Old Timber Outdoors
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Canada goose breast fillets

Campfire Goose Breast Fajitas

Thin-sliced goose breast marinated in lime and chili, seared on hot cast iron with peppers and onion.

Serves
4
Hands-on
25 min
Total
1 hr 5 min
Skill
Some experience

Campfire and cast iron or Stove and oven · Dinner, Lunch

Ingredients

  • 1½ lbCanada goose breast fillets, sliced ¼ inch thick across the grain
  • 2Lime, 1 juiced, 1 cut into wedges
  • 2 clovesGarlic, minced
  • 1Onions, sliced
  • 1¼ tspSalt, kosher
  • 3 tbsp neutral oil, divided
  • 1 tbsp chili powder
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp brown sugar or honey
  • 2 bell peppers, sliced
  • 8 flour tortillas
  • ½ cup salsa, to serve

You'll need

Cast iron skillet, Instant-read thermometer; campfire with grate or coals, stovetop if you have one.

Contains

Gluten.

Method

  1. Mix the juice of 1 lime, 2 tbsp of the oil, the chili powder, cumin, brown sugar or honey, garlic and salt. Toss with the goose and keep cold 30 minutes, no longer than 2 hours, or the lime turns the surface mealy.
  2. Heat the skillet over hot coals or high heat for 5 minutes. Add the remaining oil and cook the bell peppers and onion until charred at the edges but still a little crisp, about 5 minutes. Set them aside.
  3. Let the strips drip, then lay them in the very hot pan in a single layer, in batches. Sear without moving them for about 1½ minutes, turn, and cook 1 to 2 minutes more. Check the thickest strip with an instant-read thermometer and take the batch out as soon as it reads 165°F.
  4. Warm the tortillas on the grate or in the dry skillet, about 20 seconds per side.
  5. Fill the tortillas with the goose and vegetables, squeeze over the lime wedges, and top with the salsa.

When it's done: 165°F

The federal chart lists poultry at 165°F, and Kansas State University Extension says to fully cook game birds to at least 165°F. Check the thickest part with an instant-read thermometer.

If it goes wrong

Tough strips
Slice across the grain and thinner; goose breast has long, coarse fibers. Pull each batch the moment it hits 165°F.
Marinade burning
Let the strips drip before they go in the pan.
Gray, wet strips
The pan was crowded or not hot enough. Cook smaller batches and let the pan reheat between them, especially over a fire.

Leftovers. Keep the marinating goose in a cooler or refrigerator at 40°F or below. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours and reheat to 165°F.