“Is it not a bit tough?”, “I wouldn’t like the taste”, “The flavour might be a bit strong for me.” So were the comments when I announced I was planning to roast a leg of goat. I hate to have my cooking prejudged. It’s difficult enough to bear the postmortems. However, I am not impervious to the general mood, particularly when it tends towards the doom laden. I needed to make this goat tasty. I needed to demonstrate that I knew what I was at. I needed some inspiration. I settled on Roast Spiced Leg of Goat with Winter Vegetables. That would get them back on my side.
Ingredients
- 1 goat leg
- 2 teaspoons of Garam Masala
- 1 teaspoon of chilli flakes
- 1 teaspoon of cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon of palm sugar
- Juice of a lemon
- 1 tablespoon of olive oil
- Carrots, parsnips and red onions for roasting
Mix the ingredients (except the vegetables) together.
Cut slashes across the flesh of the goat. Do this on both sides of the leg.Rub the leg all over with the delicious spice mixture.Place the goat in the fridge and leave to absorb the flavours for at least 8 and up to 24 hours. Roast, covered, in a 180ºC oven for one and three quarter to two hours or so. Check it for doneness after about an hour and a half.Side note on vague descriptions on cooking times: I have applied a bit of psychology to this little bit of advice. I reckon that anybody who will have garam masala in the cupboard will know how to roast a leg of lamb. If you know how to roast a leg of lamb, you know how to roast a leg of goat. Good psychology or what?After about an hour of roasting time, place the vegetables in the oven and roast them with the goat, uncovered. Boil some potatoes while you are at it. Take the goat and the vegetables out of the oven and let the goat rest. While it is resting, make a nice gravy from the pan juices.
Carve the goat as you would do lamb. (I’m applying my psychology again here. Anybody who is prepared to roast a goat leg, will have experience of doing likewise with lamb.)Serve it with the vegetables and gravy. We accompanied it with a nice, powerful Spanish red. While it is not as tender as spring lamb, it is not tough. The goat carries a lovely flavour. It is well worth doing. If the opportunity arises, seize it with both hands. Tough on you if you don’t.
Daniel | 3rd January 2017
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Love it! I had this in India once and what a feast. How nice to see those lovely spices
Conor Bofin | Author | 3rd January 2017
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Thanks Daniel. We really enjoyed it.
Linda Duffin | 3rd January 2017
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As you know, I’m already a convert to goat. This is a lovely treatment. Tough luck, indeed, that I wasn’t there to help eat it. Lx
Conor Bofin | Author | 3rd January 2017
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Happy New Year to you Linda,
I still have a kilo of cubed leg in the freezer. I am torn between a goat curry and a tajine. The weather is saying curry. The blog is saying tajine. Decisions, decisions….
Linda Duffin | 3rd January 2017
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Tagine! I love tagines. x
Mad Dog | 3rd January 2017
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I’m jealous and wish I had been there – the goat looks excellent!
Conor Bofin | Author | 3rd January 2017
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MD, you are but a short hop across the Irish Sea away. You are welcome any time. I was very pleased with the outcome.
Best,
C
Mad Dog | 3rd January 2017
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Thanks Conor, that’s very kind!
thethermocrone | 3rd January 2017
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That looks a lovely bit of young goat, like a hogget aged animal. I think some people have had bad experiences (1st, 2nd or 3rd hand) with seriously overcooked, rangy, geriatric animals, I agree, it is insulting that people would think you would foist a similar atrocity on them.
I use a similar recipe (with the addition of yogurt) for mutton, leaving it for two days in the fridge; no mutton-sceptic has remained one.
Conor Bofin | Author | 3rd January 2017
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When this appeared today, a colleague announced that he had marinaded a lamb leg for two days in yoghurt and spices before barbecuing it. I must do likewise with the next goat leg I get my hands on. I have done it with young lamb, never old goat. A treat in store.
angelica | table twenty eight | 3rd January 2017
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Hahaha… Love the psychological deduction.
Conor Bofin | Author | 3rd January 2017
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Thanks Anjelica,
It does stand to reason, does it not?
Happy New Year,
Conor
Frank Fariello | 3rd January 2017
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I’ve only ever had goat in a stew, and then not very often. But on seeing this beautiful roast I can’t imagine anyone could think it was anything but tender and delicious.
Conor Bofin | Author | 3rd January 2017
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Thanks for the kind words Frank. It did work out very well. I was particularly pleased as it was my first attempt at a goat joint.
Happy New Year to you,
Conor
ChgoJohn | 3rd January 2017
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Beautifully done, Conor. I do enjoy roasted goat and your method sounds wonderful.
Conor Bofin | Author | 3rd January 2017
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It’s simple enough stuff John. But, it works very well. The addition of the vegetables and that spicy gravy makes the dish delicious.
Happy New Year to you and yours,
Conor
jingsandthings | 3rd January 2017
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Had goat meat whilst in Pefkos in Rhodes. Blown away by how good it was. In flavour I thought it a taste between pork and lamb. Thoroughly enjoyed it. Definitely not a meat to dismiss and your cooking of it is mouth-watering.
Conor Bofin | Author | 3rd January 2017
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Thanks Dorothy,
The goat will not be dismissed around these parts again. Lovely meat.
Best,
Conor
anyone4curryandotherthings | 3rd January 2017
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Wonderful Connor, “normal” food for us here of course and goat loves spices and yogurt of course. I keep it marinating in fridge for 2 days,,!!! and it will be beautifuly tender.
Conor Bofin | Author | 3rd January 2017
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Hi Carina,
I thought you would be an old hand at this type of stuff. The tow day marinade sounds like something I will have to implement with goat and some lamb too.
Best,
Conor
nusrat2010 | 3rd January 2017
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We love Goat … any kind of goat: tough, tender, good-bad-ugly … we could live on goat meat 🙂 And you’ve used exactly the same spices that we paint our goat-leg with!
A darn delicious recipe!
Va-va-voom pictures worth staring at <3
Conor Bofin | Author | 3rd January 2017
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Thanks Nusrat,
I am delighted that my own amateur efforts receive the approval of a goat expert like you. I was delighted with the outcome.
Stay well and have a prosperous, happy 2017,
Conor
katechiconi | 3rd January 2017
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I miss living in northern NSW on the plateau… there was a local goat farm and the succulent nuggets of tender young goat they sold had to be tasted to be believed. People who think it’s strong/dry/tough are bonkers and want educating, something you’ve done nicely here.
Conor Bofin | Author | 3rd January 2017
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Happy New Year Kate,
Yes, I hope to have debunked some of the goat slander that is so frequently put about. I sometimes see goats on a particularly rocky part of a cycling route known as the Scalp here in Ireland. No chance of catching the red eyed monsters thought. They are quick.
Best,
Conor
StefanGourmet | 3rd January 2017
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Nice leg, Conor 🙂 I’ve never seen goat meat for sale here, but it’s about time to look for it.
Conor Bofin | Author | 3rd January 2017
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I would love to get your impressions of it Stefan. We really enjoyed it. It was delicious cold the next day, with the spice coming through the meat very well.
StefanGourmet | 3rd January 2017
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I’ve looked into it and it appears that there are a lot of goats in NL, but most of the meat gets exported for lack of a domestic market. I’ve now found a goat farm in Amsterdam that sells meat so I’ll check that out on Saturday!
Conor Bofin | Author | 3rd January 2017
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Excellent. I love it when a plan comes together.
StefanGourmet | 21st January 2017
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I’ve just posted my first ever recipe for goat. Thanks for the inspiration 🙂
Conor Bofin | Author | 21st January 2017
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I’m going over there right now. I have a kilo in the freezer still.
Tasty Eats Ronit Penso | 3rd January 2017
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This roast looks so good! Love the root vegetables with it. 🙂
Conor Bofin | Author | 3rd January 2017
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Thanks Ronit,
The vegetables and the spicy gravy made a huge contribution to our enjoyment. I am a goat convert.
Best,
C
anotherfoodieblogger | 3rd January 2017
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It looks very tender, for sure! However, I have garam masala in the cupboard and I can assure you I do not know how to roast a leg of lamb, ergo I do not know how to roast a leg of goat. Except of course now by reading your instructions. I’m pretty sure I’ve never seen goat at the market here before too. But that shouldn’t surprise you seeing as I’m in the boondocks of the PNW US. Lovely recipe!
Conor Bofin | Author | 3rd January 2017
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We were close to disaster there Kathryn. I would have been in trouble if you could have got your hands on either a leg of goat or lamb. But, seeing as how you can’t, all is good in the world.
On reflection, it would be good if you could cook this dish. It was delicious.
Happy New Year,
Conor
anotherfoodieblogger | 3rd January 2017
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Happy New Year to you too!
Melissa Gillan | 3rd January 2017
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Marinating is a must with goat, me thinks, and what a lovely combination of flavours you chose. The finished plate looks divine. Do you know the age of the meat?
Happy New Year Conor 🙂
Conor Bofin | Author | 3rd January 2017
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Hi Melissa,
Great to hear from you. I had forgotten that you raise goats out there in the mid Atlantic. This was described as a young male. I understand the male is generally a bit tougher than the female. The meat was beautiful and even nicer cold. The marinade had a bit to do with that.
Happy new year to you and yours,
Conor
Melissa Gillan | 3rd January 2017
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Sure, if they’re castrated, and am sure he was or the flavour would be quite overbearing, we don’t notice a difference.
I haven’t eaten meat since last April :O !! I could no longer bear the shop shite we have here and we had none of our own ready for the freezer for a few more months. By that time I had been meat free for so long I didn’t bother.
When I see this post, I wonder why I am still holding out, seriously.
Maybe you will try sous vide sometime? I’m still thinking that would be the ultimate way to prep goat, just a gut feeling. Cheers!
Conor Bofin | Author | 3rd January 2017
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A great idea.
ladyredspecs | 3rd January 2017
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Happy New Year Conor. I’ve eaten a lot of goat while travelling, esp in India, I love both the flavour and texture, but I confess I’ve never prepared it myself. Need to correct that! I love your spicing treatment, I bet the aroma of roasting spices was wonderful
Conor Bofin | Author | 4th January 2017
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I suspect I have done some damage to the world goat population with this little post. I really enjoyed cooking the meat and hope I will be forgiven by Billy and his mates. The aromas were pretty special, for sure.
Happy new year to you and yours too Sandra,
Conor
Eha | 3rd January 2017
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Like the marinade since most of mine all use yogurt and no palm sugar. Alas, since can buy goat only on line at prices to make one’s hair stand up on end [Mr Google says our prices have risen 30% in a year!] lamb will be substituted and enjoyed. Use garam masala almost daily so no problem there either. Never mind about weather or blog: the remaining meat is asking to be curried [no better ingredient for that!!] . . . actually don’t remember having had a goat tagine but there are SO many delightful goat curry variations from almost all the Indian provinces: yum!!!!
Conor Bofin | Author | 4th January 2017
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You have thrown me back into indecision Eha. I will cogitate for another couple of weeks and make a call on it then. At this point, I am leaning towards the tajine….
Xanders | 4th January 2017
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Looks awesome… and pardon me for this question, but what about the salt ?? when does the salt go in ? and does the salt make the meat dry if added along with the marinade ?
Conor Bofin | Author | 4th January 2017
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Hi Xanders, I didn’t use any salt. One could add some to the roasted vegetables and also to season the gravy (as I did). I didn’t see any need for salt on the meat with this mixture of spices. It worked just fine.
Best,
Conor
Marty | 4th January 2017
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I’ve been reading (and drooling over) your blog for some time, Conor, and decided that one of my New Year’s resolutions should be to comment more often! 🙂
I’ve only had goat in curries and have found it to be a mixed bag. I’m always a little nervous, as I am a bit wimpy when it comes to goat meat and goat cheese (hangs head in shame). Your roast looks amazing! Perhaps if I had access to the meat and the chef…
I am a fan of roast leg of lamb and have Garam Masala in my cupboard, so I may need to try this treatment on lamb and work my way up.
Conor Bofin | Author | 4th January 2017
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Delighted that you have decided to comment. I love the interaction and to hear ow others think about the various foods I cook. Do give it a go Marty, it will be a punch in the face of flavour on lamb.
I try to not worry too much about individual cookings and use any bad experience I create as an opportunity to regroup, refine and recook.
Best,
Conor
Claire | 5th January 2017
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This looks amazing – suddenly Zed’s future doesn’t look so good for him ,,,, although it looks pretty tasty for us 🙂
Tara Sparling | 6th January 2017
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You know I’m a Philistine, so I don’t mind asking these questions- but no foil for the whole cooking time? Does that put it in danger of being tough, or does the marinating take care of that? Also, Happy New Ye-ee-ee-ear…
Conor Bofin | Author | 6th January 2017
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I did have foil over it for the first hour and a half! I should fix that….
Happy ’17.
Tara Sparling | 6th January 2017
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Aha! Rumbled!
CK | 7th January 2017
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I have cooked goat curry but not roast it. Yours look divine.
When I get my kitchen back, I have the urge to go through some of your recipes.
Conor Bofin | Author | 7th January 2017
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A worthy endeavour indeed.
Happy New Year,
C
CK | 15th January 2017
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Happy New Year to you, Conor.
Simply Splendid Food | 16th January 2017
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That red onion smack in the middle of your plate looks sweet! I have nominated you for the “Blogger Recognition Award”. You have an outstanding blog. Your colours are at times breathtaking! And, you know how GOOD your photos are! 💖 I hope you will accept the award. You need to go to my blog for details. simplysplendidfood.com. Thank you for having a great blog!