Fire It Up - Andrew Schloss [113]
In order to get the wing to disengage from the carcass, you will have to cut around the end of the wishbone and the thick bone that attaches the wing to the breast. In order to get the leg to disengage, cut around the hip bone and slit the membrane surrounding the internal cavity. The leg and wing will now fall away from the carcass.
To separate the breast from the carcass, continue to cut around the rib cage, still using short strokes and making sure that you feel bone against the knife. Eventually you will get to the sternum (a large, flat bone that forms the arc of the breast). Scrape the meat from the sternum, stopping at its edge.
Turn the bird around and bone the other side in the same way. The bird will now be attached only along the edge of the sternum. Holding the carcass with one hand, and with the sharp edge of the knife angled toward the bone, make small slits down the edge of sternum as you lift the carcass away from the meat. Be careful to avoid cutting through the skin, which lies right against bone along the sternum.
GOOSE BREAST
Gooschetta
MAKES 4 SERVINGS
We were inspired by porchetta–the classic Italian spit-roasted pig, which is gutted and massaged with garlic, rosemary and fennel, and turned over flaming coals for the better part of a day–but our version is at once simpler and more interesting. Goose breast, brined and stuffed with the same aromatics, is enhanced by the addition of fresh dates and Parmesan cheese. The combination of flavors and textures–crisp goose skin, silky and creamy date flesh, moist and succulent goose meat, pungent hints of garlic and fennel–is awe-inspiring. The dish is suitable for a grand dinner, and any leftovers become stellar cold cuts. If you can’t find boneless goose breast, you can bone it yourself.
INGREDIENTS:
2 cups Poultry Brine
1 boneless goose breast half (1 ½ to 2 pounds), washed and patted dry
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon fennel seeds, crushed
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
3 Medjool dates, pitted and finely chopped
⅓ cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
DIRECTIONS:
Combine the brine and goose breast in a 1-gallon zipper-lock bag. Squeeze out the air and seal the bag. Refrigerate for 6 hours or overnight.
Light a grill for direct medium heat, about 375°F. Set up a drip pan at least slightly larger than the goose breast under the grill grate.
Mix together the garlic, fennel seeds, rosemary, dates, and cheese in a small bowl and set aside.
Make a slit in the side of the goose breast large enough to allow you to open the thick part of the breast like a book.
Season the interior with salt and pepper and fill with the fennel mixture. Close the goose breast over the filling and secure the open edge with a toothpick or thin skewer. Coat the goose breast with the olive oil and poke the skin all over with the tines of a fork.
Brush the grill grate and coat with oil. Put the goose breast, skin-side down, over the drip pan. Close the lid and cook until the goose breast is resilient when pressed in its thickest part (about 140°F on an instant-read thermometer), about 20 minutes, turning halfway through.
Remove the goose breast to a cutting board and allow to rest for 10 minutes. Cut into 4 portions.
OSTRICH BREAST
Grilled Ostrich Breast with Worcestershire Teriyaki Sauce
MAKES 4 SERVINGS
Ostrich is often touted as a low-fat alternative to beef, and for a red meat it is very lean (2.8 percent fat, as opposed to beef, which is at 9.3 percent fat). The flavor is mild and the color deep red, with no marbling. Only the breast is tender enough for grilling, and it is sold as steaks, cutlets, or fillets. Legs and wings are usually used for making sausage or for ground meat. Ostrich does not have the same bacterial problems as chicken and turkeys