Meat Goat Blog

How To Butcher A Goat

Somehow last year All Things Goat linked to a video on the butchering process. It's a good video if you are interested in how to carve up a carcass. The goat is already dead and skinned so the video starts in the butcher shop for those who might be a little reluctant to watch it.

We found it to be a nice overview of the process and  the various cuts of meat. Take a look http://allthingsgoat.com/2010/08/butchering-a-goat/.

Eat A Goat; I'd Rather Choke!

Funny some folks frown on eating goat. We like it. A favorite is sausage patties with scrambled eggs and biscuits for breakfast. Hard to beat!! But, we have friends who  start choking just at the suggestion of goat meat. Of course they haven't tried it either.

Grocery stores with shrink wrap sell "real" meat. You know the stuff on those little rectangle pieces of styrofoam covered with plastic. It's bound to be good for you cause' they sell it in the stores.

We like our goat meat because we know who raised it, who processed it, and it's not full of antibiotics and wormers. Just healthy, red lean meat with lots of protein! Hey, do you happen to know how they grow corn in those cans? I always wondered.

Goat Meat; It's Good For You!

 

Goat Meat - is good for you according to the British Boer Goat Society. The group reports goat meat compared to beef, pork,lamb, and chicken has less fat. It is also high in protein. The chart was taken from their web page gives credit and references: "use of goat milk and goat meat as therapeutic aids in cardiovascular diseases" by Dr. John R. Addizzo, M.D., Staten Island Medical Centre, New York.

3oz Cooked(Roasted)	Calories	Fat (g)	Saturated fat (g)	Protein (g)	Iron(mg)
GOAT1	122	2.58	.79	23	3.2
BEEF2	245	16	6.8	23	2.9
PORK2	310	24	8.7	21	2.7
LAMB2	235	16	7.3	22	1.4
CHICKEN2	120	3.5	1.1	21	1.5
Sources
USDA Handbook #8, 1989 Nutritive value of foods, home and garden bulletin number 72, USDA, Washington, D.C., US Government Printing Office, 1981

This table contains both oz. and g. It has been taken in its entirety from the named reference

So eat up! It's good for you and tastes GREAT! For more information, see their web page. http://www.britishboergoatsociety.co.uk/bbgs%20meat.html

Goat Meat Straight Off The Farm

Fresh goat meat right off the farm! You know how it was fed and grown! Good to eat and great for you. So how is it done? Pretty much the same way from California to Oklahoma to the east coast. The Iowa Meat Goat Association webpage explains the process as,

"It's easy!

Step 1: Contact an IMGA member

Step 2: They will set up a time/day for processing at a butcher

Step 3: Contact their butcher to tell them your desired cuts

Step 4: Pay the farmer

Step 5: Pay the butcher and pick up the meat. Enjoy!

How much meat will I get?

If the live weight is the hanging weight will be the boneless meat will weight
100 pounds 50 pounds 25-30 pounds
120 pounds 50 pounds 30-35 pounds

How much will it cost?

If the farmer's price is multiply times live weight to get total to farmer
$1.50 per pound 100 pounds $150.00
$2.00 per pound 100 pounds $200.00

Then add the cost of butchering, which is around $50.00

This averages around $6.00 per pound for boneless goat meat.

Why should I buy my goat meat locally?

1. You know who the farmer is.

You can ask... what feed was used?
were growth promoters used?
were hormones used?
were antibiotics used?

2. Your meat is fresh.

3. You are helping the local economy by supporting

local farmer
local butcher
local feed mill

4. You decide how you want meat cut.

5. Farmer makes a premium with no middleman."

There's not much to it really, just find a local goat farm and put in your order. The goat is delivered to the processor for you! Goat meat, yeah!!
 

Goat Meat Doesn't Come From A Factory Farm

Goats don't take well to a factory style production model. As browsers, goats need to roam and meander through the brush to thrive.

There was a good article on factory foods, those meats, cheeses, and other products that come from mass production. Nicolette Hahn Niman, a former environmental lawyer, vegetarian, turned rancher did a real nice job in the article. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/nicolette-hahn-niman/avoiding-factory-farm-foo_b_353525.html  Niman writes for The Huffington Post, a publication we know absolutely nothing about. But her points on food production really cause you to stop and think. What really caught my attention is she is a vegetarian that owns and works a ranch with her husband. To be fair, she was a vegetarian before she was married.

The report didn't attack folks like me ( and probably you ) that like meat. We eat and enjoy it. She gave it up for her own reasons, but doesn't try to shove her own lifestyle upon others. She says,

 Goat: Goat is the most frequently consumed meat in the world but most Americans have never tried it. However, as the US population changes and as palates broaden, goat meat is gaining popularity here for the first time. One advantage to eating goat meat is that this is a non-industrialized part of the meat sector. There is no such thing as a goat factory farm. In fact, goat is probably the most environmentally friendly of all meats, because, when properly managed, goats do little damage to the landscape and consume naturally occurring undesirable vegetation, (like poison oak and coyote brush). Look for it at your local farmers market. The best goat meat is from animals raised specifically as meat goats, (rather than dairy goats), especially the Boer and Spanish breeds.

If you aren't familiar with what she calls a factory farm, you need to read her article. It is covers a broad spectrum and gives you some things to consider.

Reasons to Eat Goat Meat

Goat meat is a healthy red meat that most of the world eats. Here are a few reasons you might want to consider if you don't eat goat:

1. It's better for you than rattlesnake and tastes just like it!

2. If you think goats are hard to catch, you outta  come to a rattlesnake roundup!

3. You don't have to wait all year long to sit in the rain in  a cold deer stand  just to eat some fresh meat!

4. It doesn't take a $30,000 bass boat to get a freezer full of it.

5. It's always fun to watch people faces when they compliment you on the "fabulous chili" and you tell  them your secret recipe, saving the goat part to last! 

Goat: The Healthy Red Meat

Goat is the most widely consumed meat in the world according to Jacqueline Wilt, R.N., C.E.M.T. Seventy-five percent (75%) of the world's population eats goat meat. Ms. Wilt says, "

It has a good flavor and is very healthy. It is low in fat, cholesterol, calories, and saturated fat. In fact, goat meat is over 50% lower in fat than our American beef and is about 40% lower in saturated fat than chicken, even chicken cooked with the skin off!  The following meat comparison (per 3 oz. roasted meat) table is from the USDA Handbook:

    Calories     Fat (g)  Sat. Fat (g)   Protein (g)    Iron (g)

GOAT    122        2.58         0.79 23    3.2   

Beef    245   16.0      6.8 23       2.0

Pork    310   24.0      8.7 21       2.7

Lamb      235   16.0      7.3 22      1.4

Chicken  120      3.5   1.1 21       1.5

Since goat meat is so low in fat, this makes cooking more of a challenge. Goat meat must be cooked slowly and at low temperatures, or it will dry out and become tough. The best ways to cook goat are roasting (in the oven, in a smoker, or on the grill) or braising (cooking with added liquid such as water, wine, or milk). Marinating will help retain moisture and tenderness as well. Old-fashioned smoking has, in our opinion, produced the best-tasting goat meat of all. What I have had was even better than smoked beef or pork! Of course, most of us do not have the time required to smoke our meats daily, so I am including a few less time-consuming recipes for you to try. Enjoy!"

She also offers recipes in her blog post in Grits Rural American Know How.  http://www.grit.com/Life-at-Diamond-W-Ranch/Cooking-with-Goat-Meat.aspx

Goat Meat - The Best Meat

Goat meat - is it really good for you? The following link lists the nutrients in roasted goat and provides a list of the benefits.

http://seekthat.net/blog/2009/04/09/goat-meat-nutrients-and-benefits/