Eating Goat Abroad and at Home

Have you tried goat? While goat is the most consumed meat worldwide, it’s not popular in Western nations. However, goat has started appearing on more and more menus.

Goat meat is a great addition to your diet. It has a lower fat content than most meats — surprisingly, even chicken. It also has fantastic flavor. Younger goat tastes mild and sweet, while the older animals are rich and gamey. Most people would think it’s lean lamb, although darker in color, closer to beef.

In many parts of the world, goat and mutton are sold interchangeably. It’s a staple of cuisines from Asia, Africa and South America, and no major religion has restriction of goat meat.

Goat meat seems to put off English speakers, so it is now marketed as ‘chevron,’ or by borrowing the Spanish “cabrito” or the Italian “capretto”. It’s cheap too, as low as $5 a pound.

Over the last decade, international demand for goat has grown from $150 million to more than $400 million. Goat meat consumption has doubled each decade since 1980 in the United States, but is still limited to 4 percent of the meat market.

Goat is ideal for many dishes, especially ethnic meals. Many curries and stews are designed with goat in mind. Indian, Mediterranean and African countries have fantastic recipes. Try an Indian goat vindaloo, or a Moroccan goat tagine.

Goat can be used for almost any lamb recipe: chops, kebabs, leg, shoulder or rib roasts. While goat meat is generally lean, it has high moisture content so it will be tender if cooked correctly.

Like BBQ? The city of Brady in Texas hosts an annual goat cook-off with hundreds of entries. It’s been held every year since 1973, usually in September.