Easy Greek Nachos with Goose Meat
Easy Greek Nachos with Goose Meat are a tantalizing fusion that melds the bold flavors of Greece with Tex-Mex.I love Greek food and I love nachos, and I shoot a lot of geese. So, I combined all three. And I'm so happy I did!After creating my Venison Steak Souvlaki recipe for the website last year, I shared it during multiple wild game cooking classes – from North Dakota to Texas. Everyone loved it. Watching students transform a piece of whitetail deer steak or elk into something they'd find at a restaurant while on vacation in Greece is so fulfilling. The development of this Greek Nachos recipe began with a road trip from our home in Fargo, North Dakota to Saint Paul, Minnesota to visit our 6-month-old nephew and godson. Baby Paul spent the morning gleefully bouncing on my knee, listening to me sing a rendition of Harry Connick Jr.'s "Recipe for Love", and then spitting up on me every 15 minutes. I succeeded in wearing him out, and he went down for a nap right around lunch time.For the next few hours, the adults relished in the fact that we were momentarily child-free. We celebrated by playing our new favorite board game Carcassonne while devouring these Greek Nachos I whipped up and had on the table in just 15 minutes. FYI – The board game Carcassonne is also a great game for parents to play with their kids. Our 8-year-old daughter loves it as much as we do!GREEK NACHOSI'm not the first person to develop a recipe for Greek Nachos. But I just might be the first person to create a version using wild game. It's a tale that begins with a Canada Goose hunt in North Dakota and ends with a gastronomic delight involving some store-bought pita chips and tzatziki I picked up at a local ALDI store.Most Greek Nacho recipes you'll find on the internet will suggest you start off with some pita bread, toasted in the oven. But my wife absolutely loves Stacy's Pita Chips or this similar kind of pita chips from Whole Foods.PITA CHIPS FOR GREEK NACHOSAs your teeth break through the pita chip's surface, there's a satisfying crunch that resonates audibly in your ears. Really good nachos always have that crunch. The sound heightens the anticipation for the other flavors about to be released into your mouth. With Greek Nachos, there's a subtle hint of saltiness that comes from the mozzarella and feta blanketing the crispy pita chips that are toasted to a golden perfection in the oven. It's then that we can begin to create a culinary marriage made in heaven. The pita chips and cheese serve as the canvas for a masterpiece of Mediterranean flavors.But what truly sets my Greek Nachos apart is the symphony of ingredients that adorn each chip – succulent shredded goose meat exuding a fragrant blend of herbs and spices; and a colorful medley of diced tomatoes, kalamata olives, shredded lettuce, and red onions, providing freshness and even more crunch to every bite.And let us not forget the generous dollops of tzatziki sauce, creamy and cool, with a hint of garlic and a whisper of dill. GREEK NACHOS SUBSTITUTESThe key to the Greek flavors coming out with every bite of the goose meat used in these Greek Nachos is tossing it with a little red wine vinegar, garlic, oregano, paprika, and cumin after cooking it in the pressure cooker and shredding it. Heaven!If you don't have any goose in your freezer, feel free to substitute a small venison roast, a hindquarter from a beaver, or get creative and go with a different type of wild game. If you have questions on what might work, don't hesitate to reach out and email me at: [email protected]WHY USE A PRESSURE COOKER FOR GOOSE LEGS AND THIGHS?Some of you may have already joined the instant pot craze. For years, I refused to jump on board like I usually do with new kitchen gadgets. But Nesco recently sent me an Electric Pressure Cooker and Canner to try out. Now I’m completely obsessed! Where has this thing been all of my life?And just to be clear, this recipe is not sponsored by Instant Pot or Nesco in any way. Feel free to use any kind of electric pressure cooker you want! I don’t care what brand it is, just get your hands on one ASAP. You can get one for as little as $60 on Amazon or spend more than $250 for a 12-quart beast. The pressure-cooking method transforms goose legs and thighs into deliciously tender, and easy to shred meat faster than any other way I know of.Rather than cooking the goose legs and thighs for 8 – 10 hours in a slow cooker or Dutch oven all day, you only need about an hour and a half to get from start to finish on this recipe and I promise you the meat comes out just as juicy and tender as if it were in braising all day. That is the spell-binding power of pressure cooking at its finest!HOW TO COOK GOOSE LEGS AND THIGHS1. First, season the goose legs and thighs with kosher salt and black pepper generously on all sides.2. Add oil to the pot and set to the brown or sauté setting. Sear the goose legs and thighs for about 2 to 3 minutes per side.3. Add broth, onion powder, garlic powder, and dried oregano. Set the pressure cook setting on high. Cover, lock the lid, and cook for 30 minutes. Important Note: Do NOT forget to put it on the high setting. The regular setting will take 60 minutes to get the meat nice and tender.4. Once it is finished cooking, don't touch it right away! Keep the lid closed and locked and allow for 15 – 25 minutes of natural pressure release. This extra time is important because it allows the pressure cooker to continue to work its magic on the tough birds before you open it up to shred the meat. 5. Open the lid carefully and transfer the meat to a large plate and shred with tongs or two forks. Discard the bones.6. Add the red wine vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon each of garlic powder, oregano, paprika, and cumin. Toss well to combine.HOW TO MAKE GYRO NACHOS1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.2. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Place pita chips in a single layer onto the prepared baking sheet. Feel free to use any pita chips from your local grocery store. You are looking for baked pita chips like these Stacy's Pita Chips or this similar kind of pita chips from Whole Foods.3. Top with cooked and shredded goose meat, feta, and mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle the nachos evenly with the remaining garlic powder, onion powder, and dried oregano. Place in the oven and bake at 400 degrees F until mozzarella cheese is melted, about 5 minutes.4. Remove from the oven and top with onion, olives, tomatoes, and lettuce. Serve immediately with the tzatziki sauce.MORE GOOSE MEAT RECIPES TO TRYIf you love eating Snow Geese meat or Canada Geese meat as much as we do, I think you’ll love these delicious goose meat recipes!– Goose Pastrami– Snow Goose Soup– Goose Stew– Czech Garlic Soup with Goose Meat– Goose Gondi– Goose Pastrami Irish Egg Rolls– Goose Gyoza (Potstickers)CONNECT WITH ME AND JOIN OUR WILD GAME COOKING COMMUNITYIf you make these Easy Greek Nachos with Goose Meat I’d love for you to join our community and connect with me so we can all see pics of your creations on Instagram! When you post a pic of your finished dish on Instagram, be sure and use the hashtag #wildgameandfish and then tag me @wildgameandfish so I can share it on my Instagram stories.HUNGRY FOR MORE? For more great wild game and fish recipes, be sure to head back to the homepage and subscribe to the weekly newsletter and get a new recipe in your inbox every Tuesday!Did you enjoy this Easy Greek Nachos Recipe? Be sure to leave a 5-star rating RIGHT HERE!
Ingredients
- skinless legs and thighs from 1 Goose
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 1/2 cups beef broth or chicken broth
- 2 1/2 teaspoons onion powder, divided
- 3 teaspoons garlic powder, divided
- 3 teaspoons dried oregano, divided
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 Tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 1 9-ounce bag sea salt pita chips
- 4 ounces crumbled feta cheese
- 4 ounces shredded Mozzarella cheese
- 1/2 cup red onion, diced
- 1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes, quartered
- 1 cup shredded iceberg lettuce
- 10 ounces store-bought tzatziki sauce
Instructions
How to Cook Goose Legs and Thighs
- First, season the goose legs and thighs with kosher salt and black pepper generously on all sides.
- Add oil to the pressure cooker pot and set to the brown or sauté setting. Sear the goose legs and thighs for about 2 to 3 minutes per side.
- Add broth, and 2 teaspoons each of the onion powder, garlic powder, and dried oregano. Set the pressure cook setting on high. Cover, lock the lid, and cook for 30 minutes.
- Once it is finished cooking, don't touch it right away! Keep the lid closed and locked and allow for 15 – 25 minutes of natural pressure release. This extra time is important because it allows the pressure cooker to continue to work its magic on the tough birds before you open it up to shred the meat.
- Open the lid carefully and transfer the meat to a large plate and shred with tongs or two forks. Discard the bones.
- Add the red wine vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon each of garlic powder, oregano, paprika, cumin. Toss well to combine and set aside.
HOW TO MAKE GYRO NACHOS
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Place pita chips in a single layer onto the prepared baking sheet. Feel free to use any pita chips from your local grocery store. You are looking for baked pita chips like these Stacy's Pita Chips or this similar kind of pita chips from Whole Foods.
- Top with cooked and shredded goose meat, feta, and mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle the nachos evenly with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon each of garlic powder, onion powder, and dried oregano. Place in the oven and bake at 400 degrees F until mozzarella cheese is melted, about 5 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and top with onion, olives, tomatoes, and lettuce. Serve immediately with the tzatziki sauce.
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