Prep for St. Patrick’s Day: How to Cook Corned Goose Breasts

With St. Patrick’s day just around the corner, it’s time for me to defrost a few goose breasts and get them brining for my family’s annual feast. Corned goose makes a great wild alternative to store-bought beef and it’s easy to make. There are two methods you can follow: a dry rub that’s very similar to the Venison Pastrami recipe I posted a few weeks ago, or soaking the breasts in a brine before boiling them on March 17. Either way, it’s going to take about five to seven days, so you better get started if you’re planning to serve up corned goose with your cabbage this year.

Corned Goose (brine method)

Ingredients:
Skinned breasts from two geese (four pieces total)
½ cup Morton’s Tender Quick
½ cup Canning Salt
¼ cup Sugar
3 Tbsp. Pickling Spices
12 black peppercorns
6-10 garlic cloves
2 quarts Water
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Directions:**_

In large pot, add Tender Quick, canning salt, and sugar to water and bring to boil. Cool.

Pour cooled brine over goose breasts in a plastic, glass, or other non-reactive container. Add peppercorns, pickling spices, and garlic cloves. You may have to weigh the goose down with a plate or board to keep the breasts submerged. Cover and refrigerate for five to seven days, stirring the brine every other day.

On St. Patrick’s Day, remove the goose breasts from the brine and rinse them well. Place the breasts in a large pot, cover with cold water and bring to boil. Lower heat and simmer for at least three hours.

Serve with cabbage, carrots, soda bread and my mom’s Killybegs Horseradish Sauce (8 ounces sour cream, 2 Tbsp. prepared horseradish and 2 Tbsp. yellow mustard).