The Goat Topic: Tips & Techniques

[Domestic Goddess]

Get the ribs and fire up the grill. Hubby from Ky loves them barbequed.

[onrushpam]

They get all their meat ground. (They used to be vegetarians and don't do "meat on bones").

Totally off topic, but whats the diff? Meat is meat.

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I don't know... and that was probably a misrepresentation... They do eat chicken and turkey. But, they have not eaten red meat for a very long time. I think maybe they are having a bit of a struggle coming to terms with eating their baby goats? They tried some ground goat meat from another goat farmer and liked it. So, they just asked to have it all ground, until I said I wanted some not ground!

Would it make any sense to ask for the tenderloin? If goat tenderloin is good, it seems a waste to grind it. We've had some awesome little apps made from the tenderloins of the hare our dogs catch in the dessert. (Gfron1, now you know why we go to NM every winter!)

[markemorse]

I love goat and have eaten it. usually as Goat Curry in Jamaican restaurants, for many years.  A Haitian friend who lives an hour away from here in a small town asked me to help her source goat for her Christmas dinner this year.

I found a new mid-eastern Halal market in town that gets fresh goat  delivered weekly from NJ and had a half dozen full goats in the walk-in to choose from.  We split half a goat, had the butcher saw it in chunks and split the order. 

I decided to try cooking Jamaican style Curry Goat and am less than pleased by the results.

My foundation was the recipe found in the book:

Dorinda Hafner's Taste of the Caribbean

For starters...  the recipe called for scallions, cornstarch, scotch bonnet peppers (I substituted habanero's), a few tbsp of vegetable oil and three to four tbsp of curry powder.  But after "marinating" (i.e. leaving the coated meat in the fridge overnight)  I noticed references to "reserving the remainder of the marinade after removing the meat from it".  The so-called marinade was really a wet rub rather than a marinade - there was no liquid to reserve.

My next perplexing dilemma was the amount of water to be added to the two pounds of browned meat, sauteed onions and diced tomatoes in the pan.  It called for an entire quart of water but then suggested that after 60 to 90 minutes of simmering it would be cooked down into a thick creamy sauce. 

No way. Despite simmering for 90 minutes it took two additonal shots of a corstarch/water mixture and some final reduction with the meat removed from the sautee pan before I got the desired consistency.

Finally....  the curry just lacked zing.  I have now discovered that a "hot" version of Jamaican Blue Mountain Curry Powder is available but I'm inclined to make my own from scratch next time.

Can any of you comment, based either on specific experience preparing Jamaican style curry, or even just general experience in preparing braised meats in liquid reductions, why this dish went awry?

By the way...  the texture of the meat is fine - it's the flavor that's lacking but I still think some fundamental things are not explained clearly in the recipe.

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This may be a stewpid question, but I didn't see salt mentioned anywhere...seems like these Jamaican curry recipes frequently call for soy sauce instead of salt, but I'm wondering where your salt element came from....

I'm looking at a goat masala recipe from Suriname at the moment, and their cooking method is: wash 1kg of stew-cut goat meat with vinegar, rinse it, set a pan with enough water to cover the meat on the stove, bring to boil, cook the goat pieces in boiling water for 5 minutes, skim the foam off, and drain.

Then they have you (in a new pan) start the curry, adding garlic, onions, 3 tbsp of masala spices (essentially curry powder), tomatoes, 2 scotch bonnets, and soy sauce. Add the goat along with 2 cups of water, and cook for at least an hour, until meat is tender, adding a little water as necessary.

So: half the water your recipe called for.

Have you given this another shot since the first time?

+++

Edited June 22, 2008 by markemorse (log)

[hummingbirdkiss]

I have a leg that needs to turn into curry this week

my husband saws it into slices

then this wonderful dish begins!

mind you this is a cumination and recreation that became our own

my husband saws the leg into slices ...

I pound all this into a paste with a mortar and pestal no exact amts it depends on what I have and how much of it ...

black pepper

cumin seed

a few allspice berries

Beta Pac curry from Jamaica

New Mexican red

garlic

ginger

3 habeneros

salt

I rub this paste all over the meat (careful with the chiles on your mitts and touching tender areas!!) let it sit until it is room temp

then roast or grill it until it is browned and fragrent

I have been known to add a spoon of Graces jerk seasoning paste in a jar and a few shots of Maggi to the paste

put it in a Dutch oven with a couple of bay leaves and a good lager (when I am camping I build a good coal bed in the fire pit ..grill the meat instead of roast ...and just add coals to the top of the dutch oven all day

cook down all day until the meat falls off the bone then add a can of coconut milk to finish

eat with tortillas.. or Chapati's

we like a huge bowl of fresh salad made with pineapple, ice cold mangos, lime juice and cilantro

and of course a lager!

Edited June 22, 2008 by hummingbirdkiss (log)

[Henry dV]

  And, we LOVE goat curry. 

  ..........What should I ask for?

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Sorry to be pedantic but it`s "Curry goat" and I would ask for the loins intact and the legs boned and cubed and finally and by no means least the neck whole !!

Enjoy.

Edited June 23, 2008 by Henry dV (log)

[Sony]

A friend of mine is going to have a 4-month old pastured goat butchered and asked if there are any "special" cuts I'd like to go in on. Thus far, the only "variety cuts" that have given me pause are:

-eyeballs (can't bring myself to do it- I think the texture would make me squick)

-lamb liver (think it was from an old animal- one of the only types of liver I haven't liked since I began to enjoy offal)

What would you request? I think she's into mostly mainstream cuts, so I'd like to take advantage on this opportunity! What are some hard-to-find cuts of goat that I should try out? (right now, I typically find frozen chunks of bone-in stew meat and not much else.....)

[Peter the eater]

Goat meat is tremendous value, at least where I live. Canadian lamb shanks are typically $11/kg while local goat shanks are often a mere $5/kg.

A co-worker from way back (Rita Henry from Kingston, Jamaica) once fed me her famous jerk stew. No dry rubs or grilling - just allspice, hot peppers, garlic, yams and goat meat. I still make it sometimes with corn, carrots, beans and potatoes:

[Sony]

Hi all,

So, what ended up happening is I didn't get the offal, and the majority of the goat was cut into stew meat (boneless), curry cuts, shoulder/leg roasts or ground. The butcher asked my friend if she was going to consume the organs herself- when she said no, he said he couldn't give them to her because she'd be selling/bartering it (albeit for a VERY reasonable sum).

What has ended up in my possession is a package of goat loin chops. Looks like most of the recipes on this thread are for braises, but I'm guessing that this isn't the right thing to do with this cut. (?) Any recipes or suggestions.....at least guidance on how well done this type of cut should be cooked? (up until now, I've only braised goat.)

For what it's worth, the flesh looks pale pink- more like veal than the deep red curry cuts I'm used to buying (from what I presume are older animals).

Thanks for your help (I hope!)

[Chris Amirault]

Interesting NYT story about Bill Niman, who left the eponymous meat company after decades there and is now raising goat under the brand BN Ranch (can't use "Niman" anymore):

At a recent goat tasting in the Blue Hill at Stone Barns kitchen in Pocantico Hills, N.Y., Mr. Niman’s young goat was compared to pan-seared and roasted loin and shoulder cuts from both a small Vermont grower and what the chef Dan Barber called “commodity goat.”

The commodity goat was slightly musty and chewy. The Vermont goat was as tender and mild as lamb. The Niman goat was like lamb, too, but a lamb with a big personality. The meat was sweet and vegetal. The fat, what little of it there was, tasted rich but felt lighter than olive oil.

... Goat meat doesn’t have the tallow of lamb, and contains about half the fat of chicken, according to a Department of Agriculture analysis.

You can find it at Preferred Meats, Copeland Family Farms, and Thyme for Goat.

[HawkeyeFoodie]

I would first like to say that I appreciate everyone's suggestions for a substitute for panther meat (refer to thread below).

http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=125397

I will be picking up an 8lb goat leg a week from today. If all goes as planned it will be the entire leg including the shank. I would like some suggestions on how to cook this. I have some stipulations...

- I want to keep the bone in and the leg whole

- This will be at a tailgate so I only have about 2 hours to cook it if I cook it on site (very large gas grill).

I am currently thinking of braising the entire leg in a spicy braise, letting it soak in the braising liquid for a day and then reheating. Hopefully then it'll be fall apart tender and I can serve it on some corn tortillas with a crumbly cheese.

Does anyone have any suggestions? Also, what do you think of brining the goat leg? I heard it's very lean, but I don't think that's probably a route I want to go with seeing as goat is considered red meat.

Please help.

Thanks!

[v. gautam]

What size of a pressure cooker do you have [7-8 quart] & what size of a frying pan? 19-20 inch? There may be some benefit to either halving the leg OR if you have a graniteware type of turkey roaster, considering first a browning, then a braise inside a conventional oven with the roaster sealed with wet dough. That will give you tender meat, with a marination. OR, if you have a large ROMERTOPF or can borrow one.

If you indicate which of the above best meets your needs, then one could suggest some ideas. If Mexican is your goal, the ideas from a goat BIRRIAN may work for you.

http://www.recipezaar.com/-12779

same one, I think: http://www.pepperfool.com/recipes/mexican/birria.html

You can serve CHOLULA hot sauce on the side for those who want more heat.

If serving wheat tortillas, then serve whole wheat, and heat them with a tiny bit of butter on a grill plate until they have brownish blisters and smell toasty. Make sure they more than just heated. Serve with thin sliced red onions that you previously have marinated in a solution of hot water+vinegar, OR pico de gallo made with thai chillies.

[FoodMuse]

Hi,

I'm very excited about scoring an 12 week old goat(kid really) shoulder. 2lb. Bone in.

Any experience with young goat?

I'm thinking treat it like lamb and do a braise. Thoughts? Advice? Jealous?

Maybe some Indian or Jamaican spicing.

Grace

[thayes1c]

Mmmmmm...Kid....

Indian is always good for goat, but personally I'd lean toward Mexico and make a birria. And yes, I am jealous. Quite.

[jkarpf]

I did the top-Google-result recipe "Braised Goat Shoulder Rubbed With Spanish Spices," http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/15/dining/151grex.html , which was fantastic. But my shoulder, which had been sold to me at the NYC Union Square farmer's market as "rib" meat -- which I'd initially hoped simply to roast! -- needed around twice as much braising time as given. So whatever recipe you use, check it for doneness as you go along.

Edited October 5, 2010 by jkarpf (log)

[Doodad]

Cabrita!

[FoodMuse]

Thanks guys.

I'm leaning towards a simple red wine braise with lots of garlic.

Birria sounds amazing, but I need to stay with the staples I have in my apartment.

@jkarpf I got mine at Grand Army Plaza in Brooklyn. Maybe the same producer you bought yours from. I'll keep in mind overestimating the braise time.

I have a stovetop smoker. I wonder if that might be another way to go?

-G

[mr drinkie]

How big is the shoulder (in weight)? And are you talking about a shoulder roast?

I just cooked a fabulous shoulder roast of lamb, and I can't wait to make my next one.

In the past, I have eaten a ton of goat, but it was when I lived in Yemen and I don't think I would recommend how they prepared it (boiled and with a lot of organ meat).

Edited October 6, 2010 by mr drinkie (log)

[Nayan Gowda]

Try my Nihari recipe...

This is my version of a Lamb Nihari. Not sure how authentic it is, but it tastes great.

Nihari is a slow cooked curry from North India. Traditionally the ingredients were combined and left on a low fire overnight. It was then served for breakfast the next day with rotis.

Whole spices

1/2tbsp coriander seeds

1tbsp cumin seeds

1tbsp fennel seed

8 black peppercorns

2 sticks cinammon

2 black cardamoms

6 cloves

2 dried bay leaves

1 leg of lamb, trimmed of most of the fat

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

3 teaspoons chilli powder (or more or less, depending on your preference)

1 tin chopped tomatoes

200mL yoghurt (I use the Greek stuff)

1 brown onion, finely sliced

4 garlic cloves, crushed

1 good knob of ginger, grated

Water

Salt to taste

To serve:

matchsticks of fresh ginger

fresh coriander chopped

fresh green chillis, sliced

Preheat oven to 180C

Toast the spices in a dry pan until they start to smell fragrant.

Remove from pan, allow to cool and grind (you might need to use a sieve to remove any large pieces)

Heat oil in a pan (I use a roasting tin), and brown the leg of lamb all over.

Remove lamb and set aside.

In same pan add onions and cook until lightly browned; then add ginger and garlic and cook until they lose their rawness.

Add turmeric, chilli powder and ground spices and cook for about 5 minutes, taking care as the mixture has a tendency to stick and burn (if you find it sticking add a splash of water)

Add tomatoes and yoghurt and salt and stir to combine.

Add lamb and about 500mL of water.

Cover with foil and put in over for 2 hours.

After two hours remove foil and turn leg of lamb over in the sauce.

Cover with foil again and put back in over for another two hours.

After this time the meat should be falling off the bone (in fact you should just be able to pull the bone out).

The sauce should be fairly thick, if not gently reduce the liquid on the stove top.

Garnish with green chillis, ginger matchsticks and coriander and serve with naan or roti.

[ChrisZ]

Any experience with young goat?

I'm thinking treat it like lamb and do a braise. Thoughts? Advice? Jealous?

Goat is also a traditional part of some Italian religious festivals, it's often braised/ served as a ragu- you could even use an osso bucco recipe and substitute goat for the osso bucco. If you're not wanting to go down the more spicy avenues then just google for Italian goat recipes and you'll find loads of options.

Although it's probably something unique to our butcher and not to goat in general, when we buy a goat we have to wash it carefully to remove bone chips/ bandsaw reside.

Yes, I'm jealous!

[FoodMuse]

OK, so the 2lb bonein shoulder which looks like half of it is some ribs is in a pot braising.

I used Nihari as a basic spice list.

Browned the shoulder.

Removed to a large pot.

Sauteed one large sliced onion with 4 cloves of garlic minced.

When onion is a little soft I added spice mix to bloom.

When I thought they might burn poured on just about 3/4 bottle of Syrah wine.

Scraped up goodness from the bottom of the pan and poured over the lamb shoulder.

Brought that to a simmer and put in a 325 degree low oven covered.

I'll probably braise for 2-3 hours checking every 1/2-3/4 hours to stir and check for tenderness. I want it falling off the bone.

Will let you know how it turns out.

[FoodMuse]

It was delicious! Thanks for all your help. Next time I think I'd like a less flavorful way of cooking goat if that makes sense. Great meaty texture, but what with all the spices and rich wine sauce I probably couldn't have told you if it was lamb, goat or even pork shoulder in the stew.

I'll certainly be making this again with chicken legs sometime soon. It's a great fall recipe. Tonights leftovers will be paired with a roasted acorn squash.

Grace

[Naftal]

Seventy-five percent of the world eats goat http://msue.anr.msu.edu/news/eat_goat_it_is_a_healthy_choice

So I was wondering how it is done in various traditions. So...How do you do goat?

[heidih]

eGullet member chardgirl documented a goat feast cooked by some of her farm staff starting at this post http://forums.egullet.org/topic/78851-eg-foodblog-chardgirl-21st-century-peasant/page-5#entry1073481   Then scroll down to post#166 for the "Mexican haggis".  The cooks are from Michoacan, Mexico. 

[andiesenji]

Kid meat can be prepared just like lamb because it is tender and flavorful - quite sweet.  Roast saddle of kid is as good, if not better than lamb (I really don't care for lamb). 

 

Goat meat, in my opinion and experience, is best in braised dishes and if you google you will get a lot of results.

 

I make a braised goat shoulder, which is enough to serve four easily.  Leg of goat will serve more - up to ten, depending on the amount of meat on the hindquarter.  A Mediterranean dish here is one I made last fall with great results.

 

The local Mexican carniceria carries goat meat and will cut to order.  For stew there are goat shanks, which have to be cooked a very long time.

 

And lastly, I won a couple of chili contests back in the '80s with a goat chili recipe made with green chiles, mulatto chiles, a small amount of a hotter chile (Manzano usually) and dried tomatoes.  I'll have to dig out the recipe if anyone is interested - I can't find it in my computer files. 

 

My Mexican neighbors barbecue goat meat after brining it in large pieces overnight, marinating, wrapping in foil and cooking long and slow in a wood-fired barbecue much like pork, removing the foil for the final 40 - 60 minutes to finish the surface, if the goat is a bit old and leaner than usual, they wrap the meaty parts in a "jacket" of pig skin with a thin layer of fat. 

Roasts can also be larded with pork or beef fat if one has a good larding needle.

 

Also Google "roast goat Greek style" ...

Edited July 18, 2014 by andiesenji (log)

[Hassouni]

So...How do you do goat?

 

Low and slow. Seriously - prime candidate for sous vide