The Goat Topic: Tips & Techniques

[Daniel]

I went to a Hatian restaurant last week.. I had deep fried goat, it was cooked to a point where it was almost hard and crunchy.. It was rather interesting.

[DTBarton]

A local Jamaican restaurant makes a very nice dish called a goat roti. Braised goat with potatoes wrapped up in a flour tortilla, kind of a big ol' Jamaican goat burrito, it's quite tasty. Has a bit of curry flavor to it, but not overwhelming, plenty of other Caribbean flavors also.

Here's a link to a recipe for potato curry roti, add some braised goat and you've got it, I think.

http://www.caribcon.com/triniroticur.html

[nr706]

Never have cooked mutton. Can't get in the US, but I wish I could.

I've gotten mutton at Food4Less on Main St. in Evanston - although it's not there all the time. Have you tried some of the Mexican grocers, or maybe Patel Bros. on Devon?

[scordelia]

Never have cooked mutton. Can't get in the US, but I wish I could.

I've gotten mutton at Food4Less on Main St. in Evanston - although it's not there all the time. Have you tried some of the Mexican grocers, or maybe Patel Bros. on Devon?

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Patel does not have mutton, but I will try Food4Less! Thanks!

[Foodie_Penguin]

Funnily enough, I bought cubed goat (on the bone) from the huge Chinese grocery store in Raleigh at the weekend. I've never cooked goat before (though I've eaten goat curry many a time).

It does require long and slow cooking but the curry I made (based on a Jamaican recipe) turned out very well, even though the cooking times was four-five times more than the recipe stated.

In the future, I will remember to remove the goat skin before cooking (it turns all rubbery).

Foodie Penguin

[Daniel Rogov]

Mention goat's meat and some people will swoon for pleasure while others will show vague or not-so-vague signs of repulsion. Valued in Spain, Italy, the south of France, many of the Caribbean Islands, the mountain and island folk of Turkey and Greece as well as by many Bedouin and other traditionally wandering peoples, the meat of young male and female goats can be extremely appealing and is as nutritive as the meat of sheep and lambs. The problem comes about because most goats are bred and raised for the milk they will yield. This in turn means that those creatures that eventually make their way to the table are far too mature and tough. And there is no question but that the meat of older goats, especially the males, has a smell that is considered "high" and disagreeable to many.

The only trick necessary for those not accustomed to this treat is to realize that those who most value the flavors of goat's meat know that male goats should be eaten only when very young (from about 6 weeks until about 4 months of age), and that of the female up to about one year. Goat or kid meat will always be a bit "tougher" than that of lamb or mutton, but many, including this writer, find that as the cheese of goat milk has its special charms, so does the meat. Following are several recipes that I believe will please even the most sensitive of palates.

Roast Kid

A traditional Turkish recipe

3 1/2 lb (1 1/4 kilo) kid, with bones

4 medium potatoes, peeled and quartered

6 cloves garlic

4 tsp. parsley, chopped

3 large onions, peeled and quartered

1 tsp. each salt, black pepper and rosemary

Place the potatoes and onions in a large saucepan with the garlic and parsley. Add water to cover and cook over a medium flame to cover for 30 minutes.

Place the kid in a deep baking dish and sprinkle with salt, pepper and rosemary. Cover the meat with the vegetables and 2 cups of the liquids in which they were boiled. Place in a medium oven until the meat is done (about 2 hours), basting occasionally with the fluids. Remove the meat and vegetables from whatever liquids remain and serve hot. (Serves 4).

Goat Stew

A dish known in Montserrat as "Goat Water"

2 1/4 lb (1 kilo) goat meat, cut into bite-sized pieces

2 large onions, sliced

2 tomatoes, sliced thickly

2 cloves garlic, chopped coarsely

3 whole cloves

2 Tbsp. each butter and chili sauce

1 Tbsp. flour

salt, pepper and Tabasco sauce to taste

boiled rice for serving

In a heavy saucepan melt the butter and in this saute the onions until just translucent. Add the meat, raise the flame and brown quickly. Add the cloves, tomato, garlic, salt, pepper and Tabasco. Pour over just enough water to cover, bring to the boil, reduce the flame and simmer slowly for 2 hours, skimming periodically. Fifteen minutes before the end of cooking, pour off enough of the liquids to make a paste with the flour. To the paste add the chili sauce and more Tabasco if desired. Stir this paste into the stew and continue cooking, stirring constantly, over a low flame, until the stew thickens. Correct the seasoning and serve hot with boiled rice. (Serves 4).

Goat Meat Curry

A recipe from the island of Grenada

1 1/2 lb (675 gr.) goat meat, cut into 1/2" (1 cm) cubes

1 1/2 lb (675 gr.) boiled rice, boiled with 6 cloves

2 cups coconut milk

2 medium tomatoes, peeled and chopped

2 green chili peppers, seeded and chopped coarsely

2 stalks celery, sliced thinly

4 spring onions, chopped coarsely

4 cloves garlic, chopped finely

2 Tbsp. black pepper

2 Tbsp. oil

1 Tbsp. coriander, ground

2 tsp. powdered ginger

1 tsp. saffron strands

fruit chutney for serving

In a large heavy saucepan heat the oil. To this add the spring onions, chilis, tomatoes, coriander, saffron, ginger, garlic, celery and pepper and mix well. Add the meat and pour over 5 cups of water. Bring to the boil, reduce the flame and cook uncovered until the meat is tender (about 1 hour), and the water is absorbed. Add the coconut milk, stir and cook again for 3 - 4 minutes. To serve arrange the rice, which should be warm, around the edge of a preheated serving dish and pour the curry into the center. Serve with chutney. (Serves 6).

[marlena spieler]

thanks daniel,

for all the delicious looking goat recipes and explanations of when in the life of the goat to eat it, etc. we're invited to greek easter on the island of zakynthos: our friends keep telling us that the goat is already picked out, we just need to buy our air tickets!

and also the curry recipe looks so yummy that i am reminded of a sign i once saw (in a cookery book about jamaica): "any goat entering these premises will be curried"

x marlena

ps have you ever eaten an african dish of goat in peanut sauce? we ate it once in an african hole in the wall in london which is long gone. we've been longing to eat it again, but i'm just not sure where to begin. perhaps when i get to zakythos we will have so much goat, i'll be able to experiment with leftovers at least.......

[phaelon56]

I'm always amazed at how many people turn their noses up and say "Eeeew" when I mention goat. As it turns out... most have never eaten it. When I mention that it is vaguely reminisicent of lamb but usually with a more subtle and milder flavor they then become interested (unless they truly hate the taste of lamb). All the friends I've exposed to it have enjoyed it. Gotta love goat - I just wish I had time to cook some at home but for now I'll keep going to Bongo's Herk Hut here in town and order the take-out.

[scordelia]

Thanks to Daniel for all the recipes!

[chardgirl]

The problem comes about because most goats are bred and raised for the milk they will yield.

Where is your 'most goats' idea from? There are ranches in Texas and neighboring states that have 10,000 heads of meat goats: bred mostly for the 'ethnic' market in the Eastern US. We have a few meat goats: they love our abundance of poison oak and make a nice employee thank you gift at the end of a season when it's time to make a birria party!

This is a young boer goat on our ranch:

cg

[Austin]

Goat is quite commonly consumed among Muslims in Thailand. Goat milk is also becoming somewhat popular and is available at health food stores in Bangkok (I have it with my tea every morning!). Of the many Muslim goat recipes, my favorite is probably khao mok phae, goat briyani. This is goat meat (often joints or other bony bits) cooked together with spiced rice.

Austin

[marlena spieler]

DEAR CHARDGIRL,

I LOVE YOUR GOAT!

marlena

[tanabutler]

DEAR CHARDGIRL,

I LOVE YOUR GOAT!

marlena

←

Dear Marlena,

STAND IN LINE!!!

[scordelia]

Goat is quite commonly consumed among Muslims in Thailand. 

Austin

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There are a lot of Pakistani butchers in my neighborhood. They are the ones with the goat legs.

It's really cold and nasty in Chicago this weekend (it is supposed to snow!), so I am feeling like a nice stew. I'll report if I give the goat a go.

[scordelia]

So I got some goat. I went with goat kid racks. I ended up marinating in yogurt and roasting with tandoori spices. It turned out great! Even my kids loved it. Definitely will be doing this again.

Thanks for all the help!

[chappie]

As a middle-schooler, I used to savor the weekends I spent with my dad in D.C. solely for the trips we'd make to a tiny Trinidadan restaurant called "The Islander," where we'd order goat roti and chana.

A few months ago someone gave me a frozen goat leg that is still lurking in my freezer while I search for the perfect recipe. I'm interested in making Mexican-style goat tacos, or using the whole leg to make a curry. Or, can it be jerked and grilled? I would imagine very, very slowly if so...

[PassionateChefsDie]

So I got some goat. I went with goat kid racks. I ended up marinating in yogurt and roasting with tandoori spices. It turned out great! Even my kids loved it. Definitely will be doing this again.

Thanks for all the help!

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Hi when you say rack would that be a similar cut to lamb one and in comparison was it a lot tougher the meat? Just curious this threads woken me upto goat!

We used to have a west indian community come down on bank holidays for a paddle in the sea at my first hotel. All I remember is the mammas cooking goat curry in the corner of the kitchen giggling away trying to feed me white rum! But I'd always sneak over to aquire a bowl of that curry, I can smell it again and taste it!

[Varmint]

I've heard that some ethnic groups prefer older male goats, whereas others prefer younger females (no prurient jokes, please). Any truth to this?

Also, I'm planning on roasting a whole goat for my pig pickin', so if anyone wants to volunteer to be in charge of this aspect of the cooking, please come forward now. I'm well versed with swine, but not goat.

[andiesenji]

Because goat meat is ordinarily very lean, you really should use a larding needle like this to insert fat into the major muscle masses. I happen to like suet, if you can get it but leaf lard (unrendered) also works well.

This type of needle works nicely because it comes with the inner rod to make it easier to place the fat deep inside the meat.

I used to use a trocar (medical instrument) because it was easier than the old ones that needed something like a dowel or a long chopstick to force the fat out of the needle.

If you already know this, I apologize but thought it might be helpful.

When my Mexican neighbors roast a whole goat, they do this but season the fat before inserting it into the meat. They also brine the carcass in a huge ice chest lined with a 55 gallon plastic can liner that is food grade. (I have a large box of these so if you need any let me know and I will send you a few.)

[Genny]

I'm bumping this topic up to see if there is any "new" information or other favorites anyone wants to weigh in on.

Per AB's rec, we made friends with the butcher, and boy are we happy! He had a customer order in a couple whole legs of goat but never picked them up. He came over to rotisserie one with us on the grill (I braised the shank). It was somewhat lamby in flavor but so little fat that it was quite dry. We sliced it up and had tacos with the leg, and added the leftovers to the braised shank for soup a couple days later.

Now, I still have a whole leg in the freezer. We love regional Mexican cuisine. How can I cook this in the style of northern Mexican cuisine? I'm thinking of Monterrey, Mexico in particular.

[andiesenji]

For Hispanic and/or Mexican recipes, look for "chivo"

chivo picante

another Dominican site:

recipes

for European recipes look for "chevon"

this site has a PDF document with recipes for chevon and "cabrito" which is baby goat.

Chevon recipes

Mexican recipe for goat enchiladas

Chivo enchilado

Equadorian recipe:

Braised goat

In the L.A. area chivo and in season cabrito, can be purchased at Vallarta supermarkets and many carnicerias (meat markets).

In Lancaster/Palmdale I have purchased cut-to-order goat meat from at least 6 different markets.

I have found that the goats raised in this area, which are mostly fed on commercial feed and not allowed to free-graze (because there is no suitable grazing in the desert), do not develop the strong flavor in the meat that one finds in grass-fed animals. It is much milder than some of the "lamb" I have purchased - I do not care for lamb but do like chivo. It makes a fantastic chili, it is quite low in fat and roasts or rotissierie roasts from the "saddle", shoulder and rump need to be larded a bit, however if braising, this is not necessary.

Braised goat shanks, (I have them cut crossways into 1 1/2 inch sections) are excellent.)

Copeland Family Farms in northern California used to have a web site and sold chevon sausage, as well as cabrito and other products. Excellent quality meat.

Edited July 13, 2006 by andiesenji (log)

[Jensen]

Copeland Family Farms in northern California used to have a web site and sold chevon sausage, as well as cabrito and other products.  Excellent quality meat.

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They still do and the quality of their product is still excellent. It looks like their site is very busy at the moment but here is the link to it:

Copeland Family Farm

They also ship anywhere in the US.

[Reefpimp]

The semi-local halaal shop in Orlando (like 75 miles from me) will sell me any amount of goat, from like a half-kilo steak to a half or whole carcass. I'd like to buy a whole goat and kill and butcher it myself, but I don't know who to go to in Florida for that. I'd like to do a mixed braise of lamb, goat, and whitetailed deer. I bet that would be damn good.

In Re the the rankness of goat, one thing I learned from venison is to try to get as much as possible of the fat off, and then bard or lard if necessary. It really seems to help. I have never worked with goat before, but shall be doing so soon.

Caprus credimus!

[Natho]

I love goat. It's great. Who else out there loves it? Whenever I mention it to people they always screw up there faces as if I am eating slug poo or something. When asked what the difference between goats and sheep are, the answer generally is "um... it's a goat! Thats disgusting, I can't believe you eat that!"

Such prejudice..

If anyone has a favourite goat recipe I would love to eat it.

My favourite so far is goat marinated in harissa for a couple of days, quickly fried and stuck on pizza. Yet to be topped for me.

[melkor]

Goat rocks. Mexican birria, Pakistani goat curry, Peruvian seco de cabrito, all easy to make, all delicious.