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Tag: goose

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

Magpie goose rogan josh

6 November 2021 / / 0 Comments

This was the first recipe I ever had published, in Australian Hunter, back in 2017. At the time my family and I were living in the Northern Territory, Australia. Hunting and fishing remains a core way of life for many Territorians, and we made the most of the lifestyle. Magpie goose was regularly on the menu during the waterfowl season.

Many hunters much prefer magpie goose breast meat over that of legs and thighs. But one of my favourite magpie goose recipes is a rogan josh style curry made with de-boned leg and thigh meat. Personally I find the richly flavoured magpie goose meat is much more suitable for use in lamb or beef recipes than as a substitute for duck.  Rogan josh is a Persian style curry traditionally made with lamb and relatively mild dried chillies. It is wonderful with magpie goose. This dish can be cooked in a slow cooker, large heavy based pot or even a camp oven. If you live outside of the Northern Territory it will work just as well with goat (or any red meat) as it does with goose.

De-boning magpie goose legs
Spices for rogan josh
Curry on a plate with rice and bread
Print Recipe

Magpie goose rogan josh

Rogan josh is a Persian style curry traditionally made with lamb or mutton and relativley mild dried chillies. The flavours and cooking style work beautifully with magpie goose leg and thigh meat.
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time4 hours
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: goose, Indian, magpie goose, waterfowl
Keyword: curry, geese, goose, Indian, magpie geese, magpie goose, magpie goose rogan josh
Servings: 4 people

Equipment

  • Dutch oven or slow cooker

Ingredients

  • 1 kg Magpie goose meat subsitute with any red game meat
  • 6 cloves garlic
  • Thumbsized piece fresh ginger
  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil or lard
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 10 whole cardamon pods
  • 2 whole bay leaves
  • 6 whole cloves
  • 1 stick cinnamon
  • 10 whole peppercorns
  • 4 onions sliced
  • 2 tsp cumin seeds
  • 4 tsp ground paprika
  • 1 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 6 tbsp plain yoghurt
  • 3 whole red chillies
  • 1 can diced tomatoes

Instructions

  • Firstly debone the goose meat, trim the loose tendons and fat from the meat and cut into bite sized pieces. The fat if left on the meat, particularly from older geese, will give the dish a very strong gamey flavour. Eight to 10 legs will provide about a kilo of meat. Set this aside while you prepare the spices.
  • Peel and coarsely chop the ginger and garlic cloves before crushing them in a mortar and pestle or electric blender. Once crushed add four tablespoons of water and mix to form a paste. Finely chop the onion and finely slice two of the chillies. 
    ingredients on a chopping board
  • A traditional rogan josh is made using ghee (a clarified butter). If ghee is not available, use 50/50 butter and vegetable oil (or even better lard). In a large heavy based pot melt the butter and lard over a high heat. Brown the meat in small batches stirring regularly to prevent anything sticking to the pot and burning. 
  • Once all of the meat is browned set it aside. With the pot still on a high heat add the cardamom pods, bay leaves, cloves and cinnamon and cook stirring constantly until the cardamom pods swell and the bay leaves begin to brown. Now add the chopped onion and chillies and stir until the onion is soft and brown. Add the peppercorns, cumin seeds, paprika, cayenne pepper and salt and cook stirring for a further three minutes. 
  • Add the yoghurt and stir it in before adding a can of diced tomatoes and the adding the meat back in. Fill the tomato can with water and add enough water to the pot to cover the meat. Bring it to the boil. Once boiling stir well, cover the pot and place in a 160 degree oven for four to six hours, stirring occasionally. You could do this over a low heat on the stove top, but you will need to stir the curry much more often.
  • Once the meat is tender remove the pot from the oven, take off the lid and place back on a high heat until the sauce is reduced to the desired thickness. Serve with rice, naan or roti bread, mint yoghurt and mango chutney. Garnish the magpie goose rogan josh with sliced chilli.
Magpie goose rogan josh was a real family favourite while we were lucky enough to live in the Top End.

I guarantee this recipe will taste superior to anything cooked in a pre-prepared sauce from the supermarket. But with twelve or so different spices it is a little complicated to cook especially in the field or for a weeknight dinner. A viable alternative is to brown the meat and place it in a slow cooker or camp oven with a packet or jar of supermarket rogan josh sauce and enough water to cover the meat. If using a camp oven over coals ensure you stir the rogan josh every half an hour or so. Once the meat is tender build up the heat and reduce the sauce before serving.

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