I must admit, years ago I was apprehensive about trying goat, but really didn’t have any reason specifically why I was apprehensive other than ignorance. I grew up thinking that goats just hung out in petting zoos making milk and cheese for the select few that cared about goats milk and cheese. Much of the world already enjoys goat meat, and in the search for sustainable solutions, folks in the states are also beginning to catch on.
The first time I ever enjoyed goat was in the Caribbean, when I lived on St. John at the Eco Friendly (and now unfortunately defunct) Maho Bay Camps. The work exchange program I participated in there allowed me to live like a local, and it’s a memory I look back on fondly. The cool thing about St. John is the untouched tropical land, and the wild goat and donkey population there. Goat is a staple in many local dishes, and one of the more popular dishes I tried was the goat curry. The lean meat was cooked to perfect tenderness with just the right combination of spices.
I’ve been trying out a couple of different recipes to mimic the taste of the goat curry, and came across this one, which is my favorite so far. It’s also paleo friendly and if you check your spice source, gluten-free. I’ve read that some Springdellians have had trouble cooking the meat until tender, and in this case, the slow cooker assures a tender and delicious product.
Fellow blogger Ashley over at My Heart Beets brings us this (my favorite version to date) using the following ingredients:
- 2 pounds goat meat
- 2 red onions, chopped (I used yellow onions from the Winter CSA)
- 1.5 inch knob fresh ginger, minced (I grated mine)
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tablespoon ghee
(see below for my preferred brand of ghee)
- 4 cloves (whole)
(I used 1/4 tsp of ground cloves)
- 2 cardamom pods
(I omitted)
- 1 tablespoon coriander powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin powder
- 2 teaspoon salt (adjust to taste)
- 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon kashmiri chili powder
(if using cayenne, which I did, about 1/2 teaspoon is a good substitute)
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1-2 Serrano pepper, minced (I used 2 jalapeños frozen from the Summer CSA, please adjust your preferred spiciness accordingly)
- 1 (28 ounce) can organic diced tomatoes (I used a bag of fresh diced tomatoes from the freezer0
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
, add more to taste
- ½ – 1 cup water, depending on how thick you’d like the curry
Goat shoulder is a great cut, very meaty and very tender when cooked slowly. A good cut of goat has pink meat, not easily confusable with beef, but not as pale as a pork chop. The cuts you’ll find at Springdell are spring goats, which are what you want when shopping around for goat meat. (Have you heard the term “old goat?” well, it’s true that you don’t want to eat one. That’s when you get into tough and gamy meat.)
I wanted to give a shout out to this brand of ghee (available at Amazon). If you are not going to make your own ghee (I’ve tried, and some things are just better left to the professionals), this is a very good tasting brand.
Ashley’s recipe calls for stirring every hour or so, but if you’re not home, no worries, I found the stir to be optional.
An hour from the end of the cook time is when you add the garam masala, tomatoes, and water if using.
Here’s what you end up with. The meat is easily shredded with two forks and a tiny spoon to scoop out the marrow makes for a perfect pre-dinner treat.
Voila! It’s pretty darn good. 2 frozen jalapeños gives it a kick (especially since a frozen pepper becomes a more potent pepper), but the kids still tried it and liked it.
This was my go to goat curry recipe was adapting from before I tried Ashley’s. Guy Fieri’s version feels a little more down and dirty to me. Guy’s recipe is actually courtesy of Cassie Simmonds of the Jawaiian Irie Jerk Restaurant in Honolulu, HI.
This one uses straight curry powder (rather than mixing the curry spice by spice), and throws in fresh basil, with a more creamy coconut milk version. The soy sauce and the basil depart from the other curry dish but it’s a flavor I can appreciate with goat meat as well. If you’re new to curry this may be a recipe to try, but only with the agreement that it won’t be your last time trying curry. Curries can vary soon much in flavor. Here are the ingredients for this one:
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup curry powder
1/4 cup chopped garlic
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoon crushed red pepper
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 pounds goat meat, cut into 2-inch chunks
Here are some Springdell carrots and onions, along with some green pepper halves (frozen from the summer CSA and looking as fresh as the day I froze them!)
Whichever way you go, I hope you like this use for your goat. As I continue to search for the perfect curry, please leave your suggestions in the comments so that we may all continue to learn from each other. Thanks for tuning in!