Tag: Goat

BRAISED KID (capretto) in a simple marinade of red wine, extra virgin olive oil and herbs

Kid is capretto in Italian and I have marinaded the meat in wine with some aromatic herbs and then braised it.

THE BENEFITS of MARINADING 

Marinating is an effective way to add flavour, moisture and to tenderize meat before cooking. I do this with all the large pieces of meat that are going to be slow cooked. Even steak, pork fillets and some fish get a short session of marinade, even if it is just a splash or rubbing of extra virgin olive oil with seasoning, garlic and/or herbs. For most of my large pieces of meat,  I often use an acid , like, wine, citrus juice or vinegar. This component of the marinade helps to tenderise the meat.  The herbs and spices enhance the flavour. Good olive oil has a multi-purpose function.  It adds a distinct taste, melds the different flavours of the marinade together and, after the meat is drained from the marinade , some of the oil that has adhered  to the meat assists in the browning process.

For this braise, I bought 3 legs of kid (capretto) and deboned it. This amounted to roughly 1.5 kg. The same marinade can be used for goat, lamb or sheep and would also be good for beef.

There were four of us for dinner and there were some leftovers that I converted into a Sardinian-flavoured sauce for gnochetti by adding a few, common Sardinian ingredients.

INGREDIENTS

For the Marinade

  • 750 ml (1 bottle) red wine
  • ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 sprig rosemary
  • 2 sage leaves
  • 1 sprig thyme
  • 6–8 juniper berries
  • 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns

 

  • For the Meat
  • 1.5 kg kid goat, cut into cubes
  • 50 g pancetta or speck, cut into small cubes
  • Extra virgin olive oil, for browning
  • Salt, to taste
  • Fresh herbs, juniper berries, and peppercorns (as above, to replace those from the marinade)
  • Stock, as needed, to keep the meat moist during cooking

For the Soffritto

  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 2 carrots, finely chopped
  • 1 stick celery, finely chopped

Prepare the Soffritto
In the same pan, add the finely chopped onion, carrot, and celery. Sauté gently until softened and aromatic.

Ingredients for the soffritto
METHOD

Prepare the Marinade
In a large bowl, combine the red wine, olive oil, bay leaves, rosemary, sage, thyme, juniper berries, and peppercorns. Add the cubed kid meat and mix well to coat. Cover and refrigerate for about 8 hours, or overnight.

Drain and Prepare the Meat
Remove the meat from the marinade, draining well. Reserve the liquid, discarding the spent herbs and spices.

The meat removed from the marinade

Brown the Meat
Heat a little extra virgin olive oil in a large heavy-based casserole or Dutch oven.

Browning the meat, a little at the time

Brown the meat, a little at a time. Do not overcrowd the meat. Remove the meat and set aside.

Add the pancetta or speck and cook over medium heat until lightly browned and the fat has rendered.

In the same pan, add the finely chopped onion, carrot, and celery. (Soffritto)  Sauté gently until softened and aromatic.

Browning the pancetta or speck and then the ingredients of the soffritto

Deglaze and Braise
Return the browned meat to the pan. Pour in the reserved marinade, bring to a simmer, and add a fresh batch of herbs, peppercorns, and juniper berries.

Soffritto, marinade and browned meat ready to go!

Cook Slowly
Cover and simmer gently over low heat, adding stock as needed to keep the meat moist. I added about 1 cup of stock. It is always easy to evaporate excess liquid at the end of cooking rather than cooking meat in too little liquid. Cook until the meat is tender and the sauce is rich and flavourful — about  2 hours. Goat can be quite tough, cook longer if necessary.

Slow cook process_ heavy bottomed saucepan, lid and slow heat

The meat I cooked must have been quite tender because it cooked in two hours.
Remove the meat and evaporate some of the liquid.

Evaporating the juices and thickening the sauce

I presented the meat with braised Brussel sprouts, sautéd mushrooms and roasted, squashed potatoes.

Baked polenta would have been good too.

The slow cooked kid and the braised Brussels sprouts

What did I do with the leftovers?

Lamb and goat are often used in Sardinian dishes.

For the Sardinian style pasta, I sautéd a little onion in some olive oil, a added some saffron that had been soaking in stock, a little tomato paste and the meat with its leftover juices.

I used gnocchetti sardi – shaped pasta. I added shards of pecorino cheese when I presented the pasta and emulated Sardinian ingredients and flavours .

Sardinian Pasta dish – pasta Gnocchetti, the kid braise and shaved pecorino

 

Other kid or goat recipes:

 

RAGU` DI CAPRETTO – Goat/ kid ragout as a dressing for pasta

RICETTE per capretto (e capra) – Recipes for slow cooked kid and goat

SLOW COOKED LEG OF GOAT WITH HOT MINT SAUCE

 

SPEZZATINO DI CAPRETTO (Italian Goat/ Kid stew)

Spezzatino di Capretto is a traditional Italian stew made with kid or goat. Italians tend to cook kid. It is one of those rustic dishes that rewards slow cooking, allowing the meat to become beautifully tender while absorbing the flavours of herbs, vegetables and white wine.

I am always delighted to find good-quality goat meat in Australia. Recently, I discovered some at the Farmers Market in Albury–Wodonga. The meat came from Myrrhee Premium Boer Goats, a farm on the Benalla–Whitfield Road between Benalla and Wangaratta, close to Victoria’s beautiful King Valley food and wine region.

The farm raises free-range Boer goats—the distinctive white and chestnut-brown breed—and produces both milk-fed capretto (kid goat) and chevon, the meat from older goats. I could not resist buying some of each, including their excellent goat sausages, which contain a little pork to add richness and flavour.

*In Australia, goat is still something of a rarity, but it deserves to be better known. Milk-fed capretto is delicate and tender, while chevon—the meat from older goats—has a fuller, richer flavour that is ideal for slow cooking.

Goat with two kids b
Fee Range Boar goats and kids

Capretto and the Italian Spring

In Italy, capretto is especially associated with spring and Easter. Across much of the country—and particularly in Sicily—it is a celebratory meal that has long featured on family tables during the Easter season.

The photograph below was taken in the market in Catania during spring. In Sicily, as in many parts of Italy, whole carcasses or sides of meat are traditionally displayed with the head attached. You may also notice that one hoof is often left with a little fur. My mother always explained that this reassured buyers that they were purchasing exactly the animal they had asked for.

The display also includes the innards, which are highly prized and often cleaned, seasoned, threaded onto skewers or wrapped in caul fat before being grilled.

Kid goat displayed in Catania’s market during spring, with the head attached—a long-standing Italian tradition that identifies the animal

A Simple Country Stew

Although this recipe is made with kid or goat, the same method works equally well with veal or lamb.

Many Italian spezzatini include potatoes, but I like using fennel instead. As it slowly braises, the fennel becomes sweet and silky, complementing the delicate flavour of the goat without overwhelming it.

This is uncomplicated country cooking at its best.

Ingredients
  • 1.5 kg kid/ goat, chopped into serving pieces (bone-in)
  • 4 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 1 onion, sliced
  • 2 carrots, cut into large pieces
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 cup dry white wine
  • 2–3 fresh bay leaves
  • 1 cup chopped parsley
  • 1–2 fennel bulbs, quartered
Method

Heat the olive oil in a heavy braising pan over medium-high heat. Brown the goat well on all sides until lightly caramelised. Work in batches if necessary.

Remove the meat and sauté the onion until softened. Add the garlic and cook briefly before returning the goat to the pan.

Pour in the white wine, allowing it to reduce slightly, then add the carrots, bay leaves, parsley, salt and pepper.

Cover and cook gently over low heat for at least one hour.

Add the fennel quarters and continue cooking until both the meat and fennel are tender. Depending on the age of the goat, this may take a little longer. Check the stew occasionally and add a little water or stock if necessary.

Taste and adjust the seasoning before serving.

The stew is delicious with crusty bread, creamy polenta (northern Italy choice) or roasted potatoes to soak up the fragrant cooking juices.

Other kid or goat recipes:

OVEN COOKED KID (capretto)

SLOW COOKED LEG OF GOAT WITH HOT MINT SAUCE

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SLOW COOKED LEG OF GOAT WITH HOT MINT SAUCE

Slow Cooked Goat with Hot Mint Sauce is one of those meals that reminds me that great cooking is never just about the food. It is about generosity, good company and sharing the best of what is in season.

Many of my friends are accomplished cooks, and my dear friend Mandy Martin was certainly one of them. Over the years I have been fortunate to enjoy many memorable meals in her home.

This meal deserved to be remembered.

What is left of the slow-roasted leg of goat after six hours in the oven.

A Goat Roast Inspired by the Country

Mandy and her husband live on a property called Pennyroyal on the north-western part of NSW.

Mandy purchased the goat from friends who live on a rural property near Cowra.  Goat is naturally lean, so it benefits from extra fat and a long, gentle cooking time that allows the meat to become meltingly tender.

Before roasting, Mandy marinated the leg in a fragrant chermoula made with ghee, extra virgin olive oil, her own preserved lemons and harissa. The combination brought together the richness of North African flavours with the freshness of citrus and spice.

Six Hours of Gentle Cooking

Mandy roasted the goat in a heavy, old-fashioned lidded roasting pan—one of those beautiful pieces of cookware that performs as well as it looks.

Mandy placed the meat on a rack in an old fashioned, baking dish (which is a delight in itself).

The meat sat on a rack above a little water in the base of the pan, creating gentle steam throughout the long cooking time. Keeping the lid on prevented the meat from drying out, while the marinade and moist heat ensured very little shrinkage. After six hours the goat was beautifully tender, juicy and full of flavour.

The pan juices, together with the caramelised scrapings from the roasting dish, made an exceptional gravy.

To roast the goat

  • Score the surface of the meat in a 1 cm criss-cross pattern to help the marinade penetrate.
  • Preheat the oven to 160°C.
  • Roast for approximately 6 hours with the lid on.
  • Add about ½ cup water to the pan after the first 30 minutes, then about every hour to maintain moisture.

Guy carving goat

The Perfect Accompaniments

A meal like this is never just about the roast.

Mandy served her garden-grown silverbeet sautéed with onion, garlic, chilli, cumin and whole chickpeas. Alongside was a creamy tahini dressing made with tahini, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, cumin and enough warm water to create a silky consistency.

There were also roasted unpeeled kipfler potatoes dressed with extra virgin olive oil, and a cooling salad of cucumber, yoghurt, garlic and fresh mint.

Every element complemented the rich goat without overpowering it.

Slow-cooked goat served with silverbeet, chickpeas, roasted kipfler potatoes and cucumber yoghurt

The Hot Mint Sauce

Like the rest of Mandy’s preparation of the goat, the Hot Mint Sauce is adapted from Sam and Sam Clark’s Casa Moro: The Second Cookbook.

Unlike the traditional English mint sauce served cold with lamb, this version is warm, aromatic and gently spiced. It is wonderful with goat, lamb or any slow-roasted meat.

Ingredients

  • 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 8 tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint
  • 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
  • 2 tablespoons good-quality sweet red wine vinegar
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • ½ teaspoon caster sugar (optional)

Method

Heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until lightly golden, stirring occasionally.

Add half the mint and the cumin seeds and cook for another minute.

Pour in the vinegar and simmer for about 30 seconds.

Remove from the heat, stir through the remaining mint, season to taste and add the sugar if needed to balance the acidity.

Serve warm.

Mandy (head of table) with some of her paintings in the background after preparing another unforgettable country feast. Laura on the left, Alexander and me on the right

A Memorable Finish

As if the meal had not already been generous enough, dessert followed.

Mandy baked a rhubarb cake using rhubarb from her own garden and served it with homemade saffron ice cream made from the eggs laid by her hens.

All of this had been prepared by someone who, just as easily, could have spent the day in her painting studio. In fact, some of Mandy’s paintings can be seen hanging behind the dining table, a reminder that her creativity extended effortlessly from the canvas to the kitchen.

It was another unforgettable meal shared with a Mandy at Pennyroyal—one that celebrated beautiful produce, thoughtful cooking and the pleasure of gathering  with friends around a table.

Thank you Mandy, another memorable meal.

Having a good time on the back of Guy’s truck!

Goat or Kid?

Goat (capra in Italian) refers to the mature animal, while capretto is young goat or kid. As a general rule, Italians have traditionally preferred eating kid because of its delicate flavour and tenderness, although slow-cooked mature goat can be equally rewarding when prepared with patience and care.

 

If you enjoy cooking goat/kid, you may also like these recipes on my blog:

RICETTE per capretto (e capra) Recipes for slow cooked kid and goat

RAGÙ DI CAPRETTO; Goat/ kid ragout as a dressing for pasta

SPEZZATINO DI CAPRETTO (Italian Goat/ Kid stew)

SICILIAN SEAFOOD COOKING, ITALIANICIOUS and READER’S FEAST Bookstore. Recipe for Slow cooked goat in Nero D’Avola

KID/GOAT WITH ALMONDS (SPRING IN SICILY, CAPRETTO CON LE MANDORLE)

BRAISED KID (capretto) in a simple marinade of red wine, extra virgin olive oil and herbs

 

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KID/GOAT WITH ALMONDS (SPRING IN SICILY, CAPRETTO CON LE MANDORLE)

Spring in Sicily is a celebration of renewal. In cultural and religious terms it is expressed through Easter, when Primavera (spring) and Pasqua (Easter) become almost synonymous—a joyful coming together of nature, family, tradition and food.

In Australia, spring arrives just as Sicily is entering autumn. Yet goat is available here throughout much of the year, allowing me to cook dishes that Sicilians would traditionally prepare only in springtime.

When I was a child living in Trieste, Easter in Sicily was more important that Christmas and although my family always spent time in Sicily in Summer, we would always try to visit Sicilian relatives

Across Sicily, Easter Sunday lunch often centres on young lamb or kid (capretto). Every family has its favourite preparation—roasted, braised or baked—and, as is so often the case in Italy, the “best” version is usually the one your mother cooked.

Ragusa

Easter Traditions from Ragusa

My  father’s family comes from Ragusa in south-eastern Sicily, where Easter would not feel complete without ’mpanata ri agnieddu—a large, focaccia-like pie filled with very young lamb, bones included, and enclosed in bread dough. It is a dish that has been handed down through generations. My grandmother  made it every Easter, and no doubt her mother before her.

The recipe I am sharing here comes from another part of Sicily altogether—the province of Trapani in the island’s north-west, encompassing Marsala and Mazara del Vallo.

In Australia the meat I buy is likely be considered as goat in Italy.

Saanen goat
In Italy, this would be considered a goat, rather than a kid

A Well-Loved Sicilian Recipe

This version of Capretto con le Mandorle (Kid with Almonds) is adapted from La Cucina Tradizionale Siciliana by Anna Pomar, first published in 1984.

The book has special meaning for me. It was a gift from my cousin Rosetta during one of my many visits to Ragusa. It was her own well-used copy, filled with handwritten notes and alterations in the margins—much like the treasured cookbooks I inherited from my mother. Those annotations remind me that recipes are living things, evolving as they pass from one kitchen to another.

Kid for sale in Sicilian Market. notice that it is sold with the head intact

I love the texture that the almonds provide in the thickening of this dish.

Making the Recipe My Own

The original recipe uses kid, but the meat available to me in Australia is usually sold as goat. In Italy, it would probably be considered a more mature animal and therefore benefits from a much longer cooking time.

As with many traditional recipes, I have adapted it to suit my own taste. I use extra onions, bay leaves, homemade stock instead of water, and dry Marsala rather than simply relying on the tomatoes for flavour.

Does that make it a different recipe? I don’t think so. It simply reflects what generations of home cooks have always done—respect tradition while quietly making it their own.

One element I would never change is the almonds. Ground almonds enrich the sauce, giving it a beautiful silky texture and a delicate sweetness that balances the richness of the meat. It is this combination that makes the dish unmistakably Sicilian.

Ingredients
  • 3 kg kid or goat, cut into serving pieces with some bone attached
  • 2 onions, finely sliced
  • 3–4 bay leaves
  • ¾ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • ½ cup dry Marsala (Marsala Fine) or dry white wine
  • 3 large ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped (or equivalent canned tomatoes)
  • 300 g blanched almonds, finely ground
  • About 3 cups good stock or broth
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
  1. Trim any excess fat from the meat and pat it dry.
  2. Heat the olive oil in a large heavy-based casserole. Add the meat and onions, browning them lightly.
  3. Pour in the Marsala and allow it to reduce slightly, scraping up any caramelised bits from the base of the pan.
  4. Add the tomatoes, bay leaves, stock, salt and pepper.
  5. Cover and cook gently until the meat is very tender. Anna Pomar suggests about 45 minutes for young kid, but Australian goat usually requires 1½–2 hours, or until the meat comes away easily from the bone. *If you are cooking goat, cook it for longer.
  6. Stir in the ground almonds and cook gently for another few minutes until the sauce thickens. If it becomes too thick, loosen it with a little extra stock.

Serve hot, although many Sicilians would happily enjoy this dish only slightly warm—a reminder that in Sicily good food is savoured rather than rushed.

goatseller_0092-403x600
Market in Sicily, kid hanging up, ready to be chopped into suitable pieces by the butcher

‘MPANATA (A lamb pie, Easter treat)

EASTER (Pasqua) in Sicily

RICETTE per capretto (e capra); Recipes for slow cooked kid and goat

OVEN COOKED KID (capretto)

EASTER IN SICILY: Faith, Spring, History and Cassata