Baby Goat: Cabrito, Chevron, Kid

[=Mark]

I've had it BBQd 2 differrent ways. Two in-ground pits dug with a backhoe earlier that day are in the foreground. These are used to cook the goats "Billy" on the spit in the foreground, and "Bob" being cooked Llano style in the covered pit.

[CathyL]

The second you want to do without driving all the juice out of meat too early. It will happen eventually, because a braise is by definition well-done meat, and well-done by definition is dried out. But you want to replace the juice with the melted collagen. If the meat dries out too early, the protein matrix will tighten up, and there will be no place for the collagen to go but out into the liquid. It will make for great sauce but dessicated meat. The meat needs to remain at about 200 (collagen melts at around 180, if memory serves) for a few hours in order to allow complete conversion of the collagen into gelatin. I think it needs to be as high as 250 because you will have some heat loss from the oven and the pot. (If you've got a really well-insulated oven, you could try 225.) But at 300, I think you're going to be boiling most of the time, and this is what you want to avoid.

More scientific fact than theory, Dave.

The same principles appy to barbeque. I smoke pork butts at an ambient temperature of 225 or lower (if my smoker cooperates), which keeps the meat's center temperature in the range where its fat and collagen break down - anywhere from 150 to 180. The internal temperature rises steadily until that point is reached, then stalls because the fat/collagen are changing state from solid to liquid. I often cook for 24 hours, and the meat is meltingly tender and juicy.

I learned this from my Q mentor, a smug scientific bastard.

[Liza]

I smoke pork butts.

Do you roll your own?

[Suzanne F]

Nothing really to add (until I hit the market and get my goat) -- I just wanted to say that this is a GREAT thread!

[CathyL]

I smoke pork butts.

Do you roll your own?

Yep, one-handed.

I need goat.

[Priscilla]

CathyL, I am so internalizing those collagen-melting smoking numbers, I cannot tell you. Well, at least I'll pass 'em along to the Consort, who fancies himself the smoker in the house, OUT of the house, in the garden, you know what I mean.

But what about the apples? I'm just askin'.

[CathyL]

Apple butter? [not intended as a goat joke]

[Dave the Cook]

More scientific fact than theory, Dave.  

So there's no future in cloaking smugness with a veil of false humility? Damn.

[Nick]

As I just posted over at Mr. Cutlets' Q&A, I just took a two pound boneless goat shoulder out of the freezer to cook tonight. I've never had goat before and am looking for ideas. All my friends have said, "Goat! You're going to eat goat?!!" Well, our neighbors to the south as well as those in the Middle East seem to like goat so I thought I should give it a try. This is a good piece of meat raised at Nezinscot Farm here in Maine who also raise the best free range chickens around.

Any ideas? Otherwise I'm going to braise it with mire poix and red wine. Thanks.

[fifi]

I have only had goat slow BBQ'd so I can't say what to do other than that. Sounds like your braising idea is the right direction. I am thinking that lotsa garlic would be appropriate. (But then... I always think lotsa garlic is appropriate. )

Please let us know how it comes out.

[Nick]

Fifi, That's a good idea. Lots of garlic sounds good. Maybe rosemary (or oregano) too. I've been on an oregano kick lately.

[col klink]

I really dig goat. I treat goat like a red meat roast and only cook it to about 130 -- it remains tender and tasty. Throw a dry rub of your choosing on the shoulder and roast at a hight temperature (~400 F) to give it a nice crust. Pull the roast out when the internal temp reaches 125 and let it rest for 15 minutes. Let the roast rest on a plate and deglaze the pan with red wine and add assloads of garlic. Reduce, take off the heat and monte au beurre.

[Jinmyo]

All great ideas.

Another way to go would be Mediterranean or Middle Eastern with some yogurt, cumin, chiles and so on.

I've had some wonderful goat dishes in Nigeria always served with enjeli bread (a kind of flat disc of foamy bread made with a tiny grain called teff).

An aside: I've heard that New Jersey actually processes half of the goat consumed in the U.S. Which probably isn't much.

[Nick]

Please let us know how it comes out.

I just ate and it came out great even though I braised it a little too long. Started out putting lots of salt and ground pepper on the goat and let it sit while I sliced and chopped the mirepoix. Then I seared the meat in evoo all around to a good brown. I took it out and put in the mirepoix and sauted, then sweated. When that was ready I added red wine, then more red wine, and then more until I thought it was right and started reducing it. Then a mess of diced garlic. Cooked it down a bit more and put put in a can of beef broth (should have used less.)Then Iadded oregano to taste and put the meat in. Then into the oven at 325F where it cooked for an hour. Then I added chunks of red potatoes, carrot, and sweet onion and cooked it for another hour. That's where I let it go too long. I didn't check it like I should have.

Goat is great. It's the different red meat. Sweeter than others. I'm going to do this some more. As I was cooking I was thinking I bet this braise would be good with apples and onions. Now, I'm pretty sure that would be good.

Klink, what you suggested is something I'll also try. Just didn't have the balls to try it the first time around.

Edited to add beef broth and oregano.

Edited November 3, 2003 by Nick (log)

[Jon Tseng]

Try cubing it and making a curry.

Very traditional Jamaican dish. In fact, according to my Jamaican friends, it isn't really a party unless curried goat is served...

J

[curlywurlyfi]

Nick, that sounds yummy! In Portugal I've had delicious baked goat - big chunks of meat, fried off a little in olive oil to brown them, then tossed with roughly chunked potatoes, quite a lot of tomatoes, garlic, oregano/marjoram, lots of salt + pepper and more olive oil, and baked on a gnarly old roasting tin till succulent and melting. Not smart food, just delicious.

[phaelon56]

I've had the Potuguese style preparation of goat but I second the motion for curry goat...

An aside: I've heard that New Jersey actually processes half of the goat consumed in the U.S. Which probably isn't much.

I suspect there's more goat consumed in the US than you might imagine. It's a stale menu item in Jamaican restaurants and as someone else mentioned - a Jamaican party just isn't a real party without curry goat. I love Jamaican food and it's by far my favorite dish.

[Kenk]

I usually make a Caribbean style goat curry. The meat is rich a tasty and hold up well to strong ingredients. Use lots of garlic, thyme, potato, chick peas, curry, scotch bonnet peppers, ...

[Guest Morel]

I have had goat , but don't pass it to the kids, if you want to hear them screech and say the barf word. Yes I love goat and my absolute favorite is from my friend and Greek friend she makes amazing goat, so when I'm invited to dinner with her I don't say, no, the kids, well the hot dogs are always an option. Greek people make amazing goat!

[Sweet Willie]

Just bought some goat yesterday.

The Jamaican curries sound good, anyone have a recipe?

[Ann_T]

Picked up the baby goat (meat) that I had ordered a few weeks ago from a local farm here in the Cowichan Valley. Geoff has a small farm and his animals are all pasture raised, without the use of antibiotics or other chemicals. The goat had been hanging in the cooler for about 5 days and it was ready for cutting up today. I went out to watch so I could have some input into how I wanted it cut. I ended up with about 25 pounds of meat.

I bought one of his baby goats a couple of years ago and for the most part cooked it like I would lamb. The racks and chops were grilled and the breast and shoulder were usually prepared Greek Style.

If anyone has any favourite tried and true recipes they would like to share that would be great.

I'm going to grill one of the racks for dinner tonight.

Ann

[mywhitedevil]

Picked up the  baby goat (meat) that I had ordered a few weeks ago from a local farm here in the  Cowichan Valley.  Geoff  has a small farm and his animals are all pasture raised, without the use of antibiotics or  other chemicals.  The goat had been hanging in the cooler for about 5 days and it was ready for cutting up today. I went out to watch so I could have some input into how I wanted it cut.  I ended up with about 25 pounds of meat.   

I bought one of his baby goats a couple of years ago and for the most part cooked it like I would lamb.  The racks and chops were grilled and the breast and shoulder were usually prepared Greek Style. 

If anyone has any favourite tried and true recipes they would like to share that would be great.

I'm going to grill one of the racks for dinner tonight.

Ann

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slaughtered one at the begining of the winter, so I'm rushing to use it up to free some freezer space for the Veggie season.

Last week I made a Jamaican Curried Goat. I used about 4 pounds stew meat ( mostly from the shoulder, but odd bits from when I butchered it), two onions chopped, three or four cloves of garlic, minced, two habaneros (couldn't get Scotch Bonnets) ~4 T. curry powder, Thyme, S&P to flavor and marinated all this over night in a ziplock with the juice of one lemon. Next day I heated up some oil in a heavy stew pot and browned all the ingredients. Once brown, I added ~4 cups clear chicken stock and simmered for about 6 hours. An hour before it was done, I threw about two cups of 1/2" diced, peeled potatoes in. Served on white rice cooked in coconut milk instead of water. Awesome.

Think I will try this recipe next week that a goat rancher in PA sent me:

CAPRETTO AL FORNO CON PATATE (Baked Spring Kid with Potatoes)

3 lbs. spring kid leg and rib

fresh herbs

6 tbs. grated Pecorino

2 lbs. potatoes

4 tbs. white breadcrumbs

6 tbs. olive oil

3 cloves garlic

Prepare a mix with Pecorino, white breadcrumbs, chopped garlic and herbs.

Sprinkle the spring kid with this mixture. Peel and slice the potatoes. Put

4 tbs. oil in a baking pan and arrange the sliced potatoes in it. Place the

baby goat on top of the potatoes and add more of the mixture. Add salt and

pepper, drizzle with remaining olive oil and bake in oven at 450ºF for one

hour.

[Jensen]

Ann,

I've been buying goat trim for my dogs and have always added people cuts to my order for me. If you have a shoulder roast, I came up with this recipe:

Braised Chevon

Here's what it looks like:

(It works well with beef too but I liked it better with chevon.)

I have a couple of chevon shoulder roasts in the freezer right now that I'd bought to make carnitas with. Perhaps I'll try that tomorrow!

[Ann_T]

Thank you Jen. I do have a couple of shoulder roasts. Your recipe looks wonderful.

Mywhitedevil, thank you for the recipe. I like the sound of your recipe. And I did leave one of the legs whole. The other one I had butterflied.

Ann

[mywhitedevil]

Thank you Jen.  I do have a couple of shoulder roasts. Your recipe looks wonderful. 

Mywhitedevil, thank you for the recipe.  I like the sound of your recipe. And I did leave one of the legs whole. The other one I had butterflied. 

Ann

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THat's funny, that's exactly what I did come butchering time; I butterflied one for stuffing and one with the intention of smoking it.I think I may still fire up the smoker this week