Goose Barbacoa

Name: Goose Barbacoa
Total time: 4 h 45 min
Yield: 4 to 6 servings
Ingredients: 1 large red onion, roughly chopped; 1/2 cup fresh lime juice (from about 4 limes); 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar; 6 garlic cloves; 4 to 6 canned chipotle chiles in adobo or 3 tablespoons adobo sauce; 1 teaspoon ground chipotle or smoked paprika; 2 dried bay leaves; 1 teaspoon ground cumin; 1 teaspoon ground cloves; 1 tablespoon kosher salt, plus more for seasoning; 2 tablespoons neutral oil, such as vegetable or canola oil; 6 to 8 bone-in goose legs or 12 bone-in duck leg and thigh sections (about 5 pounds), skin removed; Freshly ground black pepper; 1 quart goose, beef or chicken stock; 1/4 cup goose fat, duck fat or lard, melted; Tortillas, rice, beans, avocado, sour cream, salsa, lettuce, queso and tomatoes, for serving

Recipe from Wade Truong

Adapted by Kim Severson

Goose Barbacoa — Johnny Miller for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Susan Spungen

Total Time: 45 minutes, plus 2 to 4 hours’ simmering
Rating: 4(50)
Notes: Read community notes

The beefy nature of goose legs makes them a good choice for this rich, slightly spicy braise, but duck legs work fine, too. The timing here is very forgiving. This recipe cooks on a stovetop, but you could also braise the meat in a slow cooker or an oven set to about 325 degrees. The key is to simmer the legs until the meat pulls easily from the bone. The luscious secret comes at the end, when the warm meat is tossed in melted fat. The end result is highly adaptable: Wrap it in a warm tortilla, serve it alongside rice and beans with some good salsa, or spoon it atop a bed of sturdy greens and eat it as a salad. —Kim Severson

Featured in: A New Breed of Hunters Focuses on the Food

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Ingredients

Yield:4 to 6 servings

1large red onion, roughly chopped
½cup fresh lime juice (from about 4 limes)
½cup apple cider vinegar
6garlic cloves
4 to 6canned chipotle chiles in adobo or 3 tablespoons adobo sauce
1teaspoon ground chipotle or smoked paprika
2dried bay leaves
1teaspoon ground cumin
1teaspoon ground cloves
1tablespoon kosher salt, plus more for seasoning
2tablespoons neutral oil, such as vegetable or canola oil
6 to 8bone-in goose legs or 12 bone-in duck leg and thigh sections (about 5 pounds), skin removed
Freshly ground black pepper
1quart goose, beef or chicken stock
¼cup goose fat, duck fat or lard, melted
Tortillas, rice, beans, avocado, sour cream, salsa, lettuce, queso and tomatoes, for serving

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Preparation

Step 1
Combine the onion, lime juice, vinegar, garlic, canned chipotle, ground chipotle, bay leaves, cumin, cloves and 1 tablespoon salt in a blender and purée until smooth.
Step 2
Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven or stockpot over medium-high. Season both sides of the goose legs with salt and pepper. Working in batches to avoid overcrowding, cook the goose legs until browned, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer the legs to a large bowl after each batch, covering with plastic wrap, and discard excess fat from the pot after browning all the legs.
Step 3
Transfer the legs and any accumulated juices back to the pot. Add the stock and the chile purée and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Cover and cook on low for 2 to 4 hours, checking every 30 minutes after the second hour for tenderness. Remove from heat when the meat is easy to pull off the bone.
Step 4
Remove the legs from the pot, transfer to a large bowl and let sit until cool enough to handle. Pull meat from bones into bite-size pieces, discarding the bones and returning the meat to the pot. Stir in the melted fat. Transfer the meat to a serving bowl and add some of the braising liquid, to taste. Season to taste.
Step 5
Serve with the extra braising liquid, and any combination of tortillas, rice and beans, and bowls of avocado, sour cream, salsa, lettuce, queso and tomatoes on the side.

Ratings

4 out of 5

50 user ratings

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Cooking Notes

dbennett3 years ago

I used beef brisket and bumped the cook time to 4 hours in a 275 degree oven. Worked wonderfully.

shelley1 year ago

Made this recipe mostly as written. Substituted a butchered chicken for goose legs and did a slow oven braise as suggested by others. Easy (all ingredients on hand) and quite tasty.

Erin1 year ago

Made this with leftover goose. In that case, all you need to do is pull the meat off the bones and lightly fry it. Then put it in with the stock and chili puree, and simmer for about an hour. Shred the goose, add it back in and cook to reduce. Served it as tacos, and it was wonderful for lunches throughout the week.

kz1 year ago

Our coop didn't have brisket or chuck roast, so I used beef stew instead. I upped the cumin to 2 teaspoons and oven-braised it at 325 degrees for 1/2 hour and then dropped it down to 300 for another 45 minutes. The beef turned out tender and flavorful, better than I had hoped. I'll have to find out which cut is used at our coop for 'beef stew'.

Su2 years ago

Can you use a slow cooker after you brown the meat?

dbennett3 years ago

I used beef brisket and bumped the cook time to 4 hours in a 275 degree oven. Worked wonderfully.

Ramat5 years ago

Delicious recipes! 1/3 of a cup of vinegar instead of the half. Kept the skins on my duck legs, they kinda melted into the meat, and what was left over gave more texture. Will definitely make again! Great flavor and spiciness!

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