Bartolini Roast Goat

Capra dell’Arrosto di Bartolini

Roast Goat 1

Today’s recipe is one that comes from mid-last century, maybe earlier, though the actual cut of meat used in this post differs. Here, we roasted a goat shoulder. Back in the day, an entire baby goat was roasted.

For many families, a roast of some sort marks an occasion as being special. Roast turkey or goose, baked ham, beef Wellington, or even Veal Prince Orloff, among others, may be the main course of the celebratory meal. Up until I was about 5 years of age, a baby goat was the Bartolini roast of choice for celebrations. As Zia recalls, a young goat was prepared for each of the 6 of our births — my 2 siblings and 3 cousins. I recall goat being served for Easter when I was very young. In fact, against Mom’s orders, I went down into the basement one year and found the kid. I barely had time to say “Awww” before I felt a tap on my shoulder and a well-placed hand on my behind as I was ushered back up the stairs. Even so, of the 2 of us kids in the basement that evening, I fared far better than the four-legged one. Long after we two-legged kids were in bed, Dad went into the basement and “prepared” the goat for the holiday meal. As I recall, that was the last year that roast goat was served and lamb replaced it as the meat of choice for Easter. That didn’t last long because my siblings weren’t at all fond of lamb. Mom switched to some other roast, I’m sure, but, as I’ve mentioned before, my attention was focused upon the platter of ravioli. Nothing else on that table mattered.

Although I posted a recipe for braised goat with harissa, we’ve not roasted goat in the “old way” in decades. My poor Zia. I cannot remember what I had for lunch yesterday — or to add flour to a cookie recipe — and I’m asking her to remember how we roasted goat more than 5 decades ago. She never fails to rise to the occasion, however, and today’s recipe is the latest proof.

As is the case with all of my family’s roast recipes, the method is simple, with relatively few herbs/spices being used, allowing the flavor of the meat to shine through. The only difference between this dish and the ones served years ago is that I made a sauce with the pan’s juices while the roast rested. Except for the Thanksgiving turkey, my family rarely made a sauce or gravy to accompany a roast.

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Roast Goat 2

Start of the braise

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Bartolini Roast Goat Recipe

Ingredients

  • 1 goat shoulder, about 4 lbs (1.8 kg)
  • 4 whole garlic cloves
  • rosemary
  • olive oil
  • salt and pepper
  • 1 cup dry white wine
  • the juice of 1/2 lemon
  • about a dozen new potatoes or 3 large cut into smaller equal sizes
  • flour
  • stock (chicken or vegetable)
  • dry white wine
  • butter
  • lemon zest for garnish

Directions

  1. Pre-heat oven to 350˚ F.
  2. Place a couple tbsp olive oil in a roasting pan with lid over med-high heat.
  3. Add the goat pieces and cook until browned on all sides. (See Notes)
  4. Place the garlic, rosemary stems, lemon juice, and wine into the pan, cover, and place all into the pre-heated oven.
  5. After 15 minutes, add the potatoes to the pan, stir, cover, and return to the oven.
  6. After 45 minutes more, remove the pan’s lid, again stir the potatoes, raise the oven temperature to 375˚, and roast — lid off — for another 15 minutes.
  7. Goat will be ready when it reaches a temperature of 145˚. Let rest covered for 15 minutes before serving.
  8. While the roast rests, add an amount of flour equal to the amount of juices in the pan’s bottom. Over medium heat, stir the 2 to make a roux and allow to cook for a couple of minutes. Add a little stock, and then wine, to make a sauce, stirring constantly to prevent lumps while the sauce thickens. Add as much wine and/or stock needed to get the consistency that you wish. Check for seasoning, take it off the heat, and add a tbsp of butter to finish the sauce before serving.
  9. Serve the goat with the sauce, garnished with fresh lemon zest, if desired.

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Roast Goat 4

End of the braise

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Notes

Depending upon how the meat was cut, you may have limited success browning all sides of the shoulder. Just do the best you can.

Zia loved the ravioli made from the roast duck leftovers so much that she made ravioli filling with the leftover goat. That filling is tucked safely away in her freezer waiting for my return to Michigan, when we’ll spend an afternoon making roast goat ravioli. I’ll post the recipe shortly thereafter.

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It’s déjà vu all over again …

apple-blossom 1With our farmers markets starting to close down for the year, about the only things left in any abundance are squash, apples, and pears. I love all 3 but this is the time of year when I make apple sauce. If you’ve not prepared it before, you will be amazed at how easy apple sauce is to make. Best of all, if you choose the right apples, there will be no need to add any kind of sweetener. You can see how it’s made by clicking HERE.

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Coming soon to a monitor near you …

Crostata Preview

Crostata

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101 thoughts on “Bartolini Roast Goat

  1. I only learned to enjoy goat as an adult. I never saw goat on any menu or in any home while growing up in Maine. I think the goat ravioli sounds pretty good!

    Liked by 1 person

    • Goat isn’t really common here, either, Maureen. I happen to live near a rather international area, “Little India”, and a number of the butchers have goat. Something I learned only last year and I’ve lived here 16 years!!! Im looking forward to the goat ravioli, too. 🙂

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  2. My focus would be on the plate of ravioli, too. My adult palate has come to appreciate goat and the thought of a goat ravioli made with the leftovers sounds really special. This “old way” of roasting looks brilliant and it is just my luck that I have found goat at one of our local Halal butchers. It is not a common meat found in British butchers. Can’t wait to see your jam crostata.

    Liked by 1 person

    • I was a fan of Mom’s ravioli from Day One. For each holiday, she would prepare a large meal, incredible in every way, and all I did was ask for more ravioli. Only after she insisted, did I begrudgingly taste a few of the other dishes but I kept my eye on that platter. I get my goat from halal butchers, as well. Remarkably, I’ve a few of them within walking distance. Even though I’ve lived here 15 years, only last year did I learn they sold goat. Since then, I’ve spent more time walking that area, learning what else it has to offer.

      Liked by 1 person

  3. Love your family’s method of roasting: “simple, with relatively few herbs/spices being used, allowing the flavor of the meat to shine through.”
    Goat and lamb are two meats I have not yet developed a palate for but I think substituting a pork shoulder would be just as wonderful and delicious.

    Liked by 1 person

  4. I can’t say goat was on the menu at my house when I was a child. Mum had trouble roasting a leg of lamb. I can’t get the thought ogf you in the basment with the kid and being caught. Naughty little John

    Liked by 1 person

    • I was the type of kid that loved every animal I saw and had a virtual zoo of pets growing up. Mom knew that if I saw that baby goat, I’d want to keep it, so, I was banished from the cellar. I don’t recall what they told me but I didn’t connect that holiday meal with the kid I saw. It took me a while before I put together the pieces to that puzzle. 🙂

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  5. Love it – this is pretty much how we do it too (and our lamb) and as you say, keep the flavourings simple and just allow the taste of the meat to shine through. So funny – out of the 2 kids in the basement, you came off better 😉 Haven’t coem across goat in any of the butchers on the south coast of England – will have to ask at the farmer’s market!

    Liked by 1 person

    • When we watch today’s Italian chefs on cooking shows, Zia always mentions the number of spices and herbs that are used. She and Mom never had most of them in their cupboard, and, what they did have was used in baking. Having prepared so many of the family recipes, I can say that I’ve seen the light. Less is more, especially with a flavorful meat like goat or lamb. I hope your hunt is successful. I know I’ll be getting another shoulder in the cold months ahead. 🙂

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  6. One doesn’t see much goat in supermarkets throughout much of the US. One finds it in ethnic markets everywhere, and it’s common in regular supermarkets in places like west Texas where they raise goats. But I’ll bet most people in the US have never tasted goat — and they don’t know what they’re missing. It has wonderful flavor, and I think it’s at its best when simply roasted like this. Although braised is good too, and I’ve never had it in ravioli! That’s a brilliant idea. Fun post — thanks.

    Liked by 1 person

    • You may not remember but after spending years asking for goat, I was surprised last year to find it at a few halal butchers within walking distance of my home. (I’ve since spent more time in that area, learning what else they’ve to offer.)
      Goat ravioli was all Zia. When we talked about making duck ravioli, there was no doubt that the meat leftover from this shoulder would be used for ravioli filling. I cannot wait to get back to Michigan for that ravioli dinner. 🙂

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    • Yes, goat is not so readily available. I get mine from halal markets nearby. This method is one my family used with pork and lamb, as well. Less is more when my family roasts meat and minimal herbs and spices are called into play.

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  7. Wow. This is amazing. That really is a tradition. The only time I really can get goat around here is in an Indian place. This is almost biblical old school. I like how you acknowledge that a roast usually signifies a big occasion. In my family brisket ushers in the new year. And other major holidays too and the birth of kids. So funny. Beautiful post.

    Liked by 1 person

    • First off. I love brisket and wish my family had made it more often.
      Funny you mention your Indian market. I live about 1/2 mile from Little India and I buy my goat from one of the butchers along that “strip”. For whatever reason, goat fell out of favor — or maybe it was too closely associated with childbirth and Mom and Zia said “No more!” 😀

      Liked by 2 people

  8. This I can do! One question, at the 45 minute mark when the oven temp is raised to 375, do you cover pan again for that last 15 minutes? We just had roasted lamb shanks last night, so I’ll wait awhile to try this recipe.
    I love the pan…looks well loved 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

  9. Oh dear, although I spent a lot of time on my grandparents farm & watched hogs and chickens getting ‘prepared’ for dinners, I still have a soft spot in my heart for goats. matter of fact, my neighbor & I have been considering buying a couple as pets and poison ivy/weed eaters. She has the barn & I’d split the maintenance. That said, I’ve never tried goat meat but it does look like a delicious roast.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Yes, we lived in the city but Grandpa brought home live chickens to be “prepared.” I watched it all and, once I’d grown a little, was “allowed” to clean the chickens.I can remember being warned to carefully remove the yolks, They went into that day’s pasta. Soon I graduated to the rabbits and pheasants Dad brought home from his hunting trips. You couldn’t pay me enough to do any of that today. 🙂

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    • I searched for goat for years and was shocked to find it — at more than one place — about 1/2 mile from my home. Halal butchers all have it, Stefan. As I recall, Amsterdam has a number of Indian restaurants. If you cannot find goat on your own, perhaps one of those restaurants will share with you where they get the goat for their goat curry.
      How could you not prepare this sous-vide? I look forward to that post. 🙂

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  10. Great post, John. Jody and I once lived in a neighborhood where a Brazilian family across the street from us acquired a certain notoriety after a pair of young goats were seen being led into their basement… never to emerge again. I’ve never had straight ahead roasted goat this way – always in curry – and I’m curious how the flavor differs from lamb after your observations about your siblings preferring the former over the latter. Is lamb actually stronger tasting than goat? Thanks. Ken

    Liked by 1 person

    • Gosh, Ken! I shudder to think what some of our neighbors must have thought. 🙂
      I find goat to be less strongly flavored than lamb. On the taste spectrum, I’d place pork first, then goat, and then lamb – and I’d rate all 3 delicious! 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

    • Goat is a lean meat and I find that its taste ranks somewhere between pork and lamb. A simple preparation like this one works very well with it. That’s Mom’s crostata and it was always a bit hit for the holidays.

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  11. Goat ravioli…. WOW! you really take Italian cooking to amazingly high levels, and it’s so wonderful that you save cooking projects for later with Zia – what a sweet thing to do!

    Looking forward to the ravioli project, and of course, the crostata has me here drooling and dreaming… 😉

    Liked by 1 person

    • You are too kind, Sally. Thank you so much. I have learned so much working with Zia and just asking for her opinion that I will be forever in her debt — and we’ve both eaten very well in the process. 🙂
      Those crostata were a holiday treat that Mom prepared every year. This was my first attempt at replicating her recipe and if the opinions of the Tasters that live above me matter, I came pretty darn close. 🙂

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  12. I had never tasted goat until I travelled, but it’s relatively easy to find here at Farmers Mkts and Halal and specialty butchers, even non ethnic restaurants are serving it. Our weekly roast when I was a kid was usually lamb, dry baked with no herbs or spices, the vegetables cooked in the pan around the meat, then gravy made with the pan juices exactly as you have done. I’ve tried many fancy ways of making a roast dinner but plain and simple is what I prefer. It’s wonderful that Zia still has sharp long term memory recall to help you recreate your family dishes. As I’m commenting your crostata is popping out of the screen, it’s time for breakfast!

    Liked by 1 person

    • Last year, I was very surprised to learn that Little India, a street within walking distance of my home, has several Halal butchers, all of which have goat. I’ve been on that street countless times, going to restaurants and spice shops but never once entered one of the butchers. Now, they’re my source for goat and lamb shoulder. I’ve learned through my family recipes that less is definitely more. After all, the reason I buy lamb or goat is for their distinctive flavor. Why add a variety of spices and herbs? I’m not trying to mask that flavor. I give all credit to my Zia. We’ll be reminiscing during which some dish will be mentioned and she knows what’s coming. I’ve learned so much from her it’s hard to put into words.

      Liked by 1 person

  13. I’m so pleased you are singing the praises of goat meat. We’re fortunate goat meat pieces & dice are sold at our local Big Supermarket. Roasts I’ve picked up at the Italian supermarket at Haberfield. And I prepare them much as you do, simply, letting the flavour shine and the sauce is always amazing. I’ve not made roast goat ravioli (or any kind of ravioli! – yet) but roast goat ragu is a must for leftovers 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    • Thanks, EllaDee. If I’ve learned one lesson from Mom and my Zia, it’s that less is more. They’re spice collections were beyond minimal — yet the dishes coming out of their kitchens were incredible. Both Sisters understood that balance and fresh ingredients are the keys to Italian cooking and not a laundry list of ingredients. I’ve just purchased some minced boar for a ragù and now you have me thinking about using goat. I definitely have to get back to that butcher. 🙂

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  14. Oh yummy!!! Love lamb but oh so like goat! Was going to say Mr Google was going to get asked for on line sources soonest but looking at Ella’s and ladyredspecs’ comments [both from Down Under] perhaps I should ask one of the seven supermarkets in the vicinity first 🙂 ! Not much hope here in the country and most people here would not even know what a halal butcher is but perhaps I have not known to look!! Oh am kind’of happy I live where I do tho’ because our farmers’ markets are open throughout the year . . don’t know how happy I would any longer be in your climate . . . and thank you so much for bringing back memories: remember cooking Veal Orloff as a young bride – husband dear so loved it!

    Liked by 1 person

    • How lucky you are to have farmers markets all year ’round. Some of ours have closed already and “my” market has 2 Saturdays yet to go. It’s understandable, however, because nothing grows up here from just about November to May. I have to laugh when people self-righteously declare that they refuse to eat frozen vegetables! Yeah? Well move here and we’ll talk in January.
      I do like strong flavored food. None can to too “gamey.” I love lamb and goat, though not as strong tasting, is rapidly becoming a new favorite. I’ve a feeling that once Zia and I make that goat ravioli, I’ll be buying more goat as soon as I get back to Chicago. Its possibilities are endless.
      I’m glad that the Veal Prince Orloff brought to mind some warm memories for you. I mentioned it because it is a key component in a scene from what has become an iconic episode of an American sit-com. I’m sure it went over the head of most of my readers but for those of us of a certain age, it’s pure gold. 🙂

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  15. I love the stories of your childhood. I love how special occasions were celebrated with a special meal. I’m ashamed to say I’ve never eaten goat. I know it’s eaten widely around the world but somehow, not in my corner of the globe. We grew up with a Sunday roast being very much a part of our lives. It was mostly a leg of lamb. I’ve recently seen goat in a few specialty butcher’s shops and so with the help of your very traditional recipe (that looks amazing), I will buy a shoulder and give this a try xx

    Liked by 1 person

    • Not until I started this blog, Charlie, did I realize how many of my childhood memories were tied to some dish or meal. It caught me totally unaware. And it works both ways. A recipe may bring to mind memories and vice versa. It’s true for all of us Bartolini. Roasts were very much a part of our celebrations but, as I mentioned, my eyes were focused on the ravioli. Someone else will need to be asked specifics as to what else was served. 🙂

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  16. Ate curried goat in Jamaica but wasn’t a fan.
    I know your’s is succulent and wonderful, though.
    I am thinking about that platter of ravioli, the applesauce and the tempting Crostata. Great photo of that upcoming treat! Mmmmmm.
    Sad that the Farmer’s Markets are coming to a close. The winter seems to loom already.
    Good to see you back, John.
    🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    • I’ve been itching to try curried goat, Ruth, but your comment has given me pause. Perhaps there’s more than one way to curry a goat. I hope so!
      I cannot approach a holiday without thinking about that platter of ravioli and the looks on the faces of our dinner guests. And then Mom brought out the turkey or lamb or whatever. None could believe it. Of course, for me, she couldn’t bring out the other dishes quickly enough. I wanted people to lay off the ravioli an fill up on everything else. I was the best “roll passer” you’d ever see at a holiday table. I’d do whatever it took to keep you away rom “my” ravioli. 🙂
      The crostata is another of Mom’s holiday treats. It wasn’t Christmas until she brought these out of the kitchen. After all these years, they haven’t lost their appeal in the slightest.

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    • Certainly, Kat. My family is old school Italian. There were minor changes but, with roasts, the recipe was the same: garlic, rosemary, white/red wine, lemon juice & zest, olive oil, salt and pepper. Depending upon the dish, parsley, thyme, or marjoram might be added, too. WIth this recipe, pork or lamb shoulder could easily be substituted and you’ll have a great meal. 🙂

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    • Thanks, Liz. The recipes from the past few weeks have really hit a chord with me. This Fall/Winter’s shopping lists are nothing like last years. Duck and goat are on the top. 🙂

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  17. I have never had goat, but I think I can safely assume I’d like it. I think most roast meats are delicious. In Southern California goat is often served in tacos. I’m used to seeing the word “birria” on the menus, but I’ve never ventured a try! I think the problem is that I picture a scene very similar to what you encountered in your family basement…that is just the funniest story. I can only imagine as a child that you must have been very curious about what was going on down there. It’s kind of a marvel that you didn’t give up entirely on eating meat! Thanks for a good chuckle,and one of these days I’ll get my nerve up and try goat.

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    • I’ve always been an animal lover, Debra. From a very young age, I’d bring home nestlings that had fallen from the nest, thinking I could raise them. If I came across a stray anything, it came home with me — and was quickly put out by Mom. I once came home from a family picnic with a pocket full of tadpoles, which I forgot and Mom discovered on laundry day. That’s why I the basement was forbidden territory around Easter. Mom knew I’d name that kid and want to keep it. Then like now, Moms know everything! 🙂
      Do try to find and roast a goat shoulder, Debra. If you enjoy lamb, surely you’ll love goat. It’s got a milder taste but not so mild to be like pork. It’s in between the two and very tasty, as a result.

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  18. I’m surprised no one has punned on “getting your goat”. A fellow choir member (though she isn’t technically a fellow) explained the meaning of that phrase to me a while back. She said that a goat would often be kept in the stable because it had a calming influence on the horses. If someone “got your goat”, they removed that serenity and the horses would become agitated. Is that cool, or what?

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    • You have no idea the amount of discipline it took for me to avoid using that pun. I almost snuck it into a caption but thought better of it. I’d no idea where the phrase came from and that’s really interesting. Thanks for the info!

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  19. Looks great John. Lovely story too. Our basement stairs used to have occasional legs of ham or perhaps a brace of pheasant hanging. No live creatures, despite my Dad being a pathologist. We can’t get goat meat anywhere here in Ireland. This is a pity. My Dar es Salaam brother tells me it is excellent on the barbecue.

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    • We didn’t have anything hanging in the stairwell but Dad did get a whole prosciutto occasionally and hung it in one of the cellar’s rooms. Each Sunday, he and I would go down there and taste it to see if it was fully cured. Loved it!
      Thanks for the idea for grilling goat. I bet that it a great way to prepare it. Yum!

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  20. I can only imagine my kids’ reaction to finding a kid in the basement! Oh they would be besides themselves. 🙂 I can smell the roast goat from here. I do love the smell of it, I just leave to the boys to enjoy as you know. I wonder if Miss A would like this now. She is the biggest meat eater of the two kids.

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    • I must admit, Kristy, that I was too young to figure out that the kid I saw was soon to become Easter dinner. Had I known, I’m sure Easter would have been a tear-filled affair, with my Sis and youngest cousin providing the chorus.
      If Miss A likes lamb. she’ll have no problem with goat’s milder flavor. If you ever come into town for a day of shopping, I’ll make sure that a Halal butcher is on the itinerary and you’ll get your goat. 😉

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  21. I love that the blogging world makes me think about all the different ingredients out there in the world and shows me a variety of ways to use them. I’ve only ever eaten goat once (in a Nepalese restaurant) many years ago and remember it being really tasty… though have never tried to source the meat myself, to cook at home. Thanks for the inspiration John – simply roasted with a little sauce made from the pan juices sounds wonderful!

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    • I had the very same conversation with Zia during the Visitation. Thanks to blogging, I cook a much wider variety of dishes than I ever have. In fact, we had that conversation over a dinner of Thai crispy pork that is now a mainstay in my diet and a dish I would have been lucky to have ordered in a restaurant. It’s a benefit of blogging that I never had envisioned.
      As for this goat, it never fails that the old family recipes, as simple as they appear to be, are the best. Goat won’t be a stranger any longer at my table. 🙂

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    • Thanks, Greg, and Im glad you mentioned Indian restaurants. I’m meeting a friend for dinner tonight at a place called “Little India” in my old neighborhood. Goat curry sounds like a great dish to order. 🙂

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  22. Your Zia sounds like an utterly amazing woman. To pull this recipe out of her head some 50 years later?! Are you kidding me?

    I don’t think I’ve ever had goat, and I don’t remember ever seeing it in a grocery store near us. However, the next time we’re in a large city, we should seek out some of the more exotic meat shops. I wonder how this would be, slow roasted on the BBQ…?

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    • She really is amazing, Ruth. She’s the heart of this blog and it just wouldn’t be possible without her help and that fantastic memory. Though she’d never admit it, I bet she dreads hearing me start a conversation with, “Zia, do you remember …” 🙂
      In an earlier comment, Conor mentioned that his brother in Dar es Salaam prepares goat on the barbecue. That sounds like a great idea and I need to check it out. Another commenter, Nazneen on Facebook, mentioned that she prepares a couple goat curries. As luck would have it, I’m going to an Indian restaurant tonight. Any guess as to what I’ll be ordering? 😀

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  23. Many, many year ago, visiting my sister in Houston, she fixed a roasted goat. It’s the only time that I can remember having had it, but I do remember it being quite good. It was a simple preparation, just like your Zia’s. However, I doubt it had wine. I can see the how the wine would help to not just flavor the goat, but tenderize it as well. Such simple recipes are the best!! Thanks for sharing Zia’s recipe with us. (PS – I can see you staring down the ravioli. 🙂 )

    Liked by 1 person

    • Thanks, MJ. Time and time again, the old recipes prove to be the best way of preparing a dish. They’re all very simple and allow the flavor of the meat, in the case, to take center stage. They used white wine often when roasting meats. Not only did it keep the meat moist, as you mentioned, but it added flavor without overpowering everything else, like red wine can easily do.
      Oh, the ravioli! Mom literally put food on my plate to force me to eat a balanced meal. if she hadn’t, I would have skipped it all, dessert included. 🙂

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  24. That t is one part of the process I have never been able to get my head around, live animal, dead then food. I know it’s awful but I can’t do it. When I was 17 I read a book called the Edible Woman and in it there were references to eggs being little chickens and I couldn’t eat chicken or eggs for months! It was awful. I’d probably been all over the ravioli that night too.
    I have not cook goat before but I’ve had it. Unfortunately the flavour is not to my taste but I bet the ravioli would be incredible. Can’t wait to see you next week!

    Liked by 1 person

    • To be honest, Eva, I sometimes cannot believe how accepting I was of all the slaughtering that went on. Granted, I was too young to connect that kid with our Easter meal but I did witness plenty of other meats — primarily poultry — “prepared” and without batting an eye. Now, a bit older (ahem), I’m aware of how the meat got onto that little tray wrapped in cling wrap but I prefer not to have anything to do with getting it there.
      Yes, it will be nice to see you both again. Very much looking forward to it.

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    • You are not alone, Ventis. More and more of my friends have become vegetarians. Even I, a person that loves meat, has reduced the amount of red meat that I once ate. I will never give it up completely, though. What will I use to stuff my ravioli, cappelletti, and agnolotti? 🙂

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  25. awww.

    My sister-in-law’s family has a ranch in Mexico. My brother told me the story of his visit there and having to take part in the goat slaughter. He is a very gentle person never exposed to such a thing before but he told it so matter of fact-like, I was surprised. I was skeptical of goat until I visited Mexico for their child’s christening. A large fiesta ensued and the sisters (all eight of them) had spent weeks cooking traditional foods. One of them was a goat stew. One try and I was hooked. It was one of the best things I have eaten.

    This meal looks delightful and I can’t wait for dessert.

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    • I don’t know how I would handle witnessing a slaughter today, Stacey. I’d find it far too uncomfortable to watch. How I witnessed so much of it as a boy is beyond me. Amazing how they used a goat to celebrate a birth, just as my family did years ago. I doubt very much, though, that my family spent so many days preparing the meal. What an incredible feast that must have been and how lucky that you were able to take part! That’s a memory that will last a lifetime.

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    • SIiple is best, I believe, and this roast proves it. Amazing how many of us share memories of roast goat being used to celebrate special occasions. It’s a shame that most of us no longer do. It’s a delicious meal.

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  26. Bonjourno John, I love fragrant rosemary in these kinds of dishes. Dearest Zia such a sweetheart. Any day with Zia is a cause for celebration. I can’t say that I have ever roasted a goat as that is difficult to come by here in Asia but we do have lamb imported of course. You have so many lovely memories and recipes from your family. Sorry John, I am so far behind on my rounds, thanks for understanding. Have a wonderful day! Take Care, BAM

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    • Buongiorno, BAM! I’m with you. I love the aroma that fills the kitchen when rosemary is used in a recipe. I use it often and my favorite bread recipe includes it, too. No need to apologize to me, BAM, ever for being behind or for skipping my posts. I, too, am far behind and will do the best that I can. People understand. We’ve a great WP community here. 🙂

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  27. I grew up eating goat (one does that when raised on a farm, with goats) and it was usually fried steaks of some sort, I don’t remember many roasts. I liked goat, though it was always hard for me as a child because I KNEW the goat, by name. Admittedly, it was easier if it was one I didn’t like or had caught me unaware in the barn with its horns. When I found goat at the farmers market a couple years back I was pretty excited to introduce it to my family, but unfortunately it wasn’t a hit with them. They prefer lamb. The goat filled ravioli sounds delicious!

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  28. I can imagine an entire baby goat being roasted. It reminds me of Asterix and obelix, and the roasting of the wild boar. The goat looks soft and delicious and I love the potatoes that go with it. Pleasant week to you!

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