Many years ago I remember trying to cook
a Christmas goose. It wasn’t a total disaster, but I do remember gamey,
less-than-tender meat, and copious amounts of grease. So, despite
several food wishes for this iconic holiday roast, I decided it wasn’t
something I wanted to revisit.
Then, I received an offer to try a pre-cooked, smoked goose from Schiltz Foods. They’re the country’s largest goose producer, and a sponsor of this year’s Tasty Awards. They were offering their geese to select Tasty Award nominees to try out, so I decided to give it a whirl.
I’ll admit to being skeptical since
reheating pre-cooked meats usually don’t produce the best results.
However, this turned out amazingly well. As you’ll see, the skin roasted
up perfectly crisp, and the meat was moist and flavorful. By the way, I
did zero food styling in this video, and the magazine-quality final
product you see in these photos was exactly what came out of the oven.
Since the bird is brined and smoked, the
taste is that of a very rich, moderately salty ham. So, if you want a
Christmas goose that actually tastes like goose, this may not be your
best choice. But, if you’re considering a holiday ham, and want a real
showstopper in the center of the table, I think this is a great choice.
Think of it as a delicious ham with wings.
I sacrificed half the wings to make a
basic reduction sauce, and the subtle smokiness worked wonderfully with
the red wine, balsamic vinegar, and blackberry notes. The sauce is
certainly optional, as this could be served plain with just some
cranberry sauce on the side. I hope you’re able to give this very
easy-to-prepare, gorgeous roast goose a try. Enjoy!