Any student earning a culinary arts certificate online masters the art of preparing beef, pork, fish and poultry. However, goat is one type of meat that’s gaining renewed attention from diners today. At restaurants across the country, chefs are discovering exciting ways to prepare and serve this delicious alternative.
For those learning their craft in culinary academy, goat presents countless possibilities. Learn some of the classic recipes featuring this meat, and then find out about the intriguing new ways chefs are placing it in the spotlight. You may find goat is the perfect choice for developing your own fantastic dishes.
What makes goat great
Though it’s seen less commonly than beef or pork on American tables, goat meat, also commonly referred to by the French term chevon, has a long history in the cuisines of many cultures. It appears as a staple meat throughout many African regions, is served raw in thin strips as yagisashi in Japan and shows up in some forms of the Indian rice dish biryani.
“Goat meat has a long history in the cuisines of many cultures.”
The Great British Bake Off winner Nadiya Hussain provided a recipe for such a biryani to the BBC. The directions call for two pounds and four ounces of goat meat cut into cubes with the bones removed. The meat is browned, combined with basmati rice and flavored by cinnamon sticks, ginger, black peppercorns, bay leaves, chili powder, turmeric, coriander, yogurt, prunes, peppers, sea salt and the Indian spice mix garam masala.
Erik Ramirez, chef at the Peruvian-inspired New York City establishment, Llama Inn, is another chef showing off the delectable possibilities of goat. His take features seared and braised neck meat in a beer glaze with a cilantro sauce. He explained the motivation behind the turn toward goat to Bon Appetit.
“Goat is so flavorful compared to other meats. It’s grassy, barnyard-y,” he said. “We get so used to seeing lamb, pork, and beef on menus; we know what those taste like. It’s time for something different.”
Goat can be prepared in many intriguing ways, including as part of a lasagna.Goat on the menu
Many other chefs have answered the call to develop tasty recipes prominently featuring goat. Drawing on a wide variety of cultural influences and cooking techniques, they have brought diners new appreciation for the meat’s unique qualities and versatility.
At Dos Urban Cantina in Chicago, guests dig into modern spins on classic Mexican dishes from chef Brian Enyart. Among the options are albondigas, or meatballs served in a broth, made with goat meat. This version is presented in a black mole along with a variation on gnudi – ricotta dumplings with Italian roots – that features masa.
Another Chicago establishment invites diners to enjoy meat taken from many parts of the goat’s body. The Girl & the Goat offers items like a goat liver mousse made with pickled watermelon rind, apple butter and basil-lemon pickles, as well as goat empanadas accompanied by a miso and blue cheese aioli and squash-apple slaw or, by special order, goat legs. The goat shank is served with maitake mushroom. rosemary vinaigrette. pickled watermelon rind. pepitas and a jus featuring additional flavor from apple.
Austin culinary arts students who prefer some spice with their meat can try a burger made with goat barbacoa at The Jackalope. The Chupacabra Burger is topped by Monterey Jack cheese, jalapenos, pickles, green salsa and a ghost pepper aioli.
Tail Up Goat in Washington, D.C. offered another exciting way to enjoy the namesake animal. The lasagna is also piled with kale, anchovy and salsa verde. For those who don’t eat traditional noodles, there’s even option to enjoy this goat dish with gluten-free, housemade pasta.
Goat meat has inspired plenty of creativity in chefs. You can jump onboard with this trend by finding your own way to make this extra-tasty meat a part of your dishes.
