Goosed

October 23, 2011 by The Minnesota Farm Woman

There are several shows on TV with chefs who want to become rich and/or famous by quickly concocting recipes using unusual ingredients. Last night I watched one that used cuttlefish, peppers and bittersweet chocolate. Why bother? I think they have nothing on the wife of a hunter, who is still working on last year’s supply of venison when her husband calls home from his hunting trip out west : “Make room in the freezer, Honey, ’cause I’m bringing home 300 pounds of elk!” How about the wife of a gardener, who must come up with delicious and family-friendly recipes when the green beans froze and the fall harvest was 27 acorn squash and 8 zucchini the size of submarines? Sometimes I wish my husband hunted. Most times, I am happy he does not. Growing up as the daughter of a fairly well-known wild foods expert, I was used to eating just about anything. Occasionally, I get game from family and friends, and I am happy to get it. One more memorable gift was from a friend who returned from a goose hunting trip to Canada. I somewhat reluctantly agreed to take a couple of geese even before I knew that the geese were whole and frozen. By whole, I mean whole. With heads, feet and feathers. Ick. I had asked the guy to put the geese in the back of my car while I was at work. It was fall, and the air was cold and crisp, so I wasn’t too worried about the geese spoiling before I got home. Thinking that I would get my non-hunting husband to clean them for me was another one of my Farm Woman fantasies. Nope. No way. My goose was cooked. Almost. Grimly, I hauled the dead geese to the fish cleaning table right next to the garden, and of course near the road so the whole neighborhood can again wonder just what I was up to. I had been told that since the geese were whole and partially frozen, it would be easier to take the breasts only. The day suddenly turned from cold and crisp to damp and freezing, with a drizzle that was dripping down my neck. Just my usual luck, of course, and here I was, holding a bloody knife with my hands inside a partially frozen dead goose. I was shivering, and somewhat reluctantly admitting here, muttering to myself. I did manage, though, and cooked them in the crock pot German-style with sauerkraut from a recipe that said that cooking wild goose with sauerkraut decreases the “gamey” flavor that geese sometimes have. They were delicious, or at least I thought so. HE wouldn’t touch them. He took a bite or two and proclaimed them “gamey”. This is a man who will eat liver and onions or fried chicken gizzards, but he would not eat wild goose with sauerkraut. Needless to say, that was the last goose dinner I ever cooked. I always learn some really good lessons, though, in this metamorphic journey from City Girl to Farm Woman: What’s good for the goose is NOT always what’s good for the gander. I think I’ll stick to chicken. Not my own chicken, of course, but that’s another story……

Posted in Uncategorized | 14 Comments

14 Responses

on October 23, 2011 at 7:41 am | Reply Sue Cellini

We butchered for the first time this year and it was difficult. We are still a little traumatized by the process and all 13 roosters are still in the freezer…waiting. Cudos to you for seeing it through!

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- on October 23, 2011 at 8:12 am | Reply The Minnesota Farm Woman
  
  I hear ya, Sue. I wish I could do it, but not yet…..
  
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on October 23, 2011 at 8:05 am | Reply Jennifer Vazquez

We will hopefully be raising out own chickens soon but more for eggs instead of meat. I know thought that I will eventrually graduate up to meat. We don’t have alot of geese here in the south so I won’t have to worry about it much. I am famous though for freezing tons of veggies. I would like to learn how to can them too though.

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- on October 23, 2011 at 8:09 am | Reply The Minnesota Farm Woman
  
  I thought I could butcher the old hens and roos, too, but I just can’t. I now run a nursing home for old layers…..
  Thanks for reading!
  
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on October 23, 2011 at 10:53 am | Reply Allison "Your Favorite Niece"

LOL! You HAVE to find the episode of Dirty Jobs where Mike Rowe visits the goose/duck down factory!

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- on October 23, 2011 at 11:36 am | Reply The Minnesota Farm Woman
  
  Ick!!!
  
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on October 23, 2011 at 1:52 pm | Reply Jackie @Syrup and Biscuits

Chris,

I’m not a butchering kind of girl so kudos to you for seeing it through till the bitter (and freezing ) end. FYI, buttermilk takes out the gaminess. Marinade any wild game prior to cooking and you won’t believe the difference it makes. I marinade catfish, too, which can sometimes have a muddy taste.

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- on October 23, 2011 at 5:33 pm | Reply The Minnesota Farm Woman
  
  I have done it with fish, but not game……not that I’m going to deal with geese again! :o)
  Chris
  
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on October 24, 2011 at 10:54 am | Reply Christie Onnen

Awesome blog! Do you have any hints for aspiring writers? I’m planning to start my own site soon but I’m a little lost on everything. Would you propose starting with a free platform like WordPress or go for a paid option? There are so many options out there that I’m completely confused .. Any ideas? Thanks a lot!

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- on October 24, 2011 at 5:49 pm | Reply The Minnesota Farm Woman
  
  Thanks, Christie, both for reading and for responding. I started in January, so am kind of new at it myself. I like WordPress so far…pretty easy to use. Just start writing and “tagging” and let people know. It takes a little while, but before you know it, you’ll have lots of readers!
  Chris
  
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on October 24, 2011 at 12:37 pm | Reply Shawn

Don’t know if it works for geese but with deer you take as much of the fat off as possible to reduce the gamey taste. And I know some people also soak it in milk for the same reason.

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- on October 24, 2011 at 5:45 pm | Reply The Minnesota Farm Woman
  
  I thought it was deicious…and not gamey at all. I love venison….was raised on it! Thanks for writing!
  Chris
  
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on October 29, 2011 at 9:16 am | Reply deb nelson

Christine _ I read this to my mom; you got us both laughing with great memories of the unusual (to us anyway) foods we tried at your parents table!

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- on October 29, 2011 at 4:02 pm | Reply The Minnesota Farm Woman
  
  Glad you liked it, and wish you would have been here to share the goose dinner. It really was good!
  
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