Brats made from goose meat can be a healthy and delicious way to enjoy grilling during the summer. Photo by Josh Rouse.
Several outdoor activities are typically of the summer months - fishing, camping, swimming and of course golfing. However, one activity that is a staple of summer dining is the art of grilling.
However you like to cook your meats and veggies, grilling makes it better. One grilled meat that many people overlook, however, is goose meat. Most of the time, people who hunt waterfowl in the winter have used up their meat supply by the time summer rolls around. Even if they don't use it up, they aren't quite sure how to cook waterfowl on a grill. One of the better ways I have found is by taking your goose meat to a meat processor and having it turned into bratwurst.
I found this out after my uncle Galen took some geese to Farview Farms Meat Company in North Topeka one day and had goose brats made. He gave me a few packages (four brats to a package) and I just recently decided to take them out of the freezer and throw them on the grill. I had previously tried wild game processed through Farview Farms and found them to be delicious, particularly their cheese summer sausage and jerky made from deer, so I knew I would be in for a treat.
However you like to cook your meats and veggies, grilling makes it better. One grilled meat that many people overlook, however, is goose meat. Most of the time, people who hunt waterfowl in the winter have used up their meat supply by the time summer rolls around. Even if they don't use it up, they aren't quite sure how to cook waterfowl on a grill. One of the better ways I have found is by taking your goose meat to a meat processor and having it turned into bratwurst.
I found this out after my uncle Galen took some geese to Farview Farms Meat Company in North Topeka one day and had goose brats made. He gave me a few packages (four brats to a package) and I just recently decided to take them out of the freezer and throw them on the grill. I had previously tried wild game processed through Farview Farms and found them to be delicious, particularly their cheese summer sausage and jerky made from deer, so I knew I would be in for a treat.
I started my night by salt and peppering a few cobs of corn and throwing them on the grill while I let my brats defrost. The best way to defrost your brats is to take them out of the package, put them in a large bowl of hot water and let them sit about 10-15 minutes. By the time my corn was done cooking, the brats were soft and ready to be cooked. By the way, don't worry about the plastic-looking film around the meat, it is edible.
I took the corn off the grill, buttered it up and went to town (you can tell when your corn is ready when it starts to brown on all sides). I then put the brats on the grill, along with a few hot dogs, and closed the lid. I put the brats in the middle of the grill, directly above the coals, with the hot dogs running sideways at the tips of the brats. After about 15 minutes I flipped the brats and hot dogs, and found that the brats were already nice and brown on one side for the most part. The innermost brats were the most well-cooked with the outside ones being a little less well-done. After about 15 more minutes I moved the inside brats to the outside and flipped them over again. This allowed the undercooked brats more direct heat from the coals while the well-cooked brats sat on the outside, staying warm but not overcooking. The hotdogs, which were the furthest from the coals, were barely cooked.
After five more minutes, I decided to go ahead and eat the two outside brats and let the inside ones cook a little longer, along with the hot dogs. I moved them all directly above the coals, which had died down a little in intensity since I started grilling, and kept the lid closed. Keeping the lid closed helps the heat distribute evenly along the meat, rather than only being hot on the bottom.
The brats were phenomenal and tasted better than a lot of storebought brats I've had in the past. I would say that having goose meat made into brats is my preferred way to eat it now, and it's definitely a nice summertime treat. Along with goose brats, I highly recommend grilling deer steaks, deer burgers and catfish fillets with lemon on them. In my next grilling post, I will talk about my favorite way to cook fish on the grill. Until then, get out there and start grilling!
I took the corn off the grill, buttered it up and went to town (you can tell when your corn is ready when it starts to brown on all sides). I then put the brats on the grill, along with a few hot dogs, and closed the lid. I put the brats in the middle of the grill, directly above the coals, with the hot dogs running sideways at the tips of the brats. After about 15 minutes I flipped the brats and hot dogs, and found that the brats were already nice and brown on one side for the most part. The innermost brats were the most well-cooked with the outside ones being a little less well-done. After about 15 more minutes I moved the inside brats to the outside and flipped them over again. This allowed the undercooked brats more direct heat from the coals while the well-cooked brats sat on the outside, staying warm but not overcooking. The hotdogs, which were the furthest from the coals, were barely cooked.
After five more minutes, I decided to go ahead and eat the two outside brats and let the inside ones cook a little longer, along with the hot dogs. I moved them all directly above the coals, which had died down a little in intensity since I started grilling, and kept the lid closed. Keeping the lid closed helps the heat distribute evenly along the meat, rather than only being hot on the bottom.
The brats were phenomenal and tasted better than a lot of storebought brats I've had in the past. I would say that having goose meat made into brats is my preferred way to eat it now, and it's definitely a nice summertime treat. Along with goose brats, I highly recommend grilling deer steaks, deer burgers and catfish fillets with lemon on them. In my next grilling post, I will talk about my favorite way to cook fish on the grill. Until then, get out there and start grilling!
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