This step needs to be done two days before your dinner. After thawing in the refrigerator, the goose needs to be par-boiled. Fill a pot large enough to hold the bird half full with water, and bring it to a rolling boil. Carefully lower the goose into the water, and cook until the water returns to a boil. Even more carefully remove the goose from the water and place on a pan. With needlenose pliers, pull out any feather stubble. (This is not often seen much anymore. Then put it uncovered into your refrigerator for two days. This will make the skin crisp. If you don't have time for this step, it will not ruin the bird, but it's a desirable touch.
The morning of the dinner, make a stock by boiling the neck, celery, and onion in one quart of water for about an hour. Strain, skim off the fat, and reserve the stock.
For the stuffing, heat the butter in a saucepan and saute the green onions and the coarsely-chopped giblets. Remove the solid contents and add the uncooked rice to the remaining butter. Stir to coat well. Then add three cups of the stock. Cover and cook over very low heat for 30 minutes. Stir the giblet mixture, the pecans, salt, and Tabasco in. Cook uncovered for another five minutes, stirring once.
as much of the rice stuffing as will fit inside the goose. Tie the legs across the cavity to hold the stuffing in place. With the point of a knife, prick the skin all over.
Put the goose breast side down on a rack in a broiling pan, and into the preheated oven. Lower the heat to 375 immediately. Let the goose roast for 45 minutes at that temperature, then turn the oven down to 300 and let it keep going until you register a temperature of 180 degrees with the meat thermometer in the thigh (not touching bone, nor poking into the cavity). for between an hour and a half and two hours.
Remove the goose from the pan and place, with the rack, on a clean pan. Return to the oven and increase the heat to 450 to crisp the skin for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, pour the drippings into a gravy separator and remove the fat. Use the juices and browned bits to make a gravy, just as you would for a turkey.
A goose is a little hard to carve, so show everybody the whole thing then take it back to the kitchen for the inevitable wrestling match. Those joints do not come apart as easily as they do for a turkey. Serve with gravy and stuffing on the side.
