Goose Tenders

September Canada goose hunting season is a great opportunity to experience beautiful, late-summer weather and put some healthy meat into the freezer.  NYS DEC looks to hunters to help manage resident goose populations and sets the September goose season with liberal bag limits (eight to 15 birds per day, depending on zone), extended shooting hours, and other special regulations to maximize hunter success.  Wild Canada geese have twice the amount of iron than domestic goose breast meat because they use those muscles to fly.  Canada goose meat also contains half the amount of fat than domesticated goose, making it a lean protein with lower calories.  It’s really healthy meat!Here is a great recipe for goose tenders that can be served with eggs for a nice brunch, served over salad for a light meal, or served with a dipping sauce as an appetizer among other possibilities.

Goose Tenders

Ingredients:

  • breast meat from one Canada goose, skinless and trimmed of fat and silver skin
  • brine: 1 qt cold water, 2 Tbsp kosher salt, 1 Tbsp brown sugar, 1 Tbsp pickling spice (optional), a few cracks of black pepper, 1 clove garlic (crushed)
  • 1 cup vinaigrette dressing of choice, such as Italian or Greek vinaigrette
  • 1/4 cup flour seasoned with 1 tsp poultry seasoning, dash of salt and pepper
  • 1-2 Tbsp. butter or olive oil

Directions:

Cut the goose breast into thin strips, about 1/4 inch thick, on a slight diagonal.thinly slice goose breast meat

Make a brine by placing 2 Tbsp. kosher salt, brown sugar, pickling spice (optional), garlic clove, black pepper, and 1 qt cold water into a non-reactive bowl (glass, ceramic, stainless steel, or food-grade plastic).  Stir to combine and dissolve the salt and sugar.  Add the goose slices to the brine, making sure they are all submerged in the liquid. Cover and refrigerate for anywhere between half and hour up to 4 hours. 

Remove goose meat from the brine and rinse under cold water.  Place 1 cup of favorite vinaigrette into a bowl and add the goose meat.  Stir to evenly combine.  Cover and place the bowl in the refrigerator.  Marinate the meat in the vinaigrette for a few hours up to a full day, stirring every now and then.

Combine flour and season with poultry spice, salt, and pepper in a shallow dish.  Heat 1 -2 Tbsp of butter or olive oil in a skillet or cast-iron fry pan over medium heat.  Coat the goose pieces, a few at a time, in the flour and add to the hot pan.  Saute the goose a minute or two until nicely browned and then flip the goose tender and cook a few minutes more.  Place cooked pieces on a separate plate and repeat until all the goose pieces are nicely browned and just cooked through.

Serve with a dipping sauce as a snack, or serve on top of a salad or add an egg to the fry pan to make a nice brunch.  There are lots of ways to enjoy these tasty bites!

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