Dinner's in the hands of an angry goose
February 6, 2012 3:32 PM Subscribe
I've been offered a goose. To eat. The only catch is...I'll be processing it. If you've ever taken a goose from field to table, please advise me on best practices.
A friend's watch geese have turned mean, and she's willing to give me a goose (or two) if I'm willing to kill it and process it. I need help with the logistics of this process.
My husband and I have processed turkeys and chickens but a goose seems like a larger undertaking. How big of a scalding pot will I need? Chickens are 147 degrees for 50 seconds; what's the formula for goose? How difficult is the processing going to be? I understand that waterproof birds are a pain to scald and pluck because they're built to repel water. Am I going to be swearing as I pluck endless feathers? Is evisceration basically the same as with turkeys and chickens? Where do I separate the feet, at the joint, like a chicken or turkey? Is goose stock a possibility? (I have seen this previously about cooking the bird.) Is doing two at the same time even feasible? Can we render the goose fat?
My husband read this over my shoulder just now and said, "Ask them if this project is insane." We are not necessarily averse to crazy-sounding projects as long as we learn something along the way. As I'd rather put it, will the final product be worth the labor we put into it?
If you've taken on such a project, please feel free to offer advice on my questions and/or to cover anything I might have missed. Thanks, hivemind.
A friend's watch geese have turned mean, and she's willing to give me a goose (or two) if I'm willing to kill it and process it. I need help with the logistics of this process.
My husband and I have processed turkeys and chickens but a goose seems like a larger undertaking. How big of a scalding pot will I need? Chickens are 147 degrees for 50 seconds; what's the formula for goose? How difficult is the processing going to be? I understand that waterproof birds are a pain to scald and pluck because they're built to repel water. Am I going to be swearing as I pluck endless feathers? Is evisceration basically the same as with turkeys and chickens? Where do I separate the feet, at the joint, like a chicken or turkey? Is goose stock a possibility? (I have seen this previously about cooking the bird.) Is doing two at the same time even feasible? Can we render the goose fat?
My husband read this over my shoulder just now and said, "Ask them if this project is insane." We are not necessarily averse to crazy-sounding projects as long as we learn something along the way. As I'd rather put it, will the final product be worth the labor we put into it?
If you've taken on such a project, please feel free to offer advice on my questions and/or to cover anything I might have missed. Thanks, hivemind.
I had to look at what a watch goose was. White with a orange bill, like you see in a park for the other AskMeFi'ers.
I can't imagine trying to pluck that sucker. I did my fair share of Canada goose this winter and they are about 1/2 the size. I agree with Mr. Yuck, skin it and use the meat. We are big fans of goose stock, so anything else just throw in and make a huge pot of stock!
posted by NotSoSimple at 4:41 PM on February 6, 2012
I can't imagine trying to pluck that sucker. I did my fair share of Canada goose this winter and they are about 1/2 the size. I agree with Mr. Yuck, skin it and use the meat. We are big fans of goose stock, so anything else just throw in and make a huge pot of stock!
posted by NotSoSimple at 4:41 PM on February 6, 2012
Best answer: Is it really that much bigger than a turkey?
Waterfowl are indeed a pain in the ass. You will be swearing. We did our own ducks once. This year we did a friend's geese -- raised for meat, so not that old -- and IIRC we did the scalder at 153-155ish. We have the rotary kind, on a timer -- meaning the birds are only in the water for half the time, since they rotate through and are above the water for half of it -- and it's set for chickens. With waterfowl we run them through two cycles, then through the plucker once, then back in the water for another cycle, then pluck again. There's still a ton of pinfeathers though.
I have heard some folks have good luck with waxing them. Float a few blocks of paraffin (food-grade, in the canning aisle) on a thing of hot water, and dunk them in through the wax layer so they are good and coated. Then dunk in cold water to set (and stop it from cooking them). Then peel.
I'd just skin 'em, though, if I were doing it again.
Separate the feet same as with a chicken or turkey. The joint is in a bit of a different place but it is the same shape joint.
Eviscerating is the same except the body cavity is a different shape. No weirder than the difference between a chicken and a turkey, though, or even a layer and a broiler.
They do have a weird thing in their trachea, at the point where it splits to go to the lungs. I assume it's related to holding their breath underwater. It's just a weird box thing. The trachea is harder in general than on the broilers at least. If you break it it is sharp and can almost cut you.
I feel like I've seen goose sausage before. That might be a good use if the meat is strong, because you can add lots of other strong flavors.
You should be reading Hunter Angler Gardener Cook (in general). Do you have the River Cottage Meat Book? Do you have Charcuterie? (also in general -- not sure if it has goose in it).
posted by librarina at 4:45 PM on February 6, 2012 [1 favorite]
Waterfowl are indeed a pain in the ass. You will be swearing. We did our own ducks once. This year we did a friend's geese -- raised for meat, so not that old -- and IIRC we did the scalder at 153-155ish. We have the rotary kind, on a timer -- meaning the birds are only in the water for half the time, since they rotate through and are above the water for half of it -- and it's set for chickens. With waterfowl we run them through two cycles, then through the plucker once, then back in the water for another cycle, then pluck again. There's still a ton of pinfeathers though.
I have heard some folks have good luck with waxing them. Float a few blocks of paraffin (food-grade, in the canning aisle) on a thing of hot water, and dunk them in through the wax layer so they are good and coated. Then dunk in cold water to set (and stop it from cooking them). Then peel.
I'd just skin 'em, though, if I were doing it again.
Separate the feet same as with a chicken or turkey. The joint is in a bit of a different place but it is the same shape joint.
Eviscerating is the same except the body cavity is a different shape. No weirder than the difference between a chicken and a turkey, though, or even a layer and a broiler.
They do have a weird thing in their trachea, at the point where it splits to go to the lungs. I assume it's related to holding their breath underwater. It's just a weird box thing. The trachea is harder in general than on the broilers at least. If you break it it is sharp and can almost cut you.
I feel like I've seen goose sausage before. That might be a good use if the meat is strong, because you can add lots of other strong flavors.
You should be reading Hunter Angler Gardener Cook (in general). Do you have the River Cottage Meat Book? Do you have Charcuterie? (also in general -- not sure if it has goose in it).
posted by librarina at 4:45 PM on February 6, 2012 [1 favorite]
Oh, I forgot to say -- you can also (especially if not for sale) just call it good enough and not worry about getting 100% of the pinfeathers. It looks a little weird but I've eaten the crispy roasted skin where I could still see a feather, and I didn't notice it at all as I was eating it.
Get some fish tweezers for manual plucking. I like the ones with an angled edge, like this (not an endorsement of that brand or anything; just an example).
posted by librarina at 4:48 PM on February 6, 2012
Get some fish tweezers for manual plucking. I like the ones with an angled edge, like this (not an endorsement of that brand or anything; just an example).
posted by librarina at 4:48 PM on February 6, 2012
Response by poster: We have the rotary kind, on a timer -- meaning the birds are only in the water for half the time, since they rotate through and are above the water for half of it -- and it's set for chickens. With waterfowl we run them through two cycles, then through the plucker once, then back in the water for another cycle, then pluck again.
Checks with what I saw recently--ducks got three turns through the scalder, a spin in the plucker, another two turns in the scalder, and a final plucker spin.
Great blog, thanks! I'd seen it, but promptly forgot about it. We have "Charcuterie," but not "River Cottage Meat Book." I hadn't thought to look there--thanks for the reminder.
Skinning sounds like the way to go.
posted by MonkeyToes at 5:00 PM on February 6, 2012
Checks with what I saw recently--ducks got three turns through the scalder, a spin in the plucker, another two turns in the scalder, and a final plucker spin.
Great blog, thanks! I'd seen it, but promptly forgot about it. We have "Charcuterie," but not "River Cottage Meat Book." I hadn't thought to look there--thanks for the reminder.
Skinning sounds like the way to go.
posted by MonkeyToes at 5:00 PM on February 6, 2012
Best answer: The thermostat on our scalder is supposed to keep the water within a 10ยบ range, so it's probably not that important to be too on the nose.
The plucking is a pain. On the upside, hand-plucking isn't that much slower than using a plucker, so you don't need to go out of your way to rent one for a couple of geese. I made a shackle to hold the bird upside down by the feet while I pluck whatever the machine didn't get. It's much more pleasant than bending over a slippery table. For two birds, I'd hang them up with baling twine and call it good enough. My vote would be to pluck because I hate the thought of losing the fat and the skin. Oh man, you could roast one and save the fat to confit the legs from the other one! That'd be awesome.
When we did ducks, we attempted to pluck them. Some of them ended up in the 'skinner' bucket though. For those birds, I skin them prior to cooking and render the fat out of the skin in a crock pot. The steps to render are skin, put in crock pot with water, and simmer for a day or so. Strain the fat and water mixture to remove the feathery bits and leftover skin and refrigerate to separate the fat from the water. Finally, feed the gross bits of skin to the pigs.
I don't know why librarina would skin them since *I'm* the one that does the plucking...
The other problem I have is deciding how much of the neck to leave on. Usually I just take the head off and leave the rest because, hey, we charge by the pound. It looks a bit odd flopping around though.
posted by stet at 5:18 PM on February 6, 2012 [1 favorite]
The plucking is a pain. On the upside, hand-plucking isn't that much slower than using a plucker, so you don't need to go out of your way to rent one for a couple of geese. I made a shackle to hold the bird upside down by the feet while I pluck whatever the machine didn't get. It's much more pleasant than bending over a slippery table. For two birds, I'd hang them up with baling twine and call it good enough. My vote would be to pluck because I hate the thought of losing the fat and the skin. Oh man, you could roast one and save the fat to confit the legs from the other one! That'd be awesome.
When we did ducks, we attempted to pluck them. Some of them ended up in the 'skinner' bucket though. For those birds, I skin them prior to cooking and render the fat out of the skin in a crock pot. The steps to render are skin, put in crock pot with water, and simmer for a day or so. Strain the fat and water mixture to remove the feathery bits and leftover skin and refrigerate to separate the fat from the water. Finally, feed the gross bits of skin to the pigs.
I don't know why librarina would skin them since *I'm* the one that does the plucking...
The other problem I have is deciding how much of the neck to leave on. Usually I just take the head off and leave the rest because, hey, we charge by the pound. It looks a bit odd flopping around though.
posted by stet at 5:18 PM on February 6, 2012 [1 favorite]
Geese have an insulating fat layer that, once rendered, is worth its weight in gold. Use it for any kind of frying or confit and you'll celebrate the goose until your arteries seize.
I recall Alton Brown roasted some goose thighs in a cast-iron pan (in the oven) and then used the hot fat for some hearty greens (collards?) right after. I wanted to eat my television.
posted by Sunburnt at 5:26 PM on February 6, 2012
I recall Alton Brown roasted some goose thighs in a cast-iron pan (in the oven) and then used the hot fat for some hearty greens (collards?) right after. I wanted to eat my television.
posted by Sunburnt at 5:26 PM on February 6, 2012
Oh, stet says I should clarify what I meant by "I'd skin 'em" -- I mean I'd machine-pluck them as I described, then skin them, then render the fat out of the skin. It would indeed be very sad to lose all that tasty fat.
posted by librarina at 5:44 PM on February 6, 2012
posted by librarina at 5:44 PM on February 6, 2012
Best answer: Here is a photo journal entry describing the preparation and cooking of a wild Canada goose that you might find helpful.
posted by mossicle at 8:42 PM on February 6, 2012 [2 favorites]
posted by mossicle at 8:42 PM on February 6, 2012 [2 favorites]
I would check out some of the posts on Hunter Angler Gardener Cook. They do a lot of fowl hunting and hence seem to have a lot of information on plucking birds.
posted by that girl at 1:56 AM on February 7, 2012
posted by that girl at 1:56 AM on February 7, 2012
Response by poster: Matching best answers to librarina and stet; many thanks for specific and helpful advice. stet, I'm not sure where I'd rent a plucker; you should have seen my husband ogling the Poultryman and the sweet, sweet poultry MSUs (based too far away to make them feasible, especially for just a couple of birds!).
mossicle, that's exactly the kind of photoessay I was looking for. Very helpful. Thank you!
posted by MonkeyToes at 7:54 AM on February 7, 2012
mossicle, that's exactly the kind of photoessay I was looking for. Very helpful. Thank you!
posted by MonkeyToes at 7:54 AM on February 7, 2012
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posted by Mr. Yuck at 4:01 PM on February 6, 2012