In this post, I’ll show you how to make your own smoked goose breast. More specifically, this is a genuine raw ham made from goose breast, which is cured for several days and then cold-smoked.
Smoked goose breast is one of my favorite types of dry-cured ham: aromatic and spicy thanks to the classic Quatre-Épices blend of white pepper, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves, with a firm, dark texture that really makes a statement on a snack board. It’s perfect with a full-bodied red wine or on a cheese platter.
The actual work involved is manageable, but you’ll need a bit of patience and a smoker with a cold-smoke generator. Expect it to take about a week from curing to the first slice. If you’ve ever made smoked duck breast before, you’ll feel right at home here.
But now enough talking…
Here you can find the complete cold-smoked Goose Breast recipe as a video or to read through.
Have fun and good luck making it!
Cold-smoked goose breast – What do you need to make it?
With the right ingredients and a little patience, you can easily make this delicious goose breast.
Ingredients per 1 kg
- 100 % Goose breast (1000 g)
Spices per kg
- 29.5 g salt
- 2.5 g Cure #1
- 3 g sugar mixture (50 % dextrose / 50 % sugar)
- 2 g white pepper
- 1 g ginger
- 1 g nutmeg
- 0.25 g cloves
The equipment to make cold-smoked goose breast
Smoker
You will need the smoker to smoke your goose breast.
Smoking auger / cold smoke generator (for cold smoking option)
With the cold smoking option, you also need a smoking auger. It ensures that you have continuous smoke in the smoker for 12 hours.
Cold-smoked goose breast – Step-By-Step Instructions
Follow these steps to make the perfect cold-smoked goose breast.
1. Weigh out the white pepper, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves separately, then mix them together with the sugar mixture and the salt, Cure #1, in a small bowl. Stir the mixture thoroughly so that the fine cloves are evenly distributed. Important: Be sure to weigh each spice separately. Otherwise, the 0.25 g of cloves in particular will become too dominant and upset the typical Quatre-Épices balance.
2. Place the goose breasts in a bowl and pour the entire spice mixture over them. Rub the mixture vigorously into the breasts on all sides, making sure not to miss any spots. The entire measured amount must be applied to the meat, as the salt, Cure #1, is calculated precisely for 1 kg of goose breast.
3. Place the seasoned goose breasts in a vacuum bag. Then scrape the remaining seasoning from the bowl and add it to the bag as well. Important: Make sure to include every last crumb of the measured mixture. If any salt, cure #1 remains in the bowl, the amount of salt, cure #1 in the bag will be incorrect, and the reddening process will be uneven.
4. Seal the bag tightly and label it with today’s date and the contents. That way, you won’t lose track of the curing time in the refrigerator, especially when several pieces are curing at the same time.
5. Place the vacuum-sealed goose breasts in the refrigerator to cure. Allow about 1.5 days of curing time per centimeter of meat thickness, at a minimum. For a typical goose breast that is 2 to 3 cm thick, that means 3 to 4.5 days. You can always cure it longer, but not shorter: if the curing time is less than the minimum, the salt, Cure #1, won’t reach the center, and the meat won’t turn red in the middle.
Book recommendation: The Full Guide On Making Dry Cured & Cooked Ham Easily At Home – Step-by-step instructions & 28 delicious recipes
6. Remove the cured goose breasts from the vacuum-sealed bag and pat them dry on all sides with paper towels. The surface should be matte and no longer have a damp sheen. This is the only way to ensure that an even, clear smoke crust forms later.
7. Tie the goose breasts with kitchen twine or hang them on a hook. Let them hang for 24 to 48 hours at 15 to a maximum of 20 °C (68.0°F), with a humidity of about 80%. During this phase, known as reddening, the nitrite curing salt reacts fully, the color sets in, and the surface tightens slightly. Tip: The environment must not be too dry. Otherwise, the goose breast will develop a hard, dry edge that will not absorb the smoke well later on.
8. Now cold-smoke the goose breast at a maximum of 20 °C (68.0°F). I alternate between several cycles: 12 hours of cold smoking, then 12 hours of resting at the same temperature, followed by another 12 hours of smoking. Three to four cycles are a good starting point for a mild, clean smoky flavor that complements the Quatre Épices rather than overpowering it.
9. After the final smoking cycle, you can slice the goose breast right away. About five days after smoking, it’s still juicy and tender—just the way I like it best. If you prefer it firmer and with a more intense flavor, let it age for another one to two weeks under the same conditions. Your smoked goose breast is ready. Enjoy! 🙂
Frequently asked questions
How long does homemade smoked goose breast keep?
When vacuum-sealed and stored in the refrigerator, your smoked goose breast will easily last 4 to 6 weeks. Once cut and wrapped in plastic wrap, you should use it up within 2 weeks. When frozen in a vacuum-sealed bag, it will keep for at least 6 months without losing any flavor.
How long do I need to cure the goose breast?
Allow for about 1.5 days of curing time per centimeter of meat thickness, at a minimum. For a typical goose breast that’s 2 to 3 cm thick, that’s 3 to 4.5 days in the refrigerator. You can always cure it longer, but not shorter: if you cure it for less than the minimum time, the salt, Cure #1, won’t reach the center and the reddening will be uneven.
What is Quatre Épices, and can I substitute it?
Quatre Épices is the classic French four-spice blend made of white pepper, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. I mix it myself here using individual spices because that way I can control the proportions exactly. You can also use a store-bought Quatre Épices blend; in that case, you’ll need about 4 g per 1 kg of goose breast.
Can I hot-smoke the goose breast instead of cold-smoking it?
You can do that, but you’ll end up with a different product: a fully cooked, hot-smoked goose breast, more like Kassler. To achieve the raw ham character with a firm, dark texture and intense aroma, it must be cold-smoked at a maximum of 20 °C (68.0°F). At higher temperatures, the meat cooks and loses its typical raw ham texture.
Why is my goose breast too dry after smoking?
If your smoked goose breast is tough or too dry, the humidity during the curing process or in the smoker was too low. Aim for about 80% humidity during curing and moderate conditions in the smoker. Another reason could be too much smoking or smoking at too high a temperature: always stay below 20 °C (68.0°F) and opt for several short smoking sessions rather than one long one.