Serve with parsnip- cauliflower mash for an easy dinner
If you are a meat eater, which meats would you usually consume?
You might list beef, chicken, turkey, pork, and fish. But what about goat? My husband has always loved eating goat. But I admit that we don’t eat it very often as it is hard to find in mainstream butcheries.
I know a Halal butcher in town which stocks goat, already diced with bone in (the best way for a curry) but I admit that I seldom venture into the city.
But recently I was excited to discover that Danny from my favourite organic butcher stocks goat in all cuts so I bought a lovely leg to slow roast.
I was surprised to learn that goat meat rivals pork for worldwide consumption, with it being more popular than beef, poultry, or fish.
Part of the reason for its popularity is that the goat is a very useful animal that requires relatively little effort to care for. An acre of grass can sustain 10 goats versus two cows. And, we all know that goats are hardy creatures that forage, including washing off the line!
What I like about goat is that it isn’t a “mass-produced” meat. Rather, it is usually the product of small, local farms which are generally organic and grass fed. Also, goats are less damaging to the grasslands than cattle, making them a truly sustainable meat animal. From a nutritional point of view, goat has less fat than beef OR chicken and has comparable protein to red meat.
It is an old-fashioned belief that male meat is stinkier than female meat in cooking these days, as goat meat is generally slaughtered for eating when very young, particularly in males before maturity. (The ‘goaty’ smell is derived from older meat with musk glands and testosterone.) I think it has an even lighter, sweeter, flavour than lamb and understand why my husband loves it!
1.5kg goat leg 1 teas coriander seeds 1 teas cumin seeds 3 cardamon pods 1 stick cinnamon 1/4 teas peppercorns 6 cloves 1 teas salt 3 cloves garlic 1 knob turmeric 1 knob ginger 40g olive oil 2 large onions, quartered 600g tomatoes 3 bay leaves 2 pieces preserved orange or lemon skin, julienned 10 green or black pitted olives 30g currants 100g red or white wine or water 30g slivered almonds toasted handful fresh coriander, chopped to garnish Toast the spices and salt in the TM for 6 minutes on SP slow VAROMA temp. Mill on SP 10 for 10 seconds. Add the garlic, turmeric & ginger, and chop on SP 6 for 10 seconds. Add the oil and saute on SP 1, VAROMA temp for 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes and turbo once or twice to chop before adding the bay, currants, preserved peel, olives & wine. Stir through. Place the onions in the base of a heavy casserole dish and the goat leg on top. Pour over the sauce mix and bake, covered in a 130°C oven for 4 hours.* Check that the meat is falling off the bone before garnishing with the almonds & coriander before serving. * You can do this in the slow cooker as well. Cook for 6 hours on low, turning over halfway.
Isn’t this a cute goat?
