Grilled and curried goat

ponder · July 2014

So, after doing a few hours of research into goat recipes (and then promptly ignoring everything I had just learned in order to go my own way -which those of you who have read any of my previous posts will recognize as an approach that is typical for me),.. I have discovered, through taste testing, additions to my original marinade and cooking liquid recipes, reviewing other recipes which affirm my beliefs, drinking a beer or two and generally just throwing in whatever seems cool at the moment, that the proper way to prepare goat meat is to use a combination of marinades, spices, extracts, fruits, herbs, aromatics, beer, tomatoes and other acidic produce, beer, ginger, garlic and beer in such a way as to (very nearly but just quite fail to) remove any taste of goat at all from the goat meat. At the moment, it has a taste of curried armpit and hay...will see what a few hours in the slow cooker with said items above will achieve...

Little Steven · July 2014

I think you just havent added enough beer

caliking · July 2014

Ummmm... You're not doing something right. Goat is supposed to taste like goat, beef tastes like beef, pork tastes like pork, and so on. You're trying to achieve the grapple - an apple that tastes like a grape. And yes, that product did make it to stores. Not sure why.

Where did you buy the goat from, and how old was the animal? Maybe you're trying too hard. KISS . If grilling, start with just kosher salt, cayenne, and cumin, cook until medium and then tweak to your preference next time.

If you're looking for curry, find a Madhur Jaffrey recipe on the Internet and try it. She has made Indian cooking approachable for non Indian audiences for decades.

ponder · July 2014

I honestly think it's the meat. Produced in Australia and purchased in an international market in Nashville.... Probably about as good a decision as gas station sushi...

caliking · July 2014

Where do you live? Find your neighborhood Indian or Pakistani grocer and see if they have fresh goat available. Will almost certainly be superior to what you find prepackaged.

caliking · July 2014

Little Steven said:
I think you just havent added enough beer

... To the cook. The cook must always be well marinated!

HDumptyEsq · July 2014

@ponder. Your approach would be much the same as mine. I threw together a brisket chili this morning in the same way (spawned from my abortive brisket cook a couple of days ago), although I only used one beer.

@caliking's suggestion of Madhur Jaffrey's recipes is great. I have several of her books.

She also wrote a charming autobiography called "Climbing the Persimmon Trees". A worthy read.

ponder · July 2014

@caliking has me pegged. I am pulling a @henapple‌ and drinking while mowing...although most of my yard is on a hillside so I keep spilling my beer... I actually did use a sea salt, pepper and cumin rub before posting, then a marinade of garlic, onion, shallots, tomatoes, lime and yogurt. Then a quick sear on the meat. After reading the posts on Madhur Jaffrie, I was going to google a recipe, but then since it was already on the dvr I followed a Bal Arnesson yogurt and spice recipe for the curry. The kitchen smells like heaven right now... There really aren't any Indian or Pakistani restaraunts here where I live, so my only option for better grade of meat is to buy one off a farm I know that raises them. Had considered it since we have had Cabrito before and really liked it, but didn't want to waste the money or the meat in case we didn't like it enough to use the whole animal. So figured buying this and trying it was the best thing...the fact that this was the only package in the back corner of the store freezer that hadn't been torn open should have been a clue for me not
to buy it, but we really wanted to try it this weekend...and the only fresh I found was goat hearts yesterday at the 4 markets we went to

caliking · July 2014

Dude - you have access to farm fresh goat!?!? Why the hell didn't you say so?? And why are you mucking around buying it frozen from sketchy international markets?

Cabrito is sometimes too young for Indian /Pakistani recipes. If you buy off the hoof, then it absolutely should not be more than a year old. If you can eat beef, trust me you should like goat.

Again, I would start simple and see what you need to tweak it to your palate.

ponder · July 2014

I didn't want to go the fresh route and slaughter the animal before I knew whether or not we would actually eat it. Figured we'd try a small amount of frozen before doing that. We used to raise dairy goats before we started raising lambs...we just never ate any

Botch · July 2014

"...curried armpit..."

)

Back when I played in a band, we did a "graduation dance" for a tiny village in northwest New Mexico, wish I could remember the name of it. It was steeped in poverty. We asked the gas station attendant where the dance was, he pointed to a boarded-up building a short distance away and got a friend to show up with a hammer, to remove the nailed-on boards serving as the "front door". Dirt floor, two bare incandescent bulbs hanging from the ceiling, and two outlets on the wall we set up in front of.

As we were setting up excited townspeople would poke their heads in, smiling and often introducing themselves. After a quick soundcheck we were invited to the "cookout", outdoor food spread like I've never seen before. You could see everyone was wearing threadbare clothes, but they were all clean. The food, including the barbequed goat (okay, back on topic!) was phenomenal, never tasted anything like that since.

With everyone dancing on a dirt floor all night, we and our equipment were filthy by the end, but that was one memorable gig. Would love to know how they cooked that goat...

:-bd

ponder · July 2014

@botch that is an awesome story...what a memory to have! I just finished taking the goat out of the slow cooker where it has been most of the afternoon and evening...initial taste is really good. There is no longer any of that barnyard flavor, but you can tase the meat. I think I just got some substandard meat this time...no telling how many times it has been frozen and thawed on its way here...I also suspect it was from an older unwethered buck...same kind of off flavor you get in goat milk if you don't do things the right way. Anyway, it certainly turned out better than I expected.

Botch · July 2014

Glad to hear! I've learned never to judge any kind of meat, or technique, based on one sample. Meat is a living thing (well, except that it's dead now) and there are variations; twice now I've cooked two beef briskets, purchased at the same time, side by side, and one's fantastic and the other, not so much. It comes with the territory.

HDumptyEsq · July 2014

@ponder. My local Indian restaurant has goat various ways. The best is simple Goat Curry. The brown gravy is divine. So you have to make an excuse to come and sample it. Perhaps that appointment in Franklin……….

NPHuskerFL · July 2014

@ponder‌ gas station Sushi

)

ponder · July 2014

The meeting was cancelled...but I'm sure I can come up with something

HDumptyEsq · July 2014

@ponder. C'mon

fljoemon · July 2014

If you buy Australian goat, please wash the goat meat first in a solution of vinegar and water. It will definitely get rid of the taste you don't like. When I buy this from BJs warehouse, I use the vinegar solution and the rinse it thoroughly. Here's a recipe I use often: http://cookingwithlittlebuddy.com/indian-curry-cookbook-by-khalid-aziz/

ponder · July 2014

fljoemon said:

If you buy Australian goat, please wash the goat meat first in a solution of vinegar and water. It will definitely get rid of the taste you don't like. When I buy this from BJs warehouse, I use the vinegar solution and the rinse it thoroughly. Here's a recipe I use often: http://cookingwithlittlebuddy.com/indian-curry-cookbook-by-khalid-aziz/

@fljoemon‌ That's a good idea...I do sort of the same thing with wild rabbit and squirrel. The thing is, I really do believe it was the meat. We used to raise milk goats, and the bucks always stank to high heaven...not only because of their scent glands, but also because during mating they urinate over their legs and use them to mark territory and females. And that scent would even make its way into the milk, even if the buck wasn't in the barn...he just had to be near to the does. Eventually, we just paid for stud service so we wouldn't have to keep a buck on the farm...they're that bad. And goat milk, if done away from a buck, if done with the proper attention to sanitary practice, and if done in small batches where warm milk is not mixed in with cold milk or held for several days before drinking, DOES NOT taste like goat...it tastes no different than cow milk, except it is a little sweeter. Unless people were told, they didn't notice any difference, and even then they couldn't pick it from cow milk reliably....And although we never ate any of the goats we raised, I do know from people who do raise them that if the males are to be used for meat, they must be processed before 6 months of age...after that, they begin to develop the heavy musk scent commonly associated with goats. That can be kept up until one year, but you have to plan that and weather them before 2 months of age...once weathered they don't develop that tainted smell. The same also holds true with lamb...they can be raised for a year or more if they are weathered and they don't develop that strong mutton taste...I think I simply got either poor quality meat from an older animal, or I got meat that had been frozen and thawed multiple times before it reached the market. Many thanks for the link!

Grilled and curried goat

Comments

Categories