Goose meat: benefits and harms

Goose meat is a valuable food product with a unique composition. It is more fatty and nutritious than chicken or turkey, so it is not suitable for diet food. However, for a healthy and active person, this is a real storehouse of nutrients and a source of energy. From this article you will learn how goose meat is useful, how it affects the body and what can be prepared from this type of bird.

Calorie and chemical composition

Goose is considered too high in calories, but most of the calories are concentrated in the skin. Pure raw meat contains only 161 kcal / 100 g. After heat treatment, this figure increases significantly. So, 100 g of boiled product already contains 447 kcal, and the calorie content of a roasted goose reaches 620 kcal.

Important! The younger the bird, the less fat it contains. In the old goose, fat is deposited not only in the skin, but also in the meat part and sometimes makes up half of the total weight of the carcass.

Goose does not belong to dietary products, like white poultry meat, but it contains a lot of protein, amino acids necessary for the production of antibodies to viruses and bacteria, and a huge amount of fatty acids. Among them are Omega-3, Omega-6, Omega-9, saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated acids (mainly linoleic – 5,9 g).

The amount of fat in young meat is about 40%, and with feasible fattening, even 50% of the total weight, but goose fat is a source of energy. It does not contain carcinogens and, unlike other fats, removes toxins and other decay products from the body. The chemical composition of meat is diverse and unique. It has all the B vitamins, vitamins A, E, PP, as well as many minerals and trace elements.

You will find more detailed information about the nutritional value and composition of goose in the table:

Nutrients

Quantity in 100 g of product

Pure meat calories 161 kcal Calories with skin 412 kcal Proteins 15,2 g Fats 39 g Carbohydrates 0,0 g Water 45 g Ash 0,8 g

Vitamins

PP 5,2 mg A 0,02 mg E 0,3 mg B1 (thiamine) 0,08 mg B2 (riboflavin) 0,23 mg B4 (choline) 58 mg B5 (pantothenic acid) 0,55 mg B6 (pyridoxine) 0,48 mg B9 (folic acid) 4,1 mcg

Macronutrients

Potassium 240 mg Sulfur 169 mg Phosphorus 165 mg Chlorine 87 mg Sodium 91 mg Magnesium 30 mg Calcium 12 mg

Trace Elements

Iron 2,4 mg Copper 240 mcg Cobalt 11 mcg Chromium 8 mcg Molybdenum 9 mcg Iodine 4 mcg

Palatability

In appearance, the goose meat is darker than the meat of other poultry, which is associated with the high mobility of geese and the presence of a large number of blood vessels in the muscle mass. In terms of taste, the meat is more like game – rather tough, with a slightly sweet aftertaste and a delicate aroma.

goose meat

The taste of the finished dish largely depends on the method of preparation and on the conditions of keeping the goose on the eve of slaughter. Connoisseurs say that if a bird is given salted water a few days before slaughter, the meat will become juicier and softer. It is also recommended not to frighten the bird, so as not to cause an adrenaline rush, from which the meat becomes even tougher.

Influence on the body

It is popularly believed that goose meat has a general strengthening effect, therefore it is very useful for sick, debilitated and elderly people. Also, having a high nutritional value, it will ideally complement the diet of athletes and people with an active lifestyle.

Than useful

Regular consumption of meat leads to a number of positive changes in the body:

  • removes toxins, radionuclides and other harmful substances;
  • normalizes digestion, it is recommended when the stomach is prone to disorders;
  • promotes the promotion of bile in the ducts;
  • has a positive effect on the nervous system;
  • due to the content of amino acids, prevents the development of oncology and strengthens the immune system;
  • increases hemoglobin – meat and offal are recommended for patients with anemia;
  • improves the functioning of the spleen;
  • a diverse chemical composition helps to strengthen the body, improves tone and provides energy;
  • goose fat has a healing effect and is used by traditional medicine to treat eczema, dermatitis.

Contraindications and harm

Contraindications to the use of the product are due to the presence of a large amount of fat, which can be harmful to health in such pathologies:

  • developing atherosclerosis;
  • diabetes mellitus;
  • malfunctions of the pancreas.

goose meat

Since goose meat is digested longer, its use on an ongoing basis is not recommended for pathologies of the stomach and liver. Due to the high fat content, the product is contraindicated in obesity, as even without skin it contributes to weight gain.

Cooking application

For experienced housewives, the question of how to cook goose meat does not arise. Surprisingly tasty and nutritious cutlets, zrazy, jellied dishes, sausages, pates, roasts are obtained from it. From any part of the carcass, you can make a rich broth for the first course, and ground meat is ideal as a filling for pastries, zrazy or dumplings.

Did you know? In regions where goose meat is consumed regularly, people practically do not suffer from oncology, vascular, heart diseases and live much longer. This fact has been proven by American scientists after conducting research in the French provinces, where the cultivation of geese is widespread.

What is cooked in different countries of the world

The most common dish in the cuisines of many countries, perhaps, is a baked bird carcass with a variety of fillings inside. A variety of ingredients are used for the filling: potatoes, boiled cereals, mushrooms, apples, citrus fruits, dried fruits. Most often, baked stuffed goose is prepared for Christmas. For example, among the Germans, famous for their love of tasty and plentiful food, goose baked with apples is the main dish on the Christmas table. In addition to it, the Germans cook homemade pates and sausages from goose meat.

Stuffed Goose

In France, the Christmas goose is stuffed with chestnuts, and foie gras liver and goose pate are also must-have dishes on the festive table. In Russia, poultry was massively slaughtered after the Christmas Lent and prepared aspic dishes, a lot of homemade sausages, pies, as well as hodgepodge, cabbage soup, and roast. Goose dishes have always been highly valued in China and Egypt. The Chinese attribute almost magical properties to the goose, believing that it heals sick people, relieves overwork and gives strength.

Did you know? To obtain foie gras, geese are forcibly fattened by stuffing about 1,8 kg of grain into their throats through a special tube daily (10 times more than the norm). In many countries, such actions are regarded as cruelty to animals and are prohibited by law.

With what is combined

Like any meat, goose goes well with various vegetables and cereal side dishes. In Sweden, it is traditionally served with Brussels sprouts and sweet and sour apple mousse. Germans prefer roast goose with red or sauerkraut. A good addition to meat can be a side dish of rice, buckwheat or potatoes cooked in any way.

What goes with goose meat

For stuffing carcasses, it is recommended to use sour fruits: apples, quinces, oranges, grapefruits – fruit acids give the meat softness and a different flavor. Of the dried fruits, prunes are most often used for the filling, but dried apricots and even dried pineapples are also suitable. When marinating meat, various marinades, garlic, vinegar or lemon juice diluted with water, as well as honey and soy sauce are used.

Spices favorably emphasize the taste of the goose: red or black pepper, cardamom, dried ginger, bay leaf, nutmeg, a mixture of herbs for poultry. Many goose recipes suggest cooking with onions, carrots, tomatoes, sweet peppers, mushrooms, parsley and dill. Sweetish meat goes well with sour berry sauces from cranberries, lingonberries, oranges, quince, cherries. It also goes well with mustard and garlic sauce.

Secrets of cooking

The most tender and tasty meat of a young bird up to 6 months old. Such a product is prepared for a relatively short time and in any form has an excellent taste. But what if the bird is an adult and you need to make it more juicy and tender? To do this, you can use the following secrets:

  • 1-2 days before cooking, place the plucked and gutted carcass in the cold;
  • carefully rub the salt with spices into the carcass and put it in the cold overnight (salt can be replaced with soy sauce);
  • pour the meat for 8-10 hours with an acidic marinade: dry wine, apple cider vinegar or lemon juice diluted with water;
  • a few hours before cooking, coat the goose with grated sour berries (cranberries, chokeberries);
  • when baking the whole carcass, make punctures on the breast and thighs – this trick will allow excess fat to drain down;
  • cover the meat with foil so that it does not dry out in the oven.

Video: Cooking goose

How to choose when buying

When buying a goose, you need to try to choose a young individual of the largest size. So you get a lot of healthy meat, which is especially soft. There are several signs that indicate the freshness and good quality of the carcass:

  • the skin is smooth, not sticky, without breaks, yellowish in color with a slight pinkish tint;
  • the smell is fresh, a little sweetish – you need to smell the bird inside, since damage begins precisely from the insides;
  • the meat is elastic and dense to the touch, when pressed, the dent is quickly leveled;
  • young individuals have light paws – they become darker with age (red paws may be a sign of the breed);
  • the fat of a young bird is light, sometimes transparent or whitish, but not yellow at all;
  • the flesh is reddish, but not yellow or brown.

Important! The taste of goose meat depends on the age of the bird – the younger it is, the more tender the meat. After the bird reaches the age of 6 months, the meat becomes tougher and
loses most of its useful properties.

How to store at home

Fresh goose can be stored for a long time. Due to the large amount of fat, it does not deteriorate for several days even without a refrigerator. At a temperature of 0 ° C, the product is stored and does not lose its useful properties for several weeks, but if the degree is raised to +2 ° C, the shelf life will be reduced to 5 days. For longer storage, the goose carcass is frozen – in this form it can lie for about 6 months.

Storage of goose meat

There are several rules for the safety of goose at home:

  1. If it is not possible to keep the carcass in the refrigerator, then it can be wrapped in a cloth soaked in vinegar and placed in a dark, cool place (cellar, basement). Periodically, the fabric must be moistened, preventing drying.
  2. Before storage, the bird must be gutted, as with the insides it will begin to deteriorate much faster.
  3. In the refrigerator, put the carcass separately from the finished products.
  4. For better storage, it is recommended to wrap the meat with foil or thick parchment.
  5. For long-term storage (more than 1 year), goose meat is dried and stew is made from it.

Did you know? Previously, in the villages, to preserve the freshness of the goose, they carefully rubbed it with its own fat. After such processing, it could be stored in the cellar for several months.

As a meat product, goose meat is less in demand than chickens, ducks or turkeys, due to its high calorie content and excessive rigidity.

But if there are no contraindications, the goose must be included in the diet, since it is an excellent source of vitamins, proteins and fatty acids that can heal the body and improve physical health.

Anna Evans

Author-editor

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