Christmas goose has long been a long standing tradition in our family.  It can be a little tricky to roast in the oven due to the large amount of fat that renders from the bird as it cooks. My husband’s mother always roasted their goose in the oven, but we have found it much easier to roast it outside on the grill using a rotisserie. The bird will self baste as it turns and all the fat is easily collected in drip pans. No matter what the weather is like on Christmas Day, my husband lights up the grill to roast the Christmas Goose.

The cooking time for an average size goose (9-10 pounds) is about 1 1/2 hours at 325 degrees.

When cooking on the rotisserie in the winter the cooking temp is a little harder to maintain at the proper 325 degrees.  If that is the case, it will need more cooking time to achieve the internal temperature of 165 degrees.

Prep the goose for the rotisserie: clip off the bottom two sections of the wings with kitchen shears because they don’t have much meat on them. Tie the remaining wings together behind the goose. Stuff the cavity with a granny smith apple, cut into quarters & ½ an onion, cut in half.  This not only adds flavor but it helps the spit stay in place. Insert the forks that hold the spit into each end of the goose.  Because of the extra large tail a goose has, insert the forks up higher to catch the main body. This should be enough support to keep the apples & onions from spilling out. Tie the legs together and then to the spit for extra support.  Using a poultry pin, prick lots of holes in the skin so the fat can escape from under the skin as it melts. It will drip into the drip pans that are placed on the bottom of the grill underneath the goose.  Generously rub the outside with salt & coarse ground pepper, and put some into the cavity also.

Prep the grill: Using a charcoal briquette chimney, light the briquettes and let it sit in the chimney until they are red hot and flaming.  This usually takes about 30 minutes. Using a briquette holder place the hot coals on the back side of the grill. 

Place drip pans directly below the goose to catch the fat that will render out as it cooks. This is a very important step because there will be an amazing amount of fat that renders out.

Check the fire every 30 minutes & add a few briquettes if needed.

For the last 30 minutes of cooking, cut the skin between the leg and body to allow more heat to get into the joint area. This will ensure that this area gets completely cooked. We actually do this for all the poultry we cook on the rotisserie.

After an hour & a half check the temp in the breast & the thigh as that part takes the longest time to cook. It should be at least 165 degrees.

When it has reached the proper internal temperature remove it from the spit and tent it for about 15 minutes before carving it.