Cherry- and Mesquite-Smoked BBQ Goose Sandwich: Jack Hennessy’s "Braising the Wild"

“Cherry- and Mesquite-Smoked BBQ Goose Sandwich” in “Braising the Wild”

Truth of the day from Jack Hennessy in his “Cherry- and Mesquite-Smoked BBQ Goose Sandwich” recipe:

“remember this: ALL wild game will eventually yield. Given time, any cut of wild game will turn succulent.”

That is a nugget as a lead-in for “Braising the Wild” this week in the expanded outdoors coverage in the Sports Saturday wrapper of the Sun-Times.

Here is the recipe:

CHERRY- AND MESQUITE-SMOKED BBQ CANADA GOOSE SANDWICH

Canada goose is the one game bird hunters love to hate. And I’m not just talking about the mess they leave behind everywhere they go, or the obnoxious noises they make at the most inopportune times. Instead, I’m referring to all the negative sentiments surrounding their culinary merit.

I’ll be the first to admit: I’m biased. I love Canada goose—I love seeing them appear in the distance like a stitch on the horizon, I love the way my heart starts racing as they draw nearer, and I love the way they taste after dispatched and both butchered and prepared correctly.

As I have discussed in the past, wild legs are the hardest to master in the kitchen because they were one of the hardest working parts of the bird. Patience is a necessity, especially when a dry smoke precedes a braise.

If you forget everything but one aspect of this recipe, remember this: ALL wild game will eventually yield. Given time, any cut of wild game will turn succulent. Follow these instructions, give your Canada goose leg muscles time to denature at low, moist temps, and I think you’ll agree: the final product is worth the wait.

Ingredients (serves 2):

2 Canada goose legs, approximately 20-24 ounces

32 ounces chicken stock

32 ounces favorite barbeque sauce

Smoking wood: mix of mesquite and cherry

Spice rub:

3 teaspoons kosher salt

3 teaspoons brown sugar

2 teaspoons black pepper

1-1/2 teaspoons granulated garlic

1-1/2 teaspoon chipotle powder

1 teaspoon cayenne

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon onion powder

To prepare:

Generously apply spice rub (or your favorite spice mix) to legs and leave to rest uncovered in fridge overnight.

Prep smoker for a smoking temp of 220 degrees Fahrenheit.

Smoke for 3 hours or until meat takes on nice ruby (not black) color.

Place legs in Dutch oven and cover in 50/50 mix of BBQ sauce and chicken stock.

Place in oven at 250 degrees and check every hour to 2 hours to make sure legs are still submerged, as liquids will evaporate.

Remove once leg meat flakes off bone using two forks (could take as many as 11 hours).

Place on bun and add your favorite toppings, then drizzle a little more BBQ sauce for good measure.

The process of “Cherry- and Mesquite-Smoked BBQ Goose Sandwich” in “Braising the Wild”