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David · Joined: 03 Jan 2007 Posts: 180 Location: Co. Clare

No, not the human kind...(I haven't gone all halloween/friday the 13th and gone mad with a chainsaw)

Killed the kids finally last week, all went well. Great to have been there from start to finish...seeing them born, giving them a good life, and ensuring they get a humane end to their life...for the first time I did all the cleaning and butchering on my own, and it was surprisingly easy. Don't think I'll ever enjoy the slaughtering bit though. Fair bit of meat from 3 kids, almost 4 months old.

We had the first leg of kid meat on sunday (I know easter is the traditional time, but hey, I got my dates wrong...). Marinated the leg for 24 hours in a teacup of olive oil, tablespoon of wine vinegar, spoon of honey, heaps of parsley and LOADS of garlic. Fast roasted for 20 minutes at gas mark 9, then turned down to slow cook (gas mark 1/2 i think) for 2 hours.

Though i say it myself the meat was superb, tender, not at all gamey, absolutely perfect result. The family devoured every morsel.

We also made balck pudding/drisheen from the blood, which turned out well, once we figured out that we had under-baked it initially. Flippin gas bottle ran out whilst we were setting the pudding in loaf tins....worked out fine, just re-cooked it. Nice slices of home made pudding helped me get over the trauma of the slaughter!

Livers were also lovely, fried with onions. Hearts were used to enrich a ragu type casserole...very tender meat.

That's my news this week!

D

chook · Joined: 14 Mar 2007 Posts: 305 Location: North Clare

Hi David,
interesting approach to roasting. Must try that some time.
When we roast legs/shoulders we usually just baist them with olive oil, salt and herbs, then pour some wine into the bottom of the dish, add chopped spuds, carrots, parsnips, pumpkin etc. and cover the dish in tinfoil for the first hour or so, then take it off and brown both sides after.
It is really delicious isn't it?
We just had a traditional kale + spuds + meat dish from a backbone piece and a nice stewy mixed veg soup from the rest of the bone.
Oops, this actually sounds like the script for a Halloween horror movie for goats...
Sad

chook

Jack · Joined: 04 Mar 2007 Posts: 71 Location: North Otago

Gidday

I dunno anything about this Halloween stuff but I do know that young goat is the best mutton you can get. With farmed goats, I have never tasted any of that gamy flavopur unless they are really old or a full grown buck.

I normally roast by just bunging em in a covered dish and slow cooking over a long time. Sometimes I throw in a sprig of rosemary and if we have any, the juice and rhind of a lemon and that really makes any meat real yummmmmmy.
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David · Joined: 03 Jan 2007 Posts: 180 Location: Co. Clare

Thanks lads, some great suggestions.

Goat meat definitely good stuff

wayland · Joined: 14 Dec 2006 Posts: 1171 Location: Campile. Wexford

Hi David. Have you any idea how much weight your kids stripped out to? I have seven about six months old ready to go and a local demand from the ethnic community Very Happy

My goats are from dairy herds and so although tall do not seem to carry much flesh. The impression that I have been given from the abattoir is that the hind legs are the only real joints and the rest is for Curry's and stews etc. I like the look of your recipe for the leg joints and will give it a go Very Happy

cheers.
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David · Joined: 03 Jan 2007 Posts: 180 Location: Co. Clare

Hi

Not sure about weights, but our goats are pretty skinny...not a meat breed.

Leg is a good roasting joint, but so is shoulder (if anything, better than leg). Not big, but nice. We roast them 2 at a time.

The rest of the animal is indeed a bit fiddly...You don't get chops as such, but the "loin" is very nice cut into chunks, marinated, skewered and barbecued. Ribs are nice, just small...make a lovely stock actually.

The fat is not very nice, in my opinion (but they usually have very little fat)...tastes a bit too goaty, not as nice as pig fat or lamb fat. When we casserole, we usually add some fatty bacon, squares of pig skin or something to make the casserole "juicy". Hope this helps!

D

wayland · Joined: 14 Dec 2006 Posts: 1171 Location: Campile. Wexford

Thanks for that David. My goats are cross bread from a dairy herd so some are better than others. apparently the next batch will be crossed A/N so may improve. Thanks for your help. Very Happy

Chris.
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chook · Joined: 14 Mar 2007 Posts: 305 Location: North Clare

Hi,
I checked some old notes. Don't always weigh out or write down but this may help:

4.5 months old: 3.4kg legs/shoulders, 800g back rack, 800g mince, some stewing bones, some dog bones

2xalmost 7 months old, 1 male, 1 femals (but the female was not well due to prenatal copper deficiency and was rather small and skinny)

Stewing meat 800g
Ribs 3260g
Legs 6580g
Shoulders 4640g
Back racks 2120g
Livers 800g
some stewing bones, some dog bones, skins etc.

HTH
chook

wayland · Joined: 14 Dec 2006 Posts: 1171 Location: Campile. Wexford

Hi chook. These seems good weights to me. I was expecting around 15/20 kgs from my six months old castrates but time will tell. As these are coming from the abattoir already butchered, I am not sure what they will give me. I have just got another four kids of three months old. These have been on a lamb fattening ration for a month and although smaller than the first batch they are much fuller in body. I think that I will introduce this in the ration. As I have to zero graze my boys at the moment due to too many nasties growing in the paddock I am concerned that they are getting enough of the good stuff. They are growing and look and act as I would expect a goat should but without actually weighing them!!!.

Cheers.
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wayland · Joined: 14 Dec 2006 Posts: 1171 Location: Campile. Wexford

We got five slaughtered two weeks ago and tried a few chops yesterday. They were very nice. Very Happy

The largest carcass got to 15kgs but most of them were around the 12 kgs. This is boned out and with little waste I am well pleased with them. Curry tonight Very Happy

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