Smoking Goose charcuterie

I went to Dose Market for the first time in February and while I don't think I'm their intended audience, I did enjoy finding new food purveyors. My favorite was a company called Smoking Goose from Indianapolis. I was first attracted by a large hollowed out pig, head intact which they used as a display for their headcheese. This was amazing stuff, great pieces of meat, encased in an unctuous gelatin. The flavor was amazing, if everyone who hates headcheese tried this I'd bet they'd change their minds. They also had lamb bacon which I've never tried, I love all things belly so why not? I bought home a half pound and didn't use it for the first week. I ran into a friend who was working Mint Creek's stand and mentioned my purchase, he said Mint Creek had tried selling it, but found most people didn't like it and it was hard to cook as it burned too easily. A little worried I went home to cook mine and was completely blown away with how good the flavor was. Crispy fatty lamb belly, how could that not be good? The people who didn't like this can send me their share, I'll use it.

Smoking goose sells some of their products at Provenance in Chicago, I was able to get the lamb bacon there. They also have a whole list of other products listed on their web site. Balena, Chris Pandel's newest restaurant, is also using their products. I believe a trip to Indianapolis may be in order soon to see what they do. In the meantime I'm glad I have access to their amazing lamb bacon.

Smoking Goose
407 N Dorman Street
Indianapolis IN 46202
317-638-MEAT

Provenance Food and Wine
LOGAN SQUARE | 2528 N. California Ave | 773.384.0699
LINCOLN SQUARE | 2312 W. Leland Ave | 773.784.2314

Balena Restaurant
1633 N. Halsted Street
Chicago, IL 60614
Tel 312.867.3888

I was down in Indy a couple of weekends ago and stumbled upon this place because it was across the street from Flat12 Bierworks. Unfortunately, I didn't have a cooler with me so I didn't bring anything home. On the good side, Smoking Goose provides food to Flat12, so we were able to order lunch and they bring it over to the brewpub. I had a porchetta sandwich that was phenomenal.

Some pics I snapped in Smoking Goose







Porchetta with salsa verde on ciabatta roll

Sounds (and looks) like great stuff . . . just have to get over my initial burst of excitement . . . was expecting to see pictures of MBH serving up goose smoked on a WSM.

green grocer carries some of their products. i'm loving the duck/port sausages.

green grocer
1402 w. grand ave.
chicago

I met the owner while in Indy a few months back at the Sun King Brewery. Very nice, engaging guy and super passionate about charcuterie. Apparently he has ties to Chicago - I believe he worked in several kitchens here - and still maintains relationships with the kind of guys you'd expect: Pandel, Jared Van Camp.

They also have a pretty stellar sandwich/beer/wine shop worth checking out if visiting Indy. Had the charcuterie board there and loved it. The smoked duck breast was beautiful.

Goose the Market
2503 North Delaware Street
Indianapolis, IN
(317) 924-4944

BR wrote:Sounds (and looks) like great stuff . . . just have to get over my initial burst of excitement . . . was expecting to see pictures of MBH serving up goose smoked on a WSM.

<Big Smile> Not yet, but if and when I do smoke a goose, you're invited.

I just posted in the Balena thread that Smoking Goose meats are being offered there - three so far - and I enjoyed my first tastes of them last night.

I joined some friends for lunch this past week at a local cheese shop here in Phoenix (Wedge & Bottle), and I ended up with my first taste of a Smoking Goose product:


Smoking Goose Lomo (Far Left)

Apologies for the fact that it's so far in the background... I didn't know that it was going to be the star of the board until it we'd mostly destroyed it

Anyway, I really, really dug this... it's a piece of loin with a generous amount of belly fat attached, it's done with garlic and smoked paprika, cured and then smoked. And man, it's seriously smoky, but the creamy pork hangs in there. Huge, huge flavor in a paper thin slice.

I've been binging lately on their "Salame Yomame," a glorious, uncooked umami torpedo made with shrimp, kimchi, parmesan cheese. I can barely feel my face after I eat some, yet I want more. Slice it thin; a little goes a long, long way.

Eataly usually has at least a few Smoking Goose salumi products in the back of the meat and cheese section on the second floor. I often choose a combo of meats from SG, West Loop Salumi, and Eataly-branded items. All are delicious.

the dill pickle food coop also carries several smoking goose products. i believe they always have the ham and the soppressata...

I tried to find the thread about food expiration dates and comfort zones, but this is somewhat urgent, and will have to do. So...should I go to the ER now, or ride it out? Either way, 'twas delicious. Also, bought from Dill Pickle. Didn't eat the casing.

Sweetbread wrote:I tried to find the thread about food expiration dates and comfort zones, but this is somewhat urgent, and will have to do. So...should I go to the ER now, or ride it out? Either way, 'twas delicious. Also, bought from Dill Pickle. Didn't eat the casing.

Maybe I'm missing something but I don't understand your post. Was this expired and you ate it (no exp. date visible in the pic)? Is it that the casing is a bit discolored? Either way, you seem to be saying, by posting this in Smoking Goose's thread that the product is dangerous somehow. Was that your intent?

Wondered the same thing.

I think the general rule of thumb with charcuterie is: green/black mold = bad, white mold = good.

=R=

ronnie_suburban wrote:I think the general rule of thumb with charcuterie is: green/black mold = bad, white mold = good.

=R=

That may well be but I still don't understand the post here--we've all had food go bad at some point--but unless I bought it that way, I'd never post it in the thread as if to fault the company whose product it is.

boudreaulicious wrote:

ronnie_suburban wrote:I think the general rule of thumb with charcuterie is: green/black mold = bad, white mold = good.

=R=

That may well be but I still don't understand the post here--we've all had food go bad at some point--but unless I bought it that way, I'd never post it in the thread as if to fault the company whose product it is.

Hmm . . . I don't see where anyone posted that.

=R=

boudreaulicious wrote:I'd never post it in the thread as if to fault the company whose product it is.

Whoa, woah, weaux! Definitely not faulting the company.

Facts:
-No expiration date
-Some black and green on casing
-I ate it anyway (knowingly and jokingly posting about the risks)
-It was delicious
-I'm still alive, and feeling great

Anyway, I'll keep eating it if the Internet (trusted lth folk) tells me it's safe. Either way, it won't be the last Smoking Goose meat stick I buy. But as the Internet says, YMMV. Get you some, and let us know!

Having had a number of their items, I concur...fabulous stuff.

Have received a couple of orders recently (with the impetus of sales, free shipping offers and sharing with friends) and while well-made and distinctive, I find their stuff really hit or miss. Very much enjoyed the spicy and flavorful Columbus Fireball (name since changed to Delaware Fireball). Applewood Bacon was also tasty.

Otoh, Bacon Braunschweiger was ruined for me by the overpowering use of clove, nutmeg, ginger, coriander and cinnamon. These are not flavors I want in my braunschweiger but even if I did, there's just way too much of them here. And while tasty, the Kitchen Sink sausages (bacon, espelette pepper, mustard and parsley) were so oversalted, they were barely edible. The definition was also a bit mushy. While the former was likely an unfortunate error, the latter very well might have been a choice.

To their credit, they're very up front about what seasonings are being used in their products. So, if you see an ingredient/seasoning listed, you should expect that it will be boldly up-front and center. I appreciate this and the fact that they produce very distinctive products. After working my way through a couple of orders in a short period of time, I think I could recognize their stuff blindfolded. However, on some of these items, that's not necessarily a good thing.

=R=

ronnie_suburban wrote:Have received a couple of orders recently (with the impetus of sales, free shipping offers and sharing with friends) and while well-made and distinctive, I find their stuff really hit or miss..

=R=

Of what we ordered, the bacon was outstanding, the Spanish chorizo awesome, the pimento cheese a must-order, smoked honeycomb tasty but too much wax, nduja pretty good. But seriously, pimento cheese.
Have you had their mortadella or the wagyu bologna?

JoelF wrote:Of what we ordered, the bacon was outstanding, the Spanish chorizo awesome, the pimento cheese a must-order, smoked honeycomb tasty but too much wax, nduja pretty good. But seriously, pimento cheese.
Have you had their mortadella or the wagyu bologna?

Yes, the applewood bacon was excellent. I'd be interested in trying their wagyu bologna but I'd probably pass on ordering the mortadella, since based on what I've tried from them so far, my guess is that flavors that are typically in the background in mortadella will be too up front for me.

I was bummed that the Kitchen Sink sausages were so salty. I loved the flavor but I'd hesitate to order them again.

=R=

I also got the Kitchen Sink sausages and do not remember the salt level being so high. When I place another order, I was thinking of getting them again.

Aside from things already mentioned here, I thought the Texas Hot Links were really good. I enjoyed the andouille and tasso in a gumbo, but I'm not sure they were any better than local options.

Other than the mushy bind, the extremely tough casing, the nontraditional seasoning and the excessive salt, the SG andouille we grilled tonight were great.

=R=

ronnie_suburban wrote:Other than the mushy bind, the extremely tough casing, the nontraditional seasoning and the excessive salt, the SG andouille we grilled tonight were great.

=R=

You have such a way with words Mr. Suburban.

ronnie_suburban wrote:Other than the mushy bind, the extremely tough casing, the nontraditional seasoning and the excessive salt, the SG andouille we grilled tonight were great.

We used a chunk of their andouille recently and were underwhelmed. I don't think it was that bad though.

Hillbelly breakfast sausage were an improvement over some of the other SG products I've tried recently in that they weren't oversalted and they were bound properly. However, the seasoning set was all sorts of wrong for my palate. Nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger and clove do not belong in breakfast sausage and they did not make me happy. In fact, if I'd made them for breakfast, they would have made me sad all day. Instead, having made them for dinner, they only made me sad for a few hours.

Again, to their credit, SG is very up front about what seasonings are in their products. So, this one was my fault for buying something I should have known I probably wasn't going to like.

=R=

ronnie_suburban wrote:In fact, if I'd made them for breakfast, they would have made me sad all day. Instead, having made them for dinner, they only made me sad for a few hours.

I nominate for LTH logo line!

My one and only order from smoking goose included 2 packages of the bulk hillbilly. I made the first one for breakfast a while ago, and while I thought the flavor was interesting, I didnt think it worked as a plain sausage. I recently used my second pound in a pot of rancho gordo ayocote morado beans (which got much bigger than I expected but had great texture and held together well), and chard. It was an excellent combo.

-Will

ronnie_suburban wrote:Hillbelly breakfast sausage were an improvement over some of the other SG products I've tried recently in that they weren't oversalted and they were bound properly. However, the seasoning set was all sorts of wrong for my palate. Nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger and clove do not belong in breakfast sausage and they did not make me happy. In fact, if I'd made them for breakfast, they would have made me sad all day. Instead, having made them for dinner, they only made me sad for a few hours.

Again, to their credit, SG is very up front about what seasonings are in their products. So, this one was my fault for buying something I should have known I probably wasn't going to like.

=R=

I also got some of the Hillbelly sausage recently. I didn't taste (or read in their site) cinnamon. The warm spices would probably be fine with pancakes and maple syrup, but kinda weird under egg, cheddar, and kale. Black and/or red pepper would help a lot. I did like the texture, fat level and the way it crisped up.

The pimento cheese is awesome, and I've got a bunch of things yet to try.

p.s. The Delaware Fireball is also quite nice: a very hard hot sopresatta-like (although uncured). Good spice, good porkiness.