Our meat goats are ready to butcher. This is our first time and I am not sure how to tell the butcher to do it. Can you tell me what are your favorite cuts? Is there anything I should avoid? Thanks, Renee'

-- Renee' Madden (RM6PACK@aol.com), October 11, 2000

Answers

Goat meat is not my favorite but whne I had dairy goats we would butcher the old ones when they could no longer have kids or make milk. I would grind all the meat, add pork fat and make Summer Sausage.

-- Hendo (OR) (redgate@echoweb.net), October 11, 2000.

Responding only to your title, probably the part about not having goats.

I've had a number of different meats, but to my knowledge never goat.

-- Ken S. in WC TN (scharabo@aol.com), October 11, 2000.

Backstrap/loin, in fact when the freezer is full I will give excess goats to my brother in law to butcher, he can have the whole thing if he brings me the loin all nice and pretty in a ziplock baggy! (When we broker large herds of goats the bucks are 99% of the timed killed for meat) I am really not a fan of cutting the carcass into steaks and chops, the meat doesn't have enough fat, so it is tough unless you cook it to death like in swiss steak. I prefer to scrape it from the bone, mix it with pork and use it in sausage. We will keep a rear leg intact now and then to boil and then smoke on the bar-b-que pit, it is really good shredded and fed as bar-b-que sandwiches. Vicki

-- Vicki McGaugh (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), October 11, 2000.

I have our butcher cut the legs and shoulders into big roast rather round steaks. We like the ribs slow cooked in a barbeque sause the best. Our butcher said he cuts our goats like he does a lamb.

-- lynda (Lyndadan@custertel.net), October 11, 2000.

I for one love Goat meat! Have 2/3 of the loin cut into chops, leave 1/3 for a roast (bone In). Front shoulders, use the shank for stew meat split the rest half steaks half roast, basicly the same for the ham but you should be able to get 2 roast and some steaks and stew meat. Have the ribs split and halved. Have the butcher remove the fel (thin membrane) from the meat.

My recomendtion for cooking are Chops and Steaks well seasoned on the grill. Roast are great in the Plastic roasting bags with seasoning a little onion and a real thin tomatoe sauce. Par-boil the ribs slighty and cook on`the grill or in the oven with BBQ sauce. Use the ground and stew meat in stews, chili and in casaroles. When prepareing meat make sure al the fel has be removed.

A 60 to 70lbs goat seems to have the best flavor, but many of my ethnic customers like a mature Billy.

You can find many recipes for chevron on the web. Their are a few Chevron cookbooks out there but you will have to look. You should have good luck with most lamb recipes but remember goat has less fat than lamb. Good Eating!!

-- Mark (deadgoatman@webtv.net), October 11, 2000.

Goatburgers are very good. I have also had goat barbequed Texas style. it was wrapped in wet newspapers and burlap, and then put in a pit that had coals in it, and covered up to cook for most of the day. That was the very best goat I've ever had. I think that good goat meat tastes far better than venison.

-- Rebekah (daniel1@itss.net), October 12, 2000.

When I lived on the Mexican border, goat meat was a favorite there. Cabrito is very good in all forms when cooked right. The Mexicans even use the intestines by cleaning them thoroughly, cutting them into small segments and then frying them until they are crispy. They are delicious that way! They are called tripas. It takes a long time to cook, but they are good. Good luck!

-- Julie (rjbk@together.net), October 12, 2000.

I've never had goat to cook with, other than mountain goat. I love to cook when I have the time, and I always wanted to try Fourteen Hour Leg of Lamb with goat instead -- you heat the oven to 200F, brown a 4-5 lb leg of (goat) lamb in a dutch oven about 7 minutes. Put 10 peeled garlic cloves on top, drizzle w/1/4 c. Olive oil, season w/salt and pepper. Cover and put in the oven to bake until tender (8-10 hours at 200F). It will give off a lot of juice. Increase heat to 300F. and add 2 lbs peeled quarter potatoes, 1 1/2lb med.white onions peeled and halved, 4 med. carrots cut into 1" pieces, cover again and continue to bake until the vegetables are tender and the meat falls off the bones (about 4 hours) 00 serve sprinkled with chopped fresh parsley.

If anyone tries this with a hunk of goat, let me know how you like the results...I still look for goat at the supermarket to try this on.

-- Julie Froelich (firefly1@nnex.net), October 13, 2000.

Thanks, everyone, for the ideas and recipes. I am looking forward to cooking that first roast! Renee'

-- Renee' Madden (RM6PACK@aol.com), October 13, 2000.

That slow-cook lamb recipe reminds me of a great looking recipe in the October issue of Food & Wine magazine, which is devoted to Italian cuisine. According to the author, you can eat that lamb with a spoon, so I bet goat would be a great substitute.

-- Leslie A. (lesliea@home.com), October 13, 2000.

Any low-fat meat (wild game, grass-fed beef or lamb, goat) needs to be cooked slowly and for a long time. (Not til dried out, however!) Sounds like some good recipes above -- I'll have to try the roast leg one!

-- Kathleen Sanderson (stonycft@worldpath.net), October 13, 2000.

Altho we keep only a pet goat now, we used to just butcher our goats out exactly as if they were deer meat. Add a little pork or beef fat where you would add it to deer. One thing that we did different was to hang it upside down by one leg, cut a small hole up high on the leg & fill the hide up with water from a garden hose. It blows up just like a water balloon & makes skinning a snap!

-- Okie-Dokie (tjcamp6338@aol.com), October 15, 2000.

Renee' I am also a lover of goat meat. On the young goats, I slow raost the whole back leg and remove it from the bone, then add my favorite hickory-smoked bbq sauce. even goat meat haters have liked it. On older does, I have all the meat taken off the bones and add beef suet and it is ground into goatburger. the burger is wonderful in chili, spaghetti, and all those kinds of hamburger recipes and my family liked plain-old-fashioned cheeseburgers with it too. Goat meat is delicious. I was told a long time ago by some wise person, not to cut thru the bones and not to use the goat fat as the "goaty flavor" is in the fat and released when you cut thru a large bone. Enjoy your gaot meat it really is good eating

-- Karen Mauk (dairygoatmama@hotmail.com), October 17, 2000.

I'm tickled to death to hear all ya'll out there talking good words about goat meat! I used to raise Nubians, mainly for milk/cheese, but had to learn to butcher them at some point. This was almost 15 yrs ago and haven't raised goats since. I sure miss it. A friend today brought me a rack of fresh-butchered goat ribs! I found this site hoping to find a "special" way to cook them and make sure they come out perfectly delish! (The best ribs I've ever eaten were from a young deer...I seared them in a big black cast iron skillet, covered them in a tomato-based sauce and cooked them on the wood stove, basting often. They came out so tender they nearly melted in your mouth just by thinking about eating them!) Anyone have any special "secret" recipe for these ribs I just rec'd? (It's been a while since I've cooked goat! But am sure thinking now of raising one for the freezer!) Thanks folks. Ya'll take good care. Keep smiling!

-- Horseshoe Griffin (mdhorseshoe@hotmail.com), December 24, 2001.