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".GOOSE HUNTING IN NORTH DAKOTAEarly goose hunting season in North Dakota usually starts on August 15. With a generous daily bag limit of 15 Canada geese and a possession limit of 45 Canada geese, I usually have a pretty full freezer by the time the regular season opens at the end of September.Hunting in ND has grown in popularity since COVID prevented goose hunters from traveling to Canada. Goose hunters and duck hunters quickly learned how amazing the prairie pothole region of North Dakota is, and now the fields and sloughs are even more packed with hunters than when I started waterfowl hunting here 20 years ago. With all that goose hunting comes the need for more goose recipes. And I have created a ton of them. But this goose pastrami recipe is everyone's favorite.GOOSE PASTRAMIThe first time you take a bite of a Reuben sandwich made with your very own homemade goose pastrami is mind-blowing. You may not even want your children present, because if you are like me, you might just blurt out, "Holy S@#t that's good!"Maybe a Reuben isn't your thing. You'd rather stand alone in your kitchen at 2 o'clock in the morning bent over a plate of tender smoked meat dipped in spicy mustard. I'm not here to judge you or your culinary choices. But this smoked goose recipe gives you those options.WHAT IS PASTRAMI?Pastrami is corned beef (or corned goose) that is smoked. Before refrigeration meat spoiled rather quickly, so people would rub it with large amounts of salt and pepper and other spices and smoke it. This both tenderized and flavored the meat, and helped it keep longer. Nowadays, most pastrami is made from beef brisket. The curing and smoking process turns the tough brisket cut into something tender and succulent. We use those same principles when it comes to those of us who are hankering for homemade pastrami at the end of goose hunting season.When making pastrami with beef brisket, you might soak the meat in a salty, spicy wet cure for up to 3 to 4 weeks. But when it comes to making goose pastrami, we only want it in the brine for 4 days. This is a good solid time frame to cure a piece of meat the size of a goose breast. Whether you are using Hank Shaw's Goose Pastrami recipe or Steven Rinella's Meateater Goose Pastrami recipe, or this one, we all play within the same 4-day game plan but have our own tips and techniques on how to get to the finish line with the most deliciousness.Unlike Hank and Steve, I take an extra day to follow in the footsteps of the great pastrami producers of Katz's Delicatessen in New York City. After wet curing the pastrami, Katz Deli then coats it with a rub that tastes mostly like black pepper and coriander, and then it is refrigerated for a day or two. Then it is smoked, refrigerated for a day or two, and finally, the day it is to be served, it is steamed and served to all hungry patrons lined up down the street waiting for a taste.For my goose pastrami recipe, I take the extra step of tenderizing the goose breasts with my all-time favorite kitchen tool – the Jaccard meat tenderizer. Then I place the goose breasts in a wet cure for 4 days, then coat it with my own pastrami rub, then refrigerate it for 1 more day before smoking it. The end result is everyone's favorite smoked goose recipe.WHY I USE MORTON TENDER QUICKMorton Tender Quick is a fast-cure mixture that works very well with curing small cuts of meat like these 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 SALTY1. 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! 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.GOOSE PASTRAMI RECIPESThis goose pastrami is our favorite smoked 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 DAKOTAIf 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.CONNECT WITH ME AND JOIN OUR WILD GAME COOKING COMMUNITYIf you make this recipe, I’d love to see pics of your creations on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter! Hashtag them #wildgameandfishDid you enjoy this Goose Pastrami Recipe? Be sure to leave a 5-star rating RIGHT HERE – JUST ABOVE THE PRINT RECIPE BUTTON!
Ingredients
Brine Ingredients
- 4 goose breasts
- 4 cups water
- 1/4 cup Morton's Tender Quick
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 2 tbsp pickling spice
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
Rub Ingredients
- 2 tbsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp ground coriander
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp onion powder
- 1 tbsp mustard powder
- 1 tbsp paprika
- 1 tbsp 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.
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17 Responses
This makes the best Reuben sandwiches ever! Thank you!
Glad you like the goose pastrami as much as we do. And yes! It does make the best Reubens!
I’ve tried both Hank Shaw’s goose pastrami recipe and Meateater’s using some of my Canada goose, but this one from Jeff is my absolute favorite!!
Thanks Sam. I appreciate the feedback and glad you like the goose pastrami as much as we do. It makes great reuben sandwiches.
This goose pastrami is amazing! Great recipe!
My family LOVES this goose pastrami. I can’t wait to get some more geese this fall so we can make more.
i have just under 10lbs of Goose breasts I’m going to Brine a little longer than the time you mentioned. I normally do Pork Belly for 7-8 days and a few at 10days per thickness of the belly. All came out great. That said, i will brining for 9 days as i’m OOT and the Breasts are thawing/dry ageing to get out all the blood.
And i’ll be using Pink 1. as the cure. Any thoughts on that long a brine?
Thanks
Thomas – I think it’s going to get way too salty sitting in the brine for 9 days. We shoot a ton of geese here in North Dakota and so I’ve been blessed to be able to experiment with this recipe quite a bit over the years and get the timing down just right for everyone. There is a reason this recipe has had 50 people take the time to give it a 5-star review. Trust it! I suggest you make this recipe using the breasts from 2 birds (which will be about 2 1/5 pounds). Then try your idea of a 9-day brine with another 2 birds. Then compare the two to see what you think. That will give you a remaining 5 pounds to go in the direction you prefer. And then please get back to me and let me know what happens. Good luck!
BEST. PASTRAMI. PERIOD.
Had it at UMary when Mr. Benda prepared it.
Very very good!
This was so good!
Absolutely delicious! I’m thankful I got to try this dish!
Absolutely delicious! I’m thankful I got to try this dish! Thank you for coming to UMary
Delicious, best goose pastrami I’ve ever had
Best goose pastrami I’ve ever had!
We loved this Pastrami! Can’t wait to make more!