Goose meat is a valuable food product with a unique composition. It is more fat and nutritious than chicken or turkey, therefore, it is not suitable for dietary nutrition. However, for a healthy and active person - this is a real storehouse of useful substances 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 content and chemical composition

Goose is considered too high-calorie, 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 cooked product already contains 447 kcal, and the calorie content of the roasted goose reaches 620 kcal.

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

Gusyatina does not belong to dietary products like white poultry, 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 adequate fattening it is 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 vitamins of group B, vitamins A, E, PP, as well as many minerals and trace elements.

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

Taste qualities

The goose looks darker than the meat of another 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 a game - rather tough, with a slightly sweetish flavor and a delicate aroma.

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

Effect on the body

It is popularly believed that goose meat has a general strengthening effect, therefore it is very useful for sick, weakened and elderly people. Also, having a high nutritional value, it ideally complements 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;
• leads to normal digestion, recommended for a tendency of the stomach to upset;
• promotes the promotion of bile in the ducts;
• positive effect on the nervous system;
• due to the content of amino acids, it prevents the development of oncology and strengthens the immune system;
• increases hemoglobin –– meat and offal are recommended for use by patients with anemia;
• improves spleen function;
• diverse chemical composition helps to strengthen the body, increases 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 with such pathologies:

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

Since goose 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, since even without skin it contributes to weight gain.

Cooking Application

Experienced housewives do not have a question how to cook goose meat. It produces surprisingly tasty and nutritious meatballs, zrazy, jellied dishes, sausages, pastes, and fries. From any part of the carcass, you can make a rich broth for the first dish, and ground meat is ideal as a filling for baking, zraz or dumplings.

Did you know? In regions where goose meat is consumed regularly, people practically do not get cancer, vascular, heart diseases and live much longer. This fact was proved by American scientists after research in French provinces where goose cultivation is common.

What is cooked in different countries of the world

The most common dish in the cuisines of many countries, perhaps, is a baked poultry carcass with various fillings inside. A variety of ingredients are used for the filling: potatoes, boiled cereals, mushrooms, apples, citrus fruits, dried fruits. Most often, a baked stuffed goose is cooked for Christmas. For example, the Germans, famous for their love of delicious and plentiful food, goose, baked with apples, is the main dish on the Christmas table. In addition to him, the Germans make home-made pastes and sausages from goose.

In France, the Christmas goose is stuffed with chestnuts, and foie gras liver and goose paste are also required dishes on the festive table. In Russia, poultry was massively slaughtered after Christmas time and jellied dishes were prepared, many home-made sausages, pies, as well as hodgepodge, cabbage soup, and roast. Goose dishes have always been highly regarded in China and Egypt. The Chinese attribute to the goose the almost magical properties, believing that it heals sick people, relieves fatigue and gives strength.

Did you know? To obtain foie gras, geese are force fed, cramming about 1.8 kg of grain daily into the throat through a special tube (10 times the norm). In many countries, such acts are regarded as cruel to animals and are prohibited by law.

What is combined with

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

To stuff the carcass, it is recommended to use acidic fruits: apples, quinces, oranges, grapefruits - fruit acids give the meat softness and a different flavor. Of dried fruits, prunes are most often used for 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.

Advantageously emphasize the taste of goose spices: red or black pepper, cardamom, dried ginger, bay leaf, nutmeg, a mixture of herbs for poultry. In many recipes, the goose is invited to cook with onions, carrots, tomatoes, sweet peppers, mushrooms, parsley and dill. Sweet meat goes well with sour berry sauces from cranberries, lingonberries, oranges, quinces, cherries. Mustard and garlic sauce are also suitable for him.

Cooking secrets

The most tender and tasty meat of a young bird under the age of 6 months. Such a product is prepared relatively briefly 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 in the cold overnight (salt can be replaced with soy sauce);
• pour meat for 8-10 hours with sour marinade: dry wine, apple cider vinegar or lemon juice diluted with water;
• a few hours before cooking, coat the goose with acidic grated berries (cranberries, aronia);
• baking the whole carcass, making punctures on the breast and hips - this trick will allow excess fat to drain down;
• cover the meat with foil so that it does not become dry in the oven.

Video: Cooking a goose

How to choose upon purchase

When buying a goose, you need to try to choose the youngest individual of the largest size. This will produce 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 tears, yellowish in color with a slight pinkish tinge;
• the smell is fresh, a little sweetish - you need to smell the bird inside, since spoilage begins with the insides;
• the meat is elastic and dense to the touch; when pressed, the dent is quickly leveled;
• young individuals have bright paws - with age they become darker (red paws may be a sign of 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 meat is more tender. After the bird reaches the age of 6 months, the meat becomes stiffer and loses most of its beneficial properties.

How to store at home

Fresh goose can be stored long enough. 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 beneficial 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.

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 needs to be moistened, preventing drying.
2. Before storing, the bird must be gutted, as it will deteriorate much faster with the insides.
3. In the refrigerator, place 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), the goose is dried and the stew is made from it.

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

As a meat product, goose 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 improve the body and improve physical health.