Seared Goose Breast

Step 1

Salt the goose breasts about an hour before you plan to cook them. Keep them in the fridge. Get your smoker or oven to about 175°F to 200°F. For smokers, I use cherry wood here, but use what you have. If you are cooking sous vide, get the water to 130°F and vacuum seal the goose breasts.

Step 2

Cook the goose, skin side up (whether or not the skin is still there) until the interior hits 120°F to 130°F. I use a probe thermometer to determine this. If you are using sous vide, this will take about 2 hours or so. It takes about the same time in a smoker, depending on weather and temperature of the smoker.

Step 3

When you are ready to sear, get some oil, duck fat or goose fat hot, almost smoking. Sear the skin side (again, whether the skin is still there or not) hard for about 3 minutes. I like to put a heavy weight, like a bacon press or a small cast iron pan, on the meat to keep it flat.

Step 4

Remove the goose breast, set it skin side up on a cutting board to rest, and grind black pepper over it. Sprinkle some rosemary on it, too. Slice very thin and serve.