Wondering how to cook goat? Here’s a braised goat recipe for a shoulder chop, or any cut suitable for braising.

A lot of people in the US are not familiar with eating goat. Some people are under the misconception that goat is gamey or has an odd texture. I assure you it does not! It’s a lovely meat that tastes much like beef, yet raising goats can take fewer resources than raising cattle. Make sure you get your goat from a butcher you trust, and that the animals were 100% pasture raised by a local rancher. It takes some work to seek out butchers and farmers you can trust, but once the work is done you can relax and enjoy.

Recipe for cinnamon braised goat shoulder with blood orange

Ingredients

• Pasture raised goat shoulder chop, or any other suitable cut (around one pound)
• 6 oz home made beef stock, made from gelatinous bones (bone broth)
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• Yellow onion (one whole if small, or half if large)
• 1 large carrot
• 1 other vegetable of your choosing (I used zucchini here)
• 1 or 2 large sprigs of fresh mint
• 2 whole cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon or so of cinnamon
• 3-5 freshly ground coriander seeds
• Dried tangerine, orange or blood orange rinds
• A few pieces of dried parsnip
• Olive oil for browning

Method

• Season goat with salt, pepper, garlic, cinnamon and coriander one day ahead
• Preheat oven to 300º F
• Chop fresh vegetables
• Brown goat well on both sides, remove to baking dish
• Brown carrot and onion, remove to baking dish
• Add to baking dish: fresh mint sprigs on top of goat; whole cloves; beef stock; pieces of dried parsnip; dried citrus rind
• Cover tightly (baking dish should be big enough to just fit ingredients – they should be snug – and the lid should be tight fitting and slightly domed) and braise in center of oven for two hours
• After two hours, turn the oven up to 400º F, remove lid, remove sprigs of mint, and cook for 30 minutes more
• If you are using another less sturdy vegetable (like zucchini, which should not be overcooked), you can add those now and let cook just until done
• Remove from oven and plate, serving remaining sauce over the top, with chopped fresh herbs if you like, such as cilantro or mint
• The last stage of cooking (after you remove the lid) will require some vigilance – you want the liquid to reduce to a fine sauce but not so much that the food burns or dries out

Substitutions

Broth: Thinking of using watery broth or canned, store bought? Forget it. It will not turn out properly.

Parsnip: This adds a delicious earthy flavor, but you can skip it. Some of you won’t have it on hand, and to my amazement, I’ve recently learned that some people detest parsnips. Who knew? So if you are a parsnip hater, fear not. Just omit this and carry on.

Where do I buy dried parsnip? I don’t, of course. When parsnips are in season, I use a vegetable peeler to slice them thinly and then dry them in a dehydrator. I put the slices in a small Mason jar and keep it in my pantry. It’s lovely in all kinds of soups and braises, or chopped up and sauteed with mushrooms.

Citrus peel: This is the last of the blood orange peel I dried and saved from earlier this year when they were in season. Orange peel is okay, but I prefer tangerine or blood orange. This is another great example of not letting foods go to waste. Not just to be frugal, but because items like citrus rinds add a lot to food and you’ll be thrilled to look in your pantry and see a Mason jar or two of the peels you saved. It just makes you a better cook. Make sure you wash your citrus before you peel it, though. That way you can have clean peels to dry. You’ll notice I don’t remove the peels before serving. I think they are quite delicious, and they are rendered very tender from the long braise.

Dried sour cherries: No, I did not add them to this recipe, but they would be delicious in here. Or a dash of pomegranate molasses.

Find out how to select and buy the healthiest, sustainably raised local meats: meat buying guide.