Goose Leg Tacos and Fajitas

 

I think a lot of waterfowlers toss their goose legs in the trash because they don’t think keeping them is worth the effort. Just strip off the breasts, make some pastrami, and move on with life. Part of the “worth it” equation is knowing what to do with the legs. If you don’t know how to cook them, they aren’t worth keeping. But with just a little work, and by following a simple recipe, you’ll learn your goose legs are worth keeping. And you’ll feed a happy crowd.

Now, it’s true that goose legs are tough. So, it’s best to braise them and slow cook them (I also often add pressure to the mix). And that makes them perfect for taco and fajitas. 

Below you’ll find a simple goose leg recipe that produces delicious meat for tacos or fajitas.

Ingredients

 

I have a simple ingredients list for you:

Meat and Braise:

6 Wild goose legs

1 Quart beef stock

⅔ Cup apple cider vinegar

½ Cup lime juice

1 Onions (sweet or red, however you like to party

5 Cloves of minced garlic

1 Tbsp duck fat

2 Ttsp cumin

2 Tsp chili powder

2 Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce

Fajitas:

1 Sweet onion

1 Green bell pepper

1 Red bell pepper

1 Tbsp salted butter

Toppings:

Avocado

Any kind of Mexican cheese you like

Any kind of hot sauce you like

Instructions

 

Salt and pepper legs on both sides to taste, then mix all of the ingredients together in an Instant Pot or pressure cooker. I use an instant pot. 

Set to pressure cook for an hour. The pressure helps break the protein down and loosen up the tendons and ligaments. At the end of the hour, reset to slow cook for another hour or two. If you don’t have an Instant Pot or a pressure cooker, you’ll just have to cook the legs for three hours to four hours. Time is your ally for tenderizing those puppies.

During the final 15 to 20 minutes of meat cooking time, slice the bell peppers and second onion up and cook them in a skillet over medium heat until soft. 

Once the legs are cooked, pull them out and shred the meat off the bones. Slap that meat into a soft taco or fajita shell, top with the fajitas, cheese, avocado, and hot sauce. Then enjoy!

(Author’s note: I prefer to wash it all down with Dos Equis Amber Especial.)