wildgamecook.net

Recipes for game meat and fish

Category: Smoked Game

Magpie Goose Pastrami

14 September 2022 / / 2 Comments

Magpie goose hunting is unlike any other waterfowl hunting that I’m aware of. The large black and white waterfowl live in the swamps and billabongs of northern Australia, and can only be harvested by recreational hunters in the Northern Territory or Top End. The season begins around late-September or early-October each year and runs until Christmas time. At that time of the year the weather is almost a constant 32 degrees celsius and nearly 100 per cent humidity. 

Waterfowl hanging from a small game holder
A successful morning on Harrison Dam with several magpie geese and a wandering whistle duck taken

Magpie goose flesh is unlike any other waterfowl I’ve ever eaten and lends itself much better to red meat dished than poultry recipes. A poor cook can easily render prime goose breasts almost inedible, but in the hands of a skilled cook magpie goose is a true Australian bush tucker delicacy.

Magpie Goose Pastrami
Print Recipe
5 from 2 votes

Magpie Goose Pastrami

Cured magpie goose smoked and served cold
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time3 hours
Curing time2 days
Total Time2 days 3 hours 10 minutes
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: smoked game meat
Keyword: cured magpie goose, goose, goose pastrami, magpie goose, magpie goose pastrami, magpie goose pastrami recipe, smoked
Servings: 4 people

Equipment

  • smoker

Ingredients

  • 2 Magpie goose breasts (skin free) Replace with any wild or domestic goose meat
  • 1 gram Cure #1 – 6.25%
  • 10 grams flossy or kosher salt
  • ½ tsp dried thyme
  • ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • ¼ tsp celery salt
  • ¼ tsp garlic powder
  • ⅛ tsp ground cumin
  • Brandy, bourbon, whiskey or rum
  • woodchips

Instructions

  • Firstly, combine the Cure #1, salt, herbs and spices in a mortar and pestle, and pound together until they are a uniform mixture. Rub this mixture evenly over the surface of the magpie goose breasts, ensuring you massage the mixture into any crevices.
  • Place the magpie goose breasts in an airtight container. Allow the breasts to cure in the fridge for 36 – 48 hours. Then rinse the cure off the breasts, under cold running water, and dry the meat with paper towels. Place the meat, uncovered, on a plate in the fridge for 6 or so hours so the surface dries out.
  • Prepare your smoker, with the aim of holding a steady temperature of between 160°F and 200°F (70°C-93°C). I use a vertical smoker, and half-fill the water pan with very hot (not quite boiling) water to speed up the pre-heating process a little. 
  • Remove the magpie goose breasts from the fridge and rub a splash of liquor over them. I used cheap brandy, but will give a little Bundaberg Rum a try next time. Then sprinkle the meat with freshly ground black pepper. Place the breast meat into the smoker and throw a good handful of moistened woodchips and a couple of chunks of wood onto the coals. I used a mix of cherry and oak, but I’m sure any smoking wood will do just fine. Smoke the breasts until they reach an internal temperature of 140°F to 150°F (60°C-66°C), this should take about three hours. Make sure there is a good flow of smoke throughout the cooking time.
  • Once the meat has reached the required internal temperature remove it from the smoker and allow to cool before slicing. Slice the magpie pastrami thinly; serve with mustard, gherkins, and crusty bread or crackers. 

Notes

Cure #1 is also known as Pink Curing Salt, Prague Powder #1 and Instacure #1. It is readily available from smallgoods and sausage making retailers. The sodium nitrite inhibits bacterial growth, gives the cured meat the characteristic pink colour, and is one of the key components in the bacon-like flavour of cured meats. Follow the direction on the pack carefully, as sodium nitrite is highly toxic in large quantities. Our kitchen scales are not sufficiently accurate to measure one gram increments, so I use an old reloading balance beam scale when fooling around with small quantities of Cure #1, using 15.5 grains of Cure #1 per 500 grams of meat.
Magpie Goose Pastrami
Magpie Goose Pastrami, the most popular part of a charcuterie board

Smoked goat with charred vegetables

7 November 2021 / / 3 Comments

Marinated and smoked leg of goat, served with charred vegetables, salad, and garlic sauce inspired by Turkish and Middle Eastern flavours. This meal is great for sharing with friends over a weekend BBQ or dinner.

Goat meat, or chevon, is incredibly popular across much of Africa and the Middle East. Despite this it is quite rare to be served goat in most Australian homes. There are millions of feral goats across Australia (resulting in $25 million of losses to agriculture per annum) , they can be a challenge to hunt, and are great to eat (perhaps with the exception of big old billy goats).

Having done most of my hunting until recently in the Top End opportunities to enjoy wild goat had been few and far between. Living down south has led to some more wild goat meat in our diet. I came up with this recipe to first introduce my family to goat meat.

Print Recipe
5 from 1 vote

Smoked goat with charred vegetables

Marinated and smoked leg of goat, served with charred vegetables, salad, and garlic sauce inspired by Turkish cuisine.
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time4 hours
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Contemporary Australian, Middle Eastern, Turkish
Keyword: chevon, Goat, smoked
Servings: 6 people

Equipment

  • smoker
  • Digital meat thermometer

Ingredients

Goat

  • 1 bone-in leg of goat could be substituted with lamb
  • 2 tbsp freshly cracked pepper
  • 2 tbsp sea salt
  • 4 cloves garlic
  • 2 tbsp fresh rosemary
  • olive oil
  • 1 lemon
  • 2 Onions
  • 4 long red chillies
  • 1 cup mesquite woodchops soaked in water

Salad

  • Rocket
  • 2 tomatoes
  • olive oil
  • lemon juice
  • sea salt flakes

Garlic sauce

  • 2 cups sunflower oil or similar tasteless oil
  • 4 cloves garlic very finely chopped
  • 1/4 cup lemon juice
  • 1/4 cup cold water
  • sea salt

Instructions

  • Make a rub by crushing the coarse salt, pepper, garlic and rosemary in a mortar and pestle. Once all ingredients are thoroughly crushed add a tablespoon or two of olive oil and mix well. 
  • Rub the mixture all over the goat leg, being sure to work it into all of the gaps between the muscles. Set the meat aside, at room temperature, to take on the flavours of the marinade while you prepare your smoker. 
  • If you haven’t already, start soaking a good couple of handfuls of woodchips in water, I used mesquite for this recipe. 
  • I aim to have the smoker stable at 95-105°C (200-220°F), with the water pan at least three quarters full. To achieve this quickly, and to avoid a dramatic drop in temperature, I use a chimney to start the charcoal and once white hot I pour it into the smokers charcoal tray, and then add hot water to the water pan.
    Once the smoker has reached a stable 95-105°C (200-220°F) you’re ready to add the meat.
  • Zest a lemon over the goat leg immediately before putting the leg in the smoker.
  • Put the goat on the top rack of your smoker, and add a handful of woodchips to the charcoal.
    With the smoker at 95-105°C (200-220°F) it should take about three hours to cook, but the size of the leg and amount of fat and connective tissue will vary this time.
    The only way to absolutely know how cooked the meat is with a meat thermometer.
  • While the meat smokes, very finely chop four cloves of garlic.
    Using a small food processor, stick blender, or by hand with a whisk (if you’re a bit of masochist) slowly trickle the sunflower oil into a bowl with the garlic.
    Just like mayonnaise, or a hollandaise sauce, you are trying to make an emulsion. Too much oil too quickly and the emulsion will split.
    Once all the oil is added you should have a thick mayonnaise type sauce, slowly add the lemon juice as you whisk. Then if the emulsion is still too thick slowly add ice-cold water until you have the desired consistency. Add salt to taste, pour into a container and set aside in the fridge.
  • Once the internal temperature of the meat has reached 140 degrees Fahrenheit, or your desired level of doneness, remove the meat from the smoker and set aside covered to rest for twenty minutes.
  • While the meat rests make a salad of rocket and sliced tomato, dressed with olive oil, lemon juice and salt. Grill onions and long chillies (a mix of red and green, halved lengthwise) over a very hot grill. Finally, warm some Lebanese or Turkish flat bread and carve the meat from the bone. Serve the sliced goat, topped with char grilled onions and chillies, salad, and flat bread on large plates in the middle of the table to share. 

Notes

With a smoker you really want to avoid constantly lifting the lid to check the temperature, so a remote probe type thermometer is a must. An internal temperature of 140 degrees Fahrenheit (60 degrees Celsius) will result in meat cooked to a medium doneness, 150 degrees Fahrenheit (65.5 Celsius) equates to well done and anything five degrees past that will be well done. The average sized upper leg of goat will probably take about three hours to cook to medium, continue to add woodchips throughout the cooking process to ensure a good flow of smoke.

© 2025 wildgamecook.net

Theme by Anders Noren — Up ↑