About a year ago, I was talking with my wife’s grandfather, and we got on the subject of food (as we tend to do). I mentioned that I had bought a whole goose on sale, and he shared with me stories about how he last ate goose about 50 years ago and how much he enjoyed it. I stashed that information in the depths of my memory bank (which is where ideas go to die), and luckily remembered it when we made plans to have him down for dinner. Thus, this goosey surprise became reality!
We served our goose with a Grilled Veggie Pillow (Potatoes, Carrots, and Celery Root) and Grilled Zucchini. However, it would also be great with Dijon Broccoli Stalks, Grilled Corn on the Cob, “Grill Bread,” or even Mashed Parsnips.
If you find yourself with a whole goose (or duck) as you’re prepping to cook this, see our post on How to Break Down a Whole Duck for some guidance.
Time: 30 Minutes (Plus “Marination” Time)
Ingredients:
- Goose Breast (You can also use duck, but you’ll need to adjust cooking times to account for size differences)
- Dried Mustard Powder
- Whole Grain Dijon Mustard (some for marinating, some for dipping later)
- Optional: Smoker Box with Applewood or Hickory wood chips for the grill
Method:
- Prep your meat anywhere between 1 and 8 hours before you plan to start cooking:
- Pat your meat dry with a paper towel, and place it on a large cutting board.
- Cut cross hatches into the skin of your goose (or duck) breast. You want to cut through the skin, but not into the meat, so be careful.
- Flip the meat over so the skin side is down, and sprinkle some mustard powder on. Press it in with your hands.
- Flip the meat over again so the skin side is up, and place your meat into a large container.
- Brush whole grain dijon mustard atop the skin.
- Cover, and let sit in the fridge.
- When you’re ready to cook, remove your meat from the fridge and heat your grill. If using a smoker box, soak your wood chips, place in the box, and put that on the grill as it heats.
- When your grill is hot, place your goose breast skin side down, and cook for 10-15 minutes. Time will depend on starting temperature (room temp vs just out of the fridge), thickness, and desired doneness of your meat.
- Flip (your skin should be golden brown and crispy by this point…if it’s not, let it go longer), and cook for another 10-15 minutes.
- We like our meat to be cooked to somewhere between medium rare and medium, so we removed from the grill when our internal meat thermometer read 145 degrees F. That said, the FDA suggests 165 degrees for any and all poultry, so we technically are going to suggest that temperature. Anyway, continue to cook to your desired level of doneness after you do your own research on the risks.
- When your meat is cooked, remove from the grill, and let it sit for 5 minutes before you slice and plate.
- Plate, devour, and enjoy! We served ours with a little mustard on the side to dip the meat into.
