Goat meat

Peter Aitken said:

[snip] The end result
was that after spending a few minutes watching two gentlemen cut up
a goat, I went home with 5 pounds of goat meat. I am eagerly
anticipating trying it my own recipes - bones and all!

And you'll give us recipes, right?

Quoted message said:

I know that the bones that most goat meat comes with put some people
off. But it is really tasty, and I find that the bones are a help in
forcing one to eat at a leisurely pace that is more conducive to
enjoyment.

Yes, it's like benches around the table instead of chairs -- somehow
gnawing on bones promotes greater camaraderie.... -aem

"Peter Aitken" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

We were out and about today and had lunch at our favorite Indian

restaurant.

Quoted message said:

One of their best dishes is a goat curry, and I got talking with the owner
about it. He told me that they got their goat from a halal grocery just

down

Quoted message said:

the block - so naturally I went down there to look around. The end result
was that after spending a few minutes watching two gentlemen cut up a

goat,

Quoted message said:

I went home with 5 pounds of goat meat. I am eagerly anticipating trying

it

Quoted message said:

my own recipes - bones and all!

Peter Aitken

I'm now convinced the chinese food we bought from a vendor at the art show
in Davenport, Iowa was actually goat meat. John said to me, "What kind of
sliced meat has all these bones in it? It looked like ribs sliced across to
include round pieces of the bone. Tender as can be, delicious and with a
nice glaze. I shrugged and said, "As long as it wasn't your dog, who
cares?" It was probably goat. I have nothing against goat. Well, okay, I
have something against those key-hole looking pupils. They just look like
they spell trouble...

Jill

"aem" <[email hidden]> wrote

Quoted message said:

Yes, it's like benches around the table instead of chairs -- somehow
gnawing on bones promotes greater camaraderie.... -aem

Not to mention there is a reason for the saying, the closer
to the bone, the sweeter the meat. I rarely cook boneless
meat.

nancy

The best meat I've ever had was goat jerky.
The husband of my mother's aunt (who was
dying of cancer at the time) had made some
goat jerky from a feral goat he had shot.

Shooting goats on Kauai is a good thing,
because they're tearing up the environment
and displacing non-native species. Of
course, that wasn't his motive for shooting
the goat, it was just free meat.

That jerky was incredible. It wasn't hard
or leather-like at all. In terms of texture,
it was like the filo layers of a piece of
baklava.

I was about 10 years old at the time.
There are very few food experiences that
are so good they inspire life-long memories.
For me, that one is at the top of the list.

aem said:

Peter Aitken said:

[snip] The end result
was that after spending a few minutes watching two gentlemen cut up
a goat, I went home with 5 pounds of goat meat. I am eagerly
anticipating trying it my own recipes - bones and all!

And you'll give us recipes, right?

Quoted message said:

I know that the bones that most goat meat comes with put some people
off. But it is really tasty, and I find that the bones are a help in
forcing one to eat at a leisurely pace that is more conducive to
enjoyment.

Yes, it's like benches around the table instead of chairs -- somehow
gnawing on bones promotes greater camaraderie.... -aem

Yeah, but the bones in goat curries are lethal. All kinds of
sharp edges. And there only a miniscule amount of meat and
a ton of the damn bones! I've cut my mouth trying to eat
goat curry with all the bones in it. Camaraderie, schmamaraderie.
If I'm eating with others I don't eat that fast anyway as we
are always talking. Don't need the bones to slow me down.

Kate
--
Kate Connally
“If I were as old as I feel, I’d be dead already.”
Goldfish: “The wholesome snack that smiles back,
Until you bite their heads off.”
What if the hokey pokey really *is* what it's all about?
[email hidden]

Nancy Young said:

"aem" <[email hidden]> wrote

Quoted message said:

Yes, it's like benches around the table instead of chairs -- somehow
gnawing on bones promotes greater camaraderie.... -aem

Not to mention there is a reason for the saying, the closer
to the bone, the sweeter the meat. I rarely cook boneless
meat.

nancy

I cook nothing but, if I can help it. If you bone the
meat the meat that was once next to the bone does not
become "less sweet" because the bone has been removed,
does it? About the only meat where I like the bones
left in is bbq ribs and chicken wings and fried chicken.

Kate

--
Kate Connally
“If I were as old as I feel, I’d be dead already.”
Goldfish: “The wholesome snack that smiles back,
Until you bite their heads off.”
What if the hokey pokey really *is* what it's all about?
[email hidden]

Mark Thorson said:

That jerky was incredible. It wasn't hard
or leather-like at all. In terms of texture,
it was like the filo layers of a piece of
baklava.

Overdried. Happens to home-made beef jerky, too.

--Blair
"Should be the consistency of basketball."

On Mon, 28 Mar 2005 16:11:03 -0500, Kate Connally <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

aem said:

Peter Aitken said:

[snip] The end result
was that after spending a few minutes watching two gentlemen cut up
a goat, I went home with 5 pounds of goat meat. I am eagerly
anticipating trying it my own recipes - bones and all!

And you'll give us recipes, right?

Quoted message said:

I know that the bones that most goat meat comes with put some people
off. But it is really tasty, and I find that the bones are a help in
forcing one to eat at a leisurely pace that is more conducive to
enjoyment.

Yes, it's like benches around the table instead of chairs -- somehow
gnawing on bones promotes greater camaraderie.... -aem

Yeah, but the bones in goat curries are lethal. All kinds of
sharp edges. And there only a miniscule amount of meat and
a ton of the damn bones! I've cut my mouth trying to eat
goat curry with all the bones in it. Camaraderie, schmamaraderie.
If I'm eating with others I don't eat that fast anyway as we
are always talking. Don't need the bones to slow me down.

I am baffled. Is the skeletal anatomy of a goat that different from a
sheep? Or is it incompetent bandsaw butchery? What bones are these
that everyone is talking about?

Rodney Myrvaagnes NYC J36 Gjo/a

"Accordions don't play 'Lady of Spain.' People play 'Lady of Spain."

"Rodney Myrvaagnes" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

On Mon, 28 Mar 2005 16:11:03 -0500, Kate Connally <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

aem said:

Peter Aitken wrote:
> [snip] The end result
> was that after spending a few minutes watching two gentlemen cut up
> a goat, I went home with 5 pounds of goat meat. I am eagerly
> anticipating trying it my own recipes - bones and all!
>
And you'll give us recipes, right?

> I know that the bones that most goat meat comes with put some people
> off. But it is really tasty, and I find that the bones are a help in
> forcing one to eat at a leisurely pace that is more conducive to
> enjoyment.

Yes, it's like benches around the table instead of chairs -- somehow
gnawing on bones promotes greater camaraderie.... -aem

Yeah, but the bones in goat curries are lethal. All kinds of
sharp edges. And there only a miniscule amount of meat and
a ton of the damn bones! I've cut my mouth trying to eat
goat curry with all the bones in it. Camaraderie, schmamaraderie.
If I'm eating with others I don't eat that fast anyway as we
are always talking. Don't need the bones to slow me down.

I am baffled. Is the skeletal anatomy of a goat that different from a
sheep? Or is it incompetent bandsaw butchery? What bones are these
that everyone is talking about?

Goats do tend to be less meaty, but you can certainly buy goat chops, leg of
goat, etc. In many cultures it seems to be traditional to cut up the bony
parts of the animals into 1-2" chunks with the bones and use this for stews,
curries, etc. Part of it is avoiding waste I am sure, but it's also true
that this kind of meat tends to be the most tasty - think oxtails,
shortribs, spareribs. I feel sorry for people who are so fearful of a few
bones that they miss out on some terrific eating.

--
Peter Aitken

Remove the [censored] from my email address before using.

Rodney Myrvaagnes said:

On Mon, 28 Mar 2005 16:11:03 -0500, Kate Connally <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

aem said:

Peter Aitken wrote:
> [snip] The end result
> was that after spending a few minutes watching two gentlemen cut up
> a goat, I went home with 5 pounds of goat meat. I am eagerly
> anticipating trying it my own recipes - bones and all!
>
And you'll give us recipes, right?

> I know that the bones that most goat meat comes with put some people
> off. But it is really tasty, and I find that the bones are a help in
> forcing one to eat at a leisurely pace that is more conducive to
> enjoyment.

Yes, it's like benches around the table instead of chairs -- somehow
gnawing on bones promotes greater camaraderie.... -aem

Yeah, but the bones in goat curries are lethal. All kinds of
sharp edges. And there only a miniscule amount of meat and
a ton of the damn bones! I've cut my mouth trying to eat
goat curry with all the bones in it. Camaraderie, schmamaraderie.
If I'm eating with others I don't eat that fast anyway as we
are always talking. Don't need the bones to slow me down.

I am baffled. Is the skeletal anatomy of a goat that different from a
sheep? Or is it incompetent bandsaw butchery? What bones are these
that everyone is talking about?

Well, it's usually the vertebrae. But I think the meat
is cut with a saw into chunk so there are sharp edges to
the pieces of bone. If the bones were just disjointed
it wouldn't be such a problem.

Kate

--
Kate Connally
“If I were as old as I feel, I’d be dead already.”
Goldfish: “The wholesome snack that smiles back,
Until you bite their heads off.”
What if the hokey pokey really *is* what it's all about?
[email hidden]

Peter Aitken said:

"Rodney Myrvaagnes" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

On Mon, 28 Mar 2005 16:11:03 -0500, Kate Connally <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

aem wrote:
>
> Peter Aitken wrote:
> > [snip] The end result
> > was that after spending a few minutes watching two gentlemen cut up
> > a goat, I went home with 5 pounds of goat meat. I am eagerly
> > anticipating trying it my own recipes - bones and all!
> >
> And you'll give us recipes, right?
>
> > I know that the bones that most goat meat comes with put some people
> > off. But it is really tasty, and I find that the bones are a help in
> > forcing one to eat at a leisurely pace that is more conducive to
> > enjoyment.
>
> Yes, it's like benches around the table instead of chairs -- somehow
> gnawing on bones promotes greater camaraderie.... -aem

Yeah, but the bones in goat curries are lethal. All kinds of
sharp edges. And there only a miniscule amount of meat and
a ton of the damn bones! I've cut my mouth trying to eat
goat curry with all the bones in it. Camaraderie, schmamaraderie.
If I'm eating with others I don't eat that fast anyway as we
are always talking. Don't need the bones to slow me down.

I am baffled. Is the skeletal anatomy of a goat that different from a
sheep? Or is it incompetent bandsaw butchery? What bones are these
that everyone is talking about?

Goats do tend to be less meaty, but you can certainly buy goat chops, leg of
goat, etc. In many cultures it seems to be traditional to cut up the bony
parts of the animals into 1-2" chunks with the bones and use this for stews,
curries, etc. Part of it is avoiding waste I am sure, but it's also true
that this kind of meat tends to be the most tasty - think oxtails,
shortribs, spareribs. I feel sorry for people who are so fearful of a few
bones that they miss out on some terrific eating.

It's perfectly possible to have perfectly delicious
goat dishes without any bones in them. The meat next
to the bone is not any better tasting than the meat 1/4
inch away. Bone the damn meat! Sheesh! I've never
missed out on any terrific eating because of "fear" of
bones. But I sure as hell leave them out when I do
the cooking and if there are 2 Caribbean restaurants
to choose from and one had bones and the other doesn't
you know which I'm going to choose. And that has
happened and I know from experience that their goat
curries are equally delicious.

Kate

--
Kate Connally
“If I were as old as I feel, I’d be dead already.”
Goldfish: “The wholesome snack that smiles back,
Until you bite their heads off.”
What if the hokey pokey really *is* what it's all about?
[email hidden]

"Kate Connally" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Peter Aitken said:

"Rodney Myrvaagnes" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

On Mon, 28 Mar 2005 16:11:03 -0500, Kate Connally <[email hidden]>
wrote:

>aem wrote:
>>
>> Peter Aitken wrote:
>> > [snip] The end result
>> > was that after spending a few minutes watching two gentlemen cut
>> > up
>> > a goat, I went home with 5 pounds of goat meat. I am eagerly
>> > anticipating trying it my own recipes - bones and all!
>> >
>> And you'll give us recipes, right?
>>
>> > I know that the bones that most goat meat comes with put some
>> > people
>> > off. But it is really tasty, and I find that the bones are a help
>> > in
>> > forcing one to eat at a leisurely pace that is more conducive to
>> > enjoyment.
>>
>> Yes, it's like benches around the table instead of chairs -- somehow
>> gnawing on bones promotes greater camaraderie.... -aem
>
>Yeah, but the bones in goat curries are lethal. All kinds of
>sharp edges. And there only a miniscule amount of meat and
>a ton of the damn bones! I've cut my mouth trying to eat
>goat curry with all the bones in it. Camaraderie, schmamaraderie.
>If I'm eating with others I don't eat that fast anyway as we
>are always talking. Don't need the bones to slow me down.
>
I am baffled. Is the skeletal anatomy of a goat that different from a
sheep? Or is it incompetent bandsaw butchery? What bones are these
that everyone is talking about?

Goats do tend to be less meaty, but you can certainly buy goat chops, leg
of
goat, etc. In many cultures it seems to be traditional to cut up the bony
parts of the animals into 1-2" chunks with the bones and use this for
stews,
curries, etc. Part of it is avoiding waste I am sure, but it's also true
that this kind of meat tends to be the most tasty - think oxtails,
shortribs, spareribs. I feel sorry for people who are so fearful of a few
bones that they miss out on some terrific eating.

It's perfectly possible to have perfectly delicious
goat dishes without any bones in them. The meat next
to the bone is not any better tasting than the meat 1/4
inch away.

Not true in my experience.

Quoted message said:

Bone the damn meat!

I defy anyone to bone some of these pieces without a scalpel and microscope.
The teeth and fingers are by far the bes tools.

Quoted message said:

Sheesh! I've never
missed out on any terrific eating because of "fear" of
bones.

How do you know if you avoid bones like the plague as you seem to?

Quoted message said:

But I sure as hell leave them out when I do
the cooking and if there are 2 Caribbean restaurants
to choose from and one had bones and the other doesn't
you know which I'm going to choose. And that has
happened and I know from experience that their goat
curries are equally delicious.

Given your intense dislike of bones it is hard to believe that you could
perform an unbiased comparison. If you prefer boneless meat, fine, but don't
tell me and thousands of others that our experiences are invalid because
*you* can't taste the difference.

--
Peter Aitken

Remove the [censored] from my email address before using.

"Kate Connally" <[email hidden]> wrote

Quoted message said:

It's perfectly possible to have perfectly delicious
goat dishes without any bones in them. The meat next
to the bone is not any better tasting than the meat 1/4
inch away.

I could not disagree more. If I don't think I can eat
the whole chop or ribeye, whatever, I will save the
bone and eat that and the meat around it right then
and there.

Perhaps someone can explain why the meat is so much
more tender and delicious around the bone. Fact is,
don't come near me with a boneless pork chop, no
thanks.

nancy

On Tue, 29 Mar 2005 11:35:01 -0500, "Nancy Young" <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

"Kate Connally" <[email hidden]> wrote

Quoted message said:

It's perfectly possible to have perfectly delicious
goat dishes without any bones in them. The meat next
to the bone is not any better tasting than the meat 1/4
inch away.

I could not disagree more. If I don't think I can eat
the whole chop or ribeye, whatever, I will save the
bone and eat that and the meat around it right then
and there.

Perhaps someone can explain why the meat is so much
more tender and delicious around the bone. Fact is,
don't come near me with a boneless pork chop, no
thanks.

The meat near the bone doesn't get cooked as fast as the meat farther
away. Think of how chicken thighs and deboned chicken thighs cook.

Cooking with the bones adds flavor. The marrow is rendered out adding
flavor and body to the gravy. Personally, I don't like worrying the
bones at the dinner table, so I will bone the meat as best I can and
then make broth from the bones to add to the dish as it cooks. When I
do that though, the meat is added much later in the cooking process to
keep it from over cooking.

Peter Aitken said:

[snip]
Part of it is avoiding waste I am sure, but it's also true
that this kind of meat tends to be the most tasty - think oxtails,
shortribs, spareribs. I feel sorry for people who are so fearful of a
few bones that they miss out on some terrific eating.

No, they should be *encouraged* to continue to avoid bones. That keeps
the demand, and therefore price, down for us. I remember when flank
steak was the favored cut for Chinese food at home because it was
cheap. Then it got discovered and is now priced like steak. Pork
seems to be working in the opposite direction. Those boneless
so-called "chops" have become so popular that the price of real chops
-- when you can find them -- is staying down. -aem

Peter Aitken said:

"Rodney Myrvaagnes" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

On Mon, 28 Mar 2005 16:11:03 -0500, Kate Connally <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

Yeah, but the bones in goat curries are lethal. All kinds of
sharp edges. And there only a miniscule amount of meat and
a ton of the damn bones! I've cut my mouth trying to eat
goat curry with all the bones in it. Camaraderie, schmamaraderie.
If I'm eating with others I don't eat that fast anyway as we
are always talking. Don't need the bones to slow me down.

I am baffled. Is the skeletal anatomy of a goat that different from a
sheep? Or is it incompetent bandsaw butchery? What bones are these
that everyone is talking about?

Goats do tend to be less meaty, but you can certainly buy goat chops, leg of
goat, etc. In many cultures it seems to be traditional to cut up the bony
parts of the animals into 1-2" chunks with the bones and use this for stews,
curries, etc. Part of it is avoiding waste I am sure, but it's also true
that this kind of meat tends to be the most tasty - think oxtails,
shortribs, spareribs. I feel sorry for people who are so fearful of a few
bones that they miss out on some terrific eating.

Thanks Peter. I feel better. I will definitely try some goat the next
time some comes to the Greenmarket. I have seen it there.

Rodney Myrvaagnes NYC J36 Gjo/a

"Biologists think they are chemists, chemists think they are phycisists,
physicists think they are gods, and God thinks He is a mathematician." Anon

Peter Aitken said:

I defy anyone to bone some of these pieces without a scalpel and microscope.
The teeth and fingers are by far the bes tools.

Quoted message said:

Sheesh! I've never
missed out on any terrific eating because of "fear" of
bones.

How do you know if you avoid bones like the plague as you seem to?

Quoted message said:

But I sure as hell leave them out when I do
the cooking and if there are 2 Caribbean restaurants
to choose from and one had bones and the other doesn't
you know which I'm going to choose. And that has
happened and I know from experience that their goat
curries are equally delicious.

Given your intense dislike of bones it is hard to believe that you could
perform an unbiased comparison. If you prefer boneless meat, fine, but don't
tell me and thousands of others that our experiences are invalid because
*you* can't taste the difference.

I don't want to get into a food fight here (sorry) but I like to
braise lamb shanks. I don't think anyone would suggest boning them.

So, for a first take at goat, would braised shanks be a reasonable
thing to do? Fair way to get an idea of goat?

TIA

Rodney Myrvaagnes NYC J36 Gjo/a

"Biologists think they are chemists, chemists think they are phycisists,
physicists think they are gods, and God thinks He is a mathematician." Anon

"Rodney Myrvaagnes" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Peter Aitken said:

I defy anyone to bone some of these pieces without a scalpel and
microscope.
The teeth and fingers are by far the bes tools.

Quoted message said:

Sheesh! I've never
missed out on any terrific eating because of "fear" of
bones.

How do you know if you avoid bones like the plague as you seem to?

Quoted message said:

But I sure as hell leave them out when I do
the cooking and if there are 2 Caribbean restaurants
to choose from and one had bones and the other doesn't
you know which I'm going to choose. And that has
happened and I know from experience that their goat
curries are equally delicious.

Given your intense dislike of bones it is hard to believe that you could
perform an unbiased comparison. If you prefer boneless meat, fine, but
don't
tell me and thousands of others that our experiences are invalid because
*you* can't taste the difference.

I don't want to get into a food fight here (sorry) but I like to
braise lamb shanks. I don't think anyone would suggest boning them.

So, for a first take at goat, would braised shanks be a reasonable
thing to do? Fair way to get an idea of goat?

TIA

Beats me. I have eaten goat at restaurants quite a few times but have not
yet cooked it at home. I do have 5 lbs waiting for me in the freezer,
however!

--
Peter Aitken

Remove the [censored] from my email address before using.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I defy anyone to bone some of these pieces without a scalpel and microscope.
The teeth and fingers are by far the bes tools.

When I pressure cook goat meat, the bones are very easy to find.
If you know the butcher, get a whole leg and don't use the band-saw method.
blacksalt