From the Field
Updated: 2 days ago
Pulled Goose -Recipe Below
From the Field™ was born this spring from a pretty simple idea. Some of the best stories we carry home don't end when we leave the field.
Earlier this year, I started playing with the idea of sharing more of that side of Canadian Huntress: the meals, family traditions, places and memories that come from time spent outdoors. For a while, that included a YouTube channel and plans for more video content.
Then life had other plans.
It's been a rough year for me health-wise, and for a while my focus had to be elsewhere. Rather than forcing something I didn't have the capacity to do properly, I've simplified From the Field™ for now. It will live here in The Journal, alongside the merchandise and the occasional short video when I have something worth sharing.
Eventually, I'd like to do more with it. For now, I'm happy letting it be exactly what it is: a place for the things that come home from the field with us.
And with another hunting season underway, there's no better time to begin.
Goose Opener
September 10th marked the opening of the 2026 early goose season here in Ontario, which got me thinking about one of my favourite ways to prepare goose…..pulled goose.
I started making it after my first goose hunt in Eastern Ontario back in 2019, and it's become one of those recipes I come back to every season. I've made it for hunt camps and ladies' weekends when there are a lot of people to feed, and I've made it at home simply because it's become one of our favourite comfort food meals.
Like most things I cook regularly, the recipe has changed a little over the years depending on what I have in the kitchen. A little more of this, a little less of that. Sometimes I'll sear the goose first, sometimes I won't.
But the basic idea stays the same: the meat is cooked low and slow until it pulls apart, with something savoury, something sweet and enough time for everything to come together.
Pulled goose is a favourite in our household, but it's not the only way goose makes it onto our table. Throughout the year we'll make goose chili, my husband will make goose steaks and poppers, and I'm sure some of those will find their way into these pages too.
What Comes Home
There’s something about cooking what you’ve brought home from the field. You know where it came from, who you were with and the day that went with it. The meal is just the last part of the story.
That's the part I want From the Field™ to hold onto.
It doesn't need to be fancy or turned into a whole thing. Sometimes it's a photo. Sometimes a quick video, an old recipe, something somebody taught me, or just a memory I don't want to lose before another season passes. For now, that's what this is. And pulled goose felt like the right place to start.
Pulled Goose
Slow-cooked wild goose with maple, orange or pineapple and a smoky BBQ finish. I start mine with an overnight milk soak, then cook it low and slow until the meat is tender enough to pull apart with a fork.
It's simple, feeds a crowd and can be served piled onto a toasted brioche bun or alongside a generous helping of mashed potatoes.
Ingredients
4 goose breasts, or the meat from approximately 2 geese
Enough milk to completely cover the goose breasts
Kosher salt, to taste
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 large yellow onion, diced
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 cups beef broth
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
½ teaspoon smoked paprika
½ cup orange juice or pineapple juice
¼ cup maple syrup
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
½ cup of BBQ sauce, plus more for serving
Optional Serving: you can serve this dish either on brioche buns, side of mashed potatoes or even top with crispy onions or microgreens.
Instructions
1. Soak the goose overnight.
Place the goose breasts in a covered bowl or container and pour in enough milk to completely cover the meat. Refrigerate overnight.
The following day, remove the goose from the milk and discard the milk. Pat the meat thoroughly dry with paper towel before seasoning and cooking.
2. Sear the goose, if you want to.
This step is optional. I've made it both ways. Season the goose with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the breasts for approximately 2 minutes per side, just until nicely browned, then transfer them to the slow cooker.
If you're skipping the sear, simply season the goose and place it directly into the slow cooker.
3. Sauté the onion and garlic.
If you've seared the goose, reduce the skillet to medium heat and add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Add the diced onion and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, until it begins to soften. Add the garlic and cook for another minute.
If you're skipping the skillet altogether, you can add the onion and garlic directly to the slow cooker.
4. Add the sauce.
Add the beef broth, orange juice, maple syrup, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, black pepper and smoked paprika to the slow cooker.
Give everything a gentle stir, cover and cook on LOW for approximately 7 to 9 hours or HIGH for approximately 4 to 5 hours, until the goose is tender and pulls apart easily.
5. Pull the goose.
Remove the cooked goose and shred it using two forks. Skim any excess fat from the cooking liquid if necessary, then return the shredded goose to the slow cooker. Stir in approximately ½ cup of your favourite BBQ sauce and let everything cook together for another 15 to 20 minutes.
Give it a taste here. If you want it smokier, sweeter or saucier, adjust it. This isn't a recipe that needs to be overly complicated.
6. Serve.
There are a couple of ways we like to serve this one.
Pile the pulled goose onto toasted brioche buns and finish with a little extra BBQ sauce for an easy hunt camp or weekend meal. Or skip the bun altogether and serve the pulled goose alongside creamy mashed potatoes, spooning a little of the sauce over everything.
It's simple, hearty and probably my favourite way to serve it when we're having it at home. Crispy onions or a few microgreens work well on top if you have them, but neither is necessary.
A Note From My Kitchen
I always soak my goose meat in milk overnight before cooking it. It's simply the way I prefer to prepare it, and it's become part of my routine whenever I'm working with goose for a slow-cooked recipe.
The maple and brown sugar aren't meant to make the finished dish overly sweet. They're there to balance the richness of the goose, while the orange juice adds a little brightness and the BBQ sauce and smoked paprika bring in that smoky note at the end.
Like I said, this recipe changes a little depending on what's in the kitchen, and that's half the point. Use what you have, taste as you go and make it your own.
If you give it a try this season, leave a comment and let me know how you made yours. And if you have a favourite way of preparing goose, I'd love to hear that too.
I'm always willing to try something new.
Outside Looks Good On You™
Until next time,
Dana
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