October 13th, 2010 | Lamb and Goat | 1 Comment »
Goat meat is a great option for New Englanders who are interested in locally raised hormone-free, grass-fed sources of animal protein. Many small-scale local farms are now raising goat, which makes it not too difficult to find at farmers markets and natural food stores. I buy my goat meat from Riverslea Farm in Epping, New Hampshire. Their goats and lambs are pasture-raised without antibiotics or hormones.
As you can imagine, goat tenderloin is quite small, compared to that of pork. The meat is also much leaner, making a quick high-temperature sear a good option for cooking. Marinating tenderizes the meat nicely, and since the tenderloins are thin, an hour is enough time for the meat to absorb the flavor and soften.
In this case I used a dry tempranillo to break down the meat and a little bit of dried thyme to impart an herbal flavor. The result is tender and juicy with a flavor richer and more earthy than beef.
Marinated Goat Tenderloin – serves 2
4 goat tenderloins
1/3 C dry red wine
1/3 C olive oil
1 t dried thyme
1 clove garlic, crushed and diced
1/2 t salt
olive oil
Whisk together the wine, oil, thyme, garlic and salt.
Arrange the goat tenderloins in a marinating dish, pour the wine mixture over the meat and toss to be sure the meat is coated. Refrigerate 30 minutes.
Flip the meat and continue to return to the refrigerator for another 30 minutes.
Remove from marinade and drain well.
Heat a slick of olive oil on a griddle over medium high heat. Place the tenderloins on the griddle and cook 2 -3 minutes on either side until crisp and brown. Using tongs, be sure to sear the entire surface.
Serve hot over a nice starchy, buttery side. It is almost winter after all.
July 5th, 2010 | Lamb and Goat, Yankee Cook Recipes | No Comments »
I came across gooseberries and currants at my local farmers market the other day and immediately thought of the goat rib chops we have in the refrigerator from Riverslea Farm in Epping, New Hampshire. Wouldn’t they make a lovely relish?
Not wanting to ruin the goat in case the relish idea failed, I decided to test it out with lamb rib chops first. While lamb has a milder flavor and is not as lean as goat, both provide a strong savoriness that begs for a little sweetness.
Both gooseberries and currants are tart. Combining the two allows the flavors to layer for added complexity. The first time around, I made the relish as you see in the recipe below – with 1 cup of water and 1/2 cup of brown sugar. I tweaked it for the goat, using less water and sugar and found that the gooseberries and currants really do need that extra sweetness. The currants also need the added moisture and simmer time to soften the seeds inside of the berry. The second time around with less water and sugar turned out to be too tart and too dry: see the relish fail here. The goat chops were fantastic though.
So, although the relish below looks like the makings of a jam, it really works nicely with goat and lamb – like the mint jelly your Grandfather used to have with lamb chops, except much, much better.
I served the lamb over a bed of steamed garlic greens – a combination of young kale, New Zealand spinach and pepper greens – a gift from our neighbor’s garden. It’s just so nice when 90% of a meal is that fresh and local. The goat was arranged around a mound of mashed red potatoes.
On the nutritional side of things, currants contain more antioxidants than blueberries and loads of vitamin C. Gooseberries are high in vitamin A and C. Goat is lower in cholesterol than pork or lamb.
Goat vs. Lamb? Either. If it’s a choice between locally raised goat or lamb that’s been shipped from another hemisphere, I’d go with the goat. Goat definitely has a stronger flavor, but the two are similar. If you like that tangy lamb flavor, you’ll most likely enjoy goat.
Goat or Lamb Rib Chops with Gooseberry Currant Relish – serves 2
3/4 C gooseberries
1/2 C currants
1 C water
1/2 C brown sugar
1 rack of lamb or goat ribs
1 T paprika
salt
olive oil
Begin with the relish. Remove the stems from the currants. Remove the stems and the little fuzzy things from the gooseberries (see pic). Bring water to a boil in a small saucepan. Add the sugar, stir to dissolve and add the gooseberries and currants. Lower heat slightly and simmer for 20 – 30 minutes until reduced.
Meanwhile, separate the rack into chops if this hasn’t already been done. Rub with salt and paprika. Heat oil on a griddle over medium high heat. Add the chops. Cook for 4 minutes on either side. Using tongs, adjust the ribs to sear all sides.
Plate over steamed greens or mashed potatoes, if desired, with relish served on the side.
Ingredient Origins: gooseberries and currants – Massachusetts; brown sugar – unknown; goat rib chops – New Hampshire; lamb rib chops – Australia; paprika – Spain; salt – Maine; olive oil – Italy
March 28th, 2010 | Lamb and Goat, Yankee Cook Recipes | No Comments »
We drove out to the fair hamlet of Rollinsford, New Hampshire on Saturday to hit up the Seacoast Eat Local Winter Farmers Market. It was a blast and a half. There were winter vegetables, apples, cheeses and meats, along with baked goods, handmade crafts and live music. As tempted as I was to buy a string of sleigh bells for the front door, we stuck to food stuffs: duck eggs from Yellow House Farm in Barrington, Camembert from Brookford Farm in Rollinsford, veal from Kelly Brook Farm in Greenland, a top round roast from the General Butler Farm in Nottingham, pork loin from Lasting Legacy Farm in Barrington and goat from Riverslea Farm in Epping.
Whenever I see goat meat I think of our trip to Corsica, which is known for charcuterie, goat cheeses, and meats raised naturally on wild grass and the fresh mountain air of the island’s interior. This recipe is based on the types of dishes we enjoyed so much on our trip to Corsica. I used herbes du maquis – a combination of herbs commonly found in the Corsican Maquis – myrtle, thyme, rosemary and bay. If you can’t find a jar of herbs du maquis, you can go ahead and make your own from those ingredients.
Goat meat is leaner than other meats, so it’s best braised low and slow. The result is a tender texture and flavor that’s somehow sharp and mellow at the same time. A common side dish for this would be chestnut flour polenta, but if you can’t find chestnut flour (which I couldn’t) corn-based polenta is fine too.
Corsican-Style Braised Goat – serves 2
1 T olive oil
1/4 – 1/2 t salt
1 T herbes du maquis (or a combination of myrtle, thyme, rosemary and bay)
1 lb boneless goat leg meat, cut into 1 1/2 to 2 inch cubes
1 onion cut into wedges
1 clove garlic, peeled and diced
1 C red wine
Be sure the goat meat is not wet or it will not brown – dry with paper towel if necessary. Toss with salt and herbs.
Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees.
Heat oil in a dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onions and meat and sear all sides – this should take less than 5 minutes.
Pour wine into the hot dutch oven to deglaze, scraping up any bits from the bottom. Add garlic. Place in oven and braise, covered, for 30 minutes. Remove cover and continue to cook another 30 minutes.
Serve meat and onions over polenta or rice and drizzle with the liquid.
Ingredient origins: Olive oil – Italy; Sea salt – Maine; Herbes du Maquis – Corsica; Onion – California; Garlic – New Jersey; Wine – Spain
Goat meat is a great option for New Englanders who are interested in locally raised hormone-free, grass-fed sources of animal protein. Many small-scale local farms are now raising goat, which makes it not too difficult to find at farmers markets and natural food stores. I buy my goat meat from Riverslea Farm in Epping, New Hampshire. Their goats and lambs are pasture-raised without antibiotics or hormones.
