Anyone cook goat meat before? I’ve got about three pounds I’m planning to cook and eat for Game 4 of the World Series.
I was thinking about smoking it or braising it. Ideally, I’d like to combine the two somehow. Get a nice smoky flavor and some bark, but have the meat completely fall apart like it’s been braised.
If anyone has suggestions, let me know. I have two pieces of leg and one small piece of shoulder (the guy at the meat counter kept calling it “arm.” Goats don’t have arms. WTF?).
Our local Indian restaurant serves several goat dishes. It’s very tasty, reminds me a little of venison.
And it’s excellent in Indian food. That’s what I’d try and make with it.
There’s a joint near me that makes braised goat meat tacos. I believe they braise it in orange juice. Maybe I’ll see if they can give me some tips.
I’m thinking of adding it to chili, but I’ve got some vegetarian friends so it would need to be on the side.
I like the braise and smoke idea. If you smoked it for a couple hours then finished in a covered pan in the oven (low heat, like 325F) with just a couple inches of water, you could have the best of both worlds. I’ve had goat and liked it a lot. I think it tastes milder than venison. Closer to leg of lamb IMO.
Any long, slow method works. I bet the fattier parts would make great confit too.
Goat meat is almost identical to lamb meat, IMO, or mutton, depending on the age of the goat. Low and slow will work, as will grinding/mincing. I have also heard of Mexican restaurants braising goat (as well as pork) in orange juice or a mix of orange juice and cola or root beer. I think your plan to smoke it and then braise it sounds pretty tasty, though I would probably just braise it since that would take less effort and still be delicious.
Perhaps I’ll smoke it for a bit, and then see if I can braise it in a pan in the smoker…
I’ll report back. With photos.
The place I was able to find goat meat has it sliced into portions about an inch thick, so I think it should cook rather nicely and won’t need 12 hours like a pork shoulder.
I wish I saw this earlier… barbacoa is the best with goat
6 guijillo chilies
10 allspice seeds
3 tbsp smoked cumin
2 tbsp smoked paprika
6 garlic cloves
2 tbsp dried oregano
1 yellow onion chopped
1/3 cup cider vinegar
Tbsp salt and fresh ground black pepper.
That stuff is to die for
Joe-
With cuts like brisket or pork shoulder, you need to get the internal temp up to around 205F.
That’s the point where the connective tissues break down and the meat gets very tender.
The meat will typically rise up to a temp in the 165ish range, and then stall. (Something about the meat internal moisture balancing the moisture in the smoking chamber or something like that). The rest can last a long time. A good way around it is to smoke it unfoiled and low (225 ish) until it hits stall, then foil it (spritz first with apple juice or your favorite spritz) and then warm it up to 275 and keep going until its done.
For wood, I’d go with something bold like mesquite or hickory.
Anyways, that’s how I would approach it if I was looking for “fall off the bone” tender.
HTH-
Cabritas just across the Rio Grande was so good. Roasted on a spit, that was some years ago.
I raise dairy goats and sell goat meat from the extra kids I have every year. If the goat meat comes from an older animal, slow gentle cooking works the best. Meat from younger animals can be cooked just like you would lamb or beef.
If you are getting a venison or mutton like flavor, the meat has not been prepared well and most likely comes from an older animal. I fit has a strong wild game flavor, it comes from an intact older buck.
The younger the goat and the less it relies on grain and hay for feed, the milder and more tender the meat will be. I milk feed my kids up to around 60 to 80 lbs before sending them to a USDA inspected butcher. Comes out the best tasting that way.
It didn’t come out as tender as I would have liked, but it was good. Cut into small pieces and put into the chili.
I smoked it, then wrapped with foil and OJ. The OJ either leaked out or cooked off…
I also did a chuck roast, which came out excellent.