In the current issue of Edible San Francisco, Andy Griffin of Mariquita Farms writes about the meat that dare not bleat its name:
Arabs eat goat, Jews eat goat, Italians eat goat, Caribbean Islanders eat goat, Mexicans eat goat, Africans eat goat, and Filipinos eat goat. Actually, almost everybody eats goats except ethnically blanched gringos. So why has goat meat been so slow to gain acceptance in the U.S.?
Needless to say, Griffin’s a goat-meat booster—for Thanksgiving last year, he spit-roasted a goat under the tutelage of a Greek in-law—and he’s spent some time thinking about why more American “gringos” mostly aren’t. He thinks that immigrants like his own relatives, who mostly hailed from the British Isles, associated goat with poverty and abandoned it for beef here once they could afford it. But new immigrants have arrived hungry for goat. In fact, as ethnic populations who eat goat grow, raising breeds like the Boer has become a small growth industry. But the demand’s so strong that the market is still currently short 500,000 goats a year, and in the last decade the United States has gone from exporting goat meat to importing it, according to a study last year from the University of California Small Farm Center. The Boer’s relatively easy to raise on small lots of pasture and its red head can be seen across California, Griffin says, although the industry needs infrastructure like auction yards or more slaughterhouses that’ll process goat.
In order for goat to make the leap to upscale restaurants, Griffin thinks the meat needs an alternate name, a euphemistic noun like beef or pork: Right now goat meat goes by cabrito, capretto, or chevon. Until then, he says, “I’ll continue raising goats and selling them to my contacts like my Palestinian gas-station-owner friend or my Mexican workers.”
OK, I am a ‘Ethnically blanched’ gringo of Danish & German descent. I grew up on a small Goat Dairy in Oregon and consumed large amounts of chevon and lamb throughout my childhood. As a matter of fact, I ate so much ‘alternative’ meat (Elk, Venison, Bison) as a child that I can’t stand to eat beef. The flavor of beef is awful. Our palettes are educated when we are young, by our parents. If your parents raise you on only Beef, aside from the hardening of your arteries, you will probably snub your nose at the idea of eating chicken, pork, turkey and fish. It’s only a matter of time before it becomes the next food ‘craze’, just like Ostrich and Emu.
I’ll tell you what, when the ostrich push was on I fell on it, threw my arms around it, and hugged it like a brother- I LOVE ostrich, even at $10/lb even for ground ostrich, and it just about kills me to know it hasn’t taken off like it should have. Same goes for buffalo, but at least Trader Joe’s carries the ground burgers frozen sometimes
that said, I haven’t found goat for sale anywhere, or I’d sure have tried it. I’m pretty close to Mexico, too, being in Tucson. Anybody know where I can buy some cabrito in Tucson?
“Actually, almost everybody eats goats except ethnically blanched gringos.” Yeah, I see tons of African-Americans and Asians eating Goat. Jeez, White people are stupid.
someone asked where to find it. We found our first in a small African market on the edges of Columbus, Ohio. I bought a leg and it came with suggestions how to cook it too. The Ethiopians who sold it to me were much amused. Try the nearest big city and look for small ethnic groceries.
Um … beef doesn’t make your arteries harden. It’s the baked potato that you eat with it. As Public Enemy once said, don’t believe the hype.
That being said (and not to start a “what’s a proper red meat” flamewar), goat is awesome. A Mexican meat market opened up by me not too long ago and it was with joy that I purchased some goat with which to make curry. AWESOME!
At my restaurant in Kampala, Uganda – cafe Viva – the goat pillao is a big hit with locals, Indians and the other-coloureds. The secret is to first fry the goat in spices and then add the rice and the stock. We started doing a goat biriyani – and that’s the King of All Rice-Meat Dishes. At the end of the cooking process you drop some ghee on a piece of charcoal and seal the skillet. The smoked biriyani is like more gourmet than smoked salmon.This Saturday (1st Sept) we shall be at Kampala’s social event of the year – the Royal Ascot Goat Races – champers, marquees, top hats, and all. Like every other year we shall be roasting a whole goat. Slogan: cafe Viva Goat What Eats Take. Last year a group of Ethiopians wanted a whole goat just before closing. We sent out a man to the local market to pick one up. The ones who’d raced earlier in the day were securely padlocked in kraals not too far away, quite complacent they weren’t meant for THAT. Actually the goats do anything but race: They stop to smell the roses and graze the fences until they are prodded forward by the sponge-lined boom. Goat is THE choice red meat here; it commands a 25% premium over cow – oops, beef. Yes we give animals different names when they come to our tables, and a pseudonym could contribute to trying a new breed. 10% off to any reader of Chowhound on any of our products – got it?
Dear EWSflash:
I used to live in Tucson and there’s a divine taco joint on West Congress that sells cabrito tacos on Sunday. I don’t know their name, but the building is all white and it’s next to a paleteria, close to Grande. It was a Sunday morning ritual for me and I still long for it. Good luck! There’s goat treasure to be found in Tucson, I promise you…
We do need to call them something else. Pigs are so bright and pleasant and fun to know…best not to think about that while you’re scarfing down that lovely bacon, lard drippping off your chin!
I vote for cabrito. Rolls off the tongue with a flavorful flourish.
JUST IN TIME FOR THE HOLIDAYS — FRESH GOAT MEAT from Snow Ranch in Northern California.
Grass-fed, mountain pastured and free-grazing on 5 acres in California’s cleanest air county, Organic, Halal. Some supplemental grain treats were given now and then in hand-feeding and herding (corn, molasses, oat, barley, etc.). We do not vaccinate, hormone supplement, or drug our animals. Just open pasture, clean water, and clean shelter gives a disease free herd.
We produce USDA processed Chevon at $6/lb.+ S/H.(Depending on your location in the San Francisco Bay Area, that works out to around $8/lb. UPS delivered to your door.) We’re taking early holiday orders because we have too many unruly bucks now and they’re starting to overgraze the pasture!
Goats are presently live and on the pasture. When we have a full order, we’ll take them to the USDA/ Halal certified slaughterhouse and immediately ship out frozen. At this time, we can even email you a picture or movie of your selected goat.
Typical live goat weights are 60-120 lbs. Carcass weight is about 45% to 52% of that. We have about 400 pounds of goat meat available over the next month. We may put another 1200 pounds of our goat meat on the market in January. The standard cut is 1/2 a goat (about 30 to 60 pounds). Specialty cuts can be arranged.
To make an order, simply contact us. We’ll put you on the Reserve list. No payment is required until right before slaughter. Once the Reserve list is filled, we’ll put other interested parties on the Waiting List (for any cancellations). Right now, we’re entering into another kidding season with Cabrito soon available or Chevon in mid-2009.
Snow-Ranch@mchsi.com
707-263-3740
(From a recent response to a Chow.com user requesting a quote for Arizona shipment. Some additional info and suggested recipes for the thread).
BASE PRICE: $6/lb.
SHIPPING:
UPS Next Day Air®, 1 day in transit, 96.08 USD
UPS 2nd Day Air®, 2 days in transit. 46.29 USD
UPS Ground, 2 days in transit. 17.59 USD
…UPS Ground, 2 days, at $17.59 should be just fine unless you
prefer the shipment sooner.
HANDLING
13 3/8 x 11 3/8 x 10 7/8″ cooler and gel packs $13.34.
Orders will be arriving in packaging like this:
http://www.cameronpackaging.com/insulated_boxes.html
TOTAL PER 10 LBS: $73.34 ($7.33/ lb. average)
FRESHNESS
I’ll be able to give you a more exact time on meat degree of freshness once the goats are taken to market. Generally, it’s not more than a couple days of freeze and then your 2 days in transit.
RECIPES
Since your meat would be mostly from uncastrated bucks this season, the flavor should be closer to Halal (more lean, game-flavored, and stronger) versus Hispanic preferences for castrated bucks.
As for cooking, stewing is always good and my favorite. I like a little
spice and Tumeric with garlic, onions, butter, and anything I throw into the mix. Crock Pot cooking works well to tender the meat nicely while retaining flavor. Here are some links:
Goat Meat Curry
http://nainasrecipes.blogspot.com/2007/11/mutton-curry-goat-meat-curry.html
http://www.jackmauldin.com/goat_recipes.htm
Multiple recipes: Terry’s Too Easy Pot Roast, Bill’s Goat Meat, Marinate BBQ Riblets, Chops Jalepeno, Goat w/ Vegetable Sauce, Goat Meat Curry, Jamaican Curried Goat, Greek Goat Stew, Curried Goat.
…Recipes are really up to you. I’d suggest testing a little here and
there. So far, I have tried to match the ethnic dish recipes to the state of the goat at slaughter. Some recipes were meant for Cabrito. Many of the Hispanic recipes go well with any type of goat, but they especially love those dishes with Cabrito or castrated Chevon. Same for Italians and Greeks. Asians like a broad range
of the meats. The Mid-Eastern dishes typically go with any goat, but the Arab preferences are usually for uncastrated, young bucks within their Halal specifications. That’s what a picky chef of any of these ethnic dishes would be seeking where at all possible, but, in reality, most meat sold to any of these markets doesn’t provide the consumer with that degree of control and selection of the animal. I think, however, you’ll optimize the flavors and run more authentic to the finest ethnic dish where matching the slaughtered goat to that dish.
These particular meats I would prepare in Mid Eastern, curried, stew style — tender, flavorful, and with a little spice. That’s my own preference, however. I’ve never really liked just BBQ, grilled, or tough meats while hours in a crock pot makes everything soft and richly stewed. Garlic, onions, oregano, tumeric, and ginger make
everything nice to my own nose and tongue. Best I can say is to cook for what your nose and eyes really like, and you’ll always like the flavor. Maybe try a couple goat meat dishes at a restaurant and then pick the recipe you want to replicate from there.
If I can help you with anything else or answer any other questions, just let me know.