill these holidays (which is obviously a positive). However, goose is much like duck with dark breast meat that overcooks easily. Chef types and foodie folk will tell you that it should remain pink when cooked correctly. I personally prefer to take mine to 145f, which is somewhere between super danger zone and overdone. You are free to make your own choice, now that you have all the info! I use a this thermometer to make sure I’m in the right zone.
Grilled Goose Breast (Easy & Delicious)
FAQ
How long does it take a goose to cook?
How do you know when a goose is done?
Does goose have to be fully cooked?
Can you cook goose medium-rare?
How long do you cook a goose on a grill?
Place an empty foil pan under the grate on the cool side of the grill (i.e. the side without the coals). This pan is what will catch the rendered fat as it drips from the bird. Grill the goose on the side away from the coals, lid closed, for 2 to 3 hours (around 18 to 20 minutes per pound). Replenish the coals every 45 minutes or so.
Can you cook a goose on a charcoal grill?
A two-zone fire lets you cook via indirect heat, like in a home oven—which means that you are in effect roasting the goose. But, unlike an oven, a charcoal grill will infuse the goose with plenty of smoky wood flavor. To build a two-zone fire, situate the hot coals on one side of the grill, leaving the other side empty.
Can you cook a 12 pound Goose on a gas grill?
On a gas grill, light half the burners, and place the bird over the unlit burners. And remember, whether cooking with charcoal or gas, keep the lid closed. To start, plan on 1 1/2 pounds of precooked goose per person. That means a 12-pound goose will yield about 8 servings.
Can You Grill a whole goose?
If you love the smoky flavor of chicken or turkey cooked on the grill, but find that it often turns out dry and overcooked, grilling (or smoking) a whole goose might be the alternative you’ve been looking for.