Canada goose legs and thighs

Canada Goose Leg Red Chile Posole

Goose legs simmered in a red chile and tomato broth until they fall apart, pulled and finished with hominy, then topped with cabbage, radish and lime.

Serves: 6
Hands-on: 45 min
Total: 4 hr 25 min
Skill: Easy

Cooks on: Stovetop · Lunch, Dinner

Ingredients

3 lbCanada goose legs and thighs, 4 legs with thighs, bone-in
1Onions, diced
5 clovesGarlic, minced
1 can (14.5 oz)Crushed tomatoes
2Lime, cut into wedges
2 tspSalt, divided
½ tspBlack pepper, ground
2 tbsp neutral oil
3 tbsp ancho or mild chili powder
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp dried oregano
6 cups chicken stock
1 can (25 oz) white hominy, drained and rinsed
2 cups thinly shredded green cabbage, to serve
6 radishes, thinly sliced, to serve
¼ cup chopped cilantro, to serve

You'll need

Stovetop
Dutch oven

Helpful: instant-read thermometer.

Check labels

Chili powder blends and store-bought stock can contain added ingredients. Check the labels.

Method

Pat the goose legs dry and season them with 1 tsp of the salt and the pepper.
Heat the oil in the Dutch oven over medium-high heat until it shimmers and brown the legs well on both sides, 8 to 10 minutes, in two batches if they crowd the pot. Set them on a plate.
Lower the heat to medium. Cook the onion until soft and lightly browned, about 6 minutes. Add the garlic, chili powder, cumin and oregano and stir 30 to 60 seconds, just until fragrant; do not let the chile scorch.
Add the tomatoes and stock right away and scrape up the browned bits. Return the legs, bring to a gentle simmer (small bubbles, never a rolling boil), cover, and cook until the meat is tender and pulls easily from the bone with a fork, 2½ to 3½ hours. Older birds take the long end; if it is still tight, it needs more time, not more heat.
Lift out the legs and let them cool until you can handle them. Pull the meat into bite-size shreds and discard the bones, skin and tendons. Spoon the fat off the top of the broth.
Return the meat to the pot with the hominy and the remaining 1 tsp salt. Simmer uncovered 20 to 30 minutes, until the hominy is hot through and has soaked up some of the chile flavor.
Squeeze in the juice of 2 lime wedges and taste: it should be earthy, warm and bright. Add salt if it needs it. Ladle into bowls and top with the cabbage, radishes and cilantro, with the rest of the lime wedges to squeeze over.

When it's done: fork-tender

Game bird legs, thighs and other hard-working pieces are done when the meat slides off the bone or pulls apart with a fork. They pass the federal 165°F for poultry long before they turn tender, so keep cooking until they do; if the meat is still tight, it needs more time, not more heat.

If it goes wrong

Meat still tight on the bone: Goose legs are hard-working muscle. Keep simmering, covered, and check every 30 minutes.
Broth bitter: The chile powder scorched. Keep the heat at medium and add the liquid as soon as the spices smell toasted.
Broth greasy: Chill a cup of it briefly or skim with a wide spoon after the legs come out.
Soup too thick: Hominy and shredded meat soak up broth. Thin it with stock or water.

Leftovers. Divide into shallow containers so it cools quickly, and refrigerate within 2 hours. Reheat to 165°F and add the cabbage, radishes and cilantro fresh.