Goose pastrami is my go-to Canada Goose Recipe when I have Canada goose breasts. It's one of the easier smoker recipes and makes the most out of these tough pieces of meat. Some people will even call geese "rib eye in the sky".

Canada Goose Pastrami sliced and ready to eat

GOOSE HUNTING IN NORTH DAKOTA

Early goose hunting season in North Dakota kicks off on August 15. The daily bag limit is generous, allowing hunters to take up to 15 Canada geese. The possession limit of 45 geese means my freezer is usually full by the time the regular season opens in late September.

Hunting in North Dakota has surged in popularity. COVID restrictions prevented many goose hunters from traveling to Canada, so they turned to the prairie pothole region instead. As a result, more hunters now fill the fields and sloughs compared to 20 years ago when I first started waterfowl hunting here. With all this goose hunting, there’s a constant need for new recipes. Over the years, I’ve created plenty of them. Among these, my goose pastrami recipe stands out as everyone’s favorite.

GOOSE PASTRAMI

The first time you take a bite of a Reuben sandwich made with your very own homemade goose pastrami is mind-blowing. You might not even want your kids around. If you're like me, you could blurt out, "Holy S@#t, that's good!"

If Reubens aren’t your thing, don’t worry. You might prefer standing alone in the kitchen at 2 a.m., savoring tender smoked meat dipped in spicy mustard. No judgment here - your culinary preferences are your own. Fortunately, this smoked Canada goose recipe offers both options, so you can choose what satisfies you most.

WHAT IS PASTRAMI?

Pastrami is smoked corned beef or corned goose. Before refrigeration, meat spoiled quickly. To preserve it, people rubbed meat with salt, pepper, and other spices, then smoked it. This method tenderized the meat, enhanced its flavor, and extended its shelf life. Today, most pastrami comes from beef brisket. The curing and smoking process transforms the tough brisket into something tender and succulent. Similarly, hunters can apply these principles to homemade goose pastrami after a successful hunting season.

When making pastrami with beef brisket, some soak the meat in a wet cure for 3 to 4 weeks. Goose pastrami, however, requires less time. Four days in the brine is enough to cure a goose breast. This time frame works well because goose breasts are much smaller than briskets. Therefore, I use a 4-day wet curing period to get us started.

I also take an extra day to follow the approach used by the famous Katz’s Delicatessen in New York City. After wet curing, Katz’s coats its pastrami with a rub, primarily flavored with black pepper and coriander. Then, the pastrami is refrigerated for one to two days. Afterward, it is smoked and refrigerated again. Finally, it's time to serve up this delicious smoked meat. The pastrami is steamed and served up to eager customers waiting in line for a bite.

Canada Goose Breast with Jaccard Meat Tenderizer

For my goose pastrami recipe, I take the extra step of tenderizing the goose breasts. In order to do this, I use my all-time favorite kitchen tool - the Jaccard meat tenderizer. Then I place the goose breasts in a wet cure for 4 days. This is followed by coating them with my own pastrami rub. Another night in the refrigerator and it's time for the smoker. The end result is everyone's favorite smoked goose recipe.

WHY I USE MORTON TENDER QUICK

Morton Tender Quick is a fast-cure mixture that works very well with curing small cuts of meat like these Canada goose breasts. It gives the goose pastrami a delicious, cured flavor and beautiful pink color.

Morton Tender Quick contains salt, which is the main preserving agent; sugar, both sodium nitrate and sodium nitrite that contribute to the development of both color and flavor; and propylene glycol to keep the mixture uniform.

TIPS FOR MAKING GOOSE PASTRAMI THAT ISN'T TOO SALTY

1. I ALWAYS recommend labeling the container of brining meat with the date and time the meat should be removed from your refrigerator. That way you remember when you need to remove it so it doesn't sit too long and get too salty to enjoy.

2. Don't forget to rinse off the brine with cool water before patting the meat dry and adding the Pastrami Rub.

CAN YOU EAT CANADIAN GEESE?

First of all, the correct name for these birds is actually Canada Geese not Canadian Geese. I have met many Canada Geese in my day and most of them were actually born here in North Dakota, not in Canada. Therefore, they aren't technically Canadian. Canada Geese born in Canada could be called Canadian Canada Geese, but those born here in the United States would be considered American Canada Geese. But I digress.

The question was, can you eat Canada geese? And the answer is yes! Absolutely! I'm always making a new Canada goose recipe, from Goose Pastrami to Fettuccine Alfredo with Goose and Broccoli to a Goose and Pepper Stew, the goose recipe ideas for "rib eye in the sky" are limitless! And if you want to try another New York City delicatessen favorite like this goose pastrami, you really should check out my recipe for Chopped Goose Liver.

Chopped Liver Recipe — *Canada Goose Chopped Liver*

GOOSE PASTRAMI RECIPES

This goose pastrami is our favorite smoked Canada goose recipe that lets you slice the breasts thin. And sliced thin on a sandwich, goose pastrami is God’s gift. You can also check out my Goose Pastrami Egg Roll recipe. If you have ever had Irish Egg Rolls at an Irish Pub, you will absolutely love these.

This recipe calls for using the goose breast (rib eye in the sky), but if you are looking for great ways to use those goose legs and thighs, check out all the great goose and duck recipe ideas I have available.

COME HUNTING IN NORTH DAKOTA

If you would like to come to North Dakota and experience an amazing waterfowl hunt, check out the North Dakota Game and Fish website. And if you want me to come along with you as your camp cook, photographer, or butcher, you can find out more details here.

Join Our Wild Game Cooking Community

DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE

If you make this Goose Pastrami Recipe, tag @wildgameandfish so I can share it on my Instagram stories.

Did you enjoy this Goose Pastrami? Be sure to leave a 5-star rating RIGHT HERE!

The Best Goose Pastrami (Canada Goose Recipe)

Goose pastrami is my go-to goose recipe when I have Canada goose breasts. It's one of the easier smoker recipes and makes the most out of these tough pieces of meat. Some people will even call geese "rib eye in the sky".

4.94 from 62 votes

Print Rate

Course: Appetizer, Snack

Cuisine: American

Keyword: canada goose recipe, goose, goose pastrami, sandwiches, smoked, waterfowl

Prep Time: 5

Cook Time: 2

Author: Jeff Benda

Ingredients

Brine Ingredients

4 goose breasts
4 cups water
¼ cup Morton's Tender Quick
2 tablespoon brown sugar
2 tablespoon pickling spice
1 tablespoon minced garlic

Rub Ingredients

2 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon mustard powder
1 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon brown sugar

Instructions

On a cutting board, tenderize the goose breasts using a Jaccard meat tenderizer.
In a saucepan, add Tender Quick, brown sugar, pickling spice, and garlic to water and boil for a few minutes until the Tender Quick and brown sugar are dissolved.
Remove from heat and let cool completely in the fridge. Once it has cooled, place the goose breasts in a 1-gallon Ziploc bag and add the brine. Seal and lay flat inside a 9 x 13 baking dish and place in the refrigerator for 4 days. Check daily to make sure the goose is completely submerged and stir the brine.
After 4 days, remove from the brine and rinse well under cool water. Pat goose breasts dry, cover thoroughly with Pastrami Rub, and put on a plate (unwrapped) in fridge for at least 8 hours or overnight.
Next smoke goose breasts in a smoker at about 200 degrees F until the meat internal temperature reaches 135 to 140 degrees using an instant-read meat thermometer. Remove meat from smoker and wrap in aluminum foil and put in fridge until it cools completely. When you are ready to eat it, slice the meat with a meat slicer or on a cutting board with a knife as thinly as possible, perpendicular to the grain. If you cut parallel to the grain it will be chewy.