Goat meat is an out of the box meat that yields delicious results
When cooking with meat, many of us fall into the routine of only using beef or chicken, with the occasional pork dish thrown in once in a while. However, every meat comes with its own unique properties and flavours, so branching out your meat menu can really help to spice up your evening meals and make dinnertime more exciting.
Goat meat is a lean meat that has a similar juicy taste to beef but is generally less fatty. The deep, earthy flavours work well alongside strong spices, and is best cooked slow on a low heat in order to tenderise the meat.
Here are a few key tips to help you make the most of your goat meat cut.
Shop in the right places
You probably won’t be able to find goat meat at your local supermarket, but don’t let that put you off. By shopping at specialist butchers, you can find a much wider variety of meat, including delicious cuts of goat meat. Even better, these days you don’t even need to leave your house to get goat meat, thanks to online butchers like Dorset Meat Company who deliver premium cuts of meat straight to your door.
Learn the language of meat while you shop, too. Words like ‘chevon’ (older goat meat) and ‘cabrito’ (younger goat meat) may come in useful.
Know your cuts
Like beef or pork, there are lots of different cuts of meat to choose from. Each one of these cuts has a different texture and flavour, and requires a different cooking method. For example, some of the most popular cuts of goat meat include chops, goat legs, leg steaks and shoulder cuts, all of which are best marinated and roasted.
Then there are cheeks, which are best stewed, and cubed or minced goat meat, which can be stewed on or off the bone.
Learn how to bring out your flavours
Because goat meat is a lean meat, blasting it with very high temperatures can result in a tough meat for eating. Therefore, it’s always best to slow cook your goat meat in order to break down tendons and to generally tenderize the meat.
Cook your goat meat with plenty of moisture, as the low fat content means the meat needs lots of moisture to help it stay juicy as it cooks. Unlike many other meats, goat meat should never be served rare. It is always best to thoroughly cook your goat meat in order to make it as appealing as possible.
Goat meat is also best serviced with flavourful additions, like herbs and spices. It is the ideal meat to use when cooking Mexican, Middle Eastern and Indian dishes.
Cooking the perfect goat meat stew
If you’re keen to create the perfect goat meat stew, start by cubing the meat into around 1-inch pieces. Next, marinate your meat with carrots, celery, onions and pepper. Add a teaspoon of salt and half a teaspoon of pepper. Cover the bowl and allow the mixture to marinate for at least two hours. If you really want the meat to soak up the flavour, refrigerate the bowl and leave it overnight.
Next, brown off the meat and veg in a bowl and add the mixture to a slow cooker. Add stock and tomato paste to the mixture and leave it to stew. You can also add any spices you want at this point to really hammer home the flavour. Keep your mixture on a low temperature and cook for two hours, adding extra moisture when necessary. Then you’re ready to serve and enjoy!