Goat
CategoryMeat and poultry

Cookbook | Recipes | Ingredients | Equipment | Techniques | Cookbook Disambiguation Pages | Ingredients | Meat and poultry

Goat is a variety of red meat. Young goat meat may be called kid or cabrito; adult meat is sometimes called chevron.[1][2][3]

Characteristics

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Generally speaking, cuts of goat meat are entirely analogous to those of other red meats like beef or lamb/mutton. However, unlike that of other domesticated livestock, goat meat is almost all lean and tough.[2][1] The exceptions to this rule are the back leg (if stripped and pounded), rib chops, loin chops, and tenderloin.[4] Notably, in areas where the meat is less common, the cuts may be neither standardized nor optimally suited for the characteristics of goat meat.[4] For example, an inexperienced butcher may include quick-cooking and long-cooking meats on the same cut.[4]

Young goat has a pretty mild flavor,[2][3] and it is not all that different from beef or lamb. The meat of older animals—and especially older males—has a strong flavor that could be described as gamey.[3]

Selection and storage

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In areas where goat is not common, the best place to look for it is specialty purveyors, such as halal or Caribbean butchers.[2] Otherwise, you can probably find it with your local meat supplier. Use the same criteria as other meat to select a high-quality product. It should have good coloration, with no sliminess or off-odors.

Store fresh goat like all other red meat (and most other meat in general). Store it in the fridge, well-wrapped, for a couple days. For longer storage, wrap well and freeze. Thaw in the fridge.

Consumed worldwide—though not particularly popular in the Global North and West—goat is found in a variety of cuisines and dishes.[5] For example, it is popular in the Caribbean, the Balkans, and the Middle East, where it may be stewed, curried, or spit-roasted.[3][5]

Unless you're working with the few tender, quick-cooking cuts described above, you will likely want to cook goat meat with low, slow, moist methods like braising.[1][2] Because of its high connective tissue content, the meat will yield a relatively high amount of gelatin, which provides richness and flavor to your dish. It goes well with strong flavors.[2]

Substitution

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Recipes

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References

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  1. a b c Chesman, Andrea (2015-09-19). The Backyard Homestead Book of Kitchen Know-How: Field-to-Table Cooking Skills. Storey Publishing, LLC. ISBN 978-1-61212-205-2.
  2. a b c d e f Kelly, Rachel (2014-08-15). "How to cook goat meat" (in en-GB). The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2014/aug/15/how-to-cook-goat-meat-recipes. 
  3. a b c d Davidson, Alan (2014-01-01). Jaine, Tom (ed.). The Oxford Companion to Food. Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/acref/9780199677337.001.0001. ISBN 978-0-19-967733-7.
  4. a b c "Goat meat, the final frontier" (in en-US). Washington Post. 2023-05-18. ISSN 0190-8286. https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/food/goat-meat-the-final-frontier/2011/03/28/AF0p2OjC_story.html. 
  5. a b Labensky, Sarah R.; Hause, Alan M.; Martel, Priscilla (2018-01-18). On Cooking: A Textbook of Culinary Fundamentals. Pearson. ISBN 978-0-13-444190-0.