Spanish-Style Leg of Goat
As you may know, Bruce and I are about to see the first-ever, all-goat cookbook published in April. Want to know more? Click here.
And don't just think goat meat--although it is the world's most consumed meat. Think cheese. And milk.
We've written a book devoted to the entire goaty world. More about the science and travails of making goat cheese than you can imagine. And more recipes for goat cheese-laced dishes, too. More about the molecular structure of goat milk than you could want to know. And lots of recipes that use goat milk and yogurt. (Chocolate frozen goat yogurt!) Interviews with Bill Niman, with some of the best goat cheese makers in the country. And lots of hysterical stories about two guys in the country, trying to come to terms with goats. Let's just say it involves some rather bizarre moments of load-bearing Farrah Fawcett Major posters on walls and Bruce's first time with a nipple. Need I really say more?
I've been dropping some hints about the book here--and I thought I'd take today to share on of my favorite recipes: a leg of goat roasted over a bed of tomatoes, chickpeas, and sherry.
It's Bruce's whimsical reinterpretation, sort of Spain meets Safeway. I hope you'll like it as much as I have (on countless occasions in the past year). And if you don't want to use goat, consider this one with a leg of lamb, particular for the holidays ahead.
Figure on its serving six with some starchy sides. Goat cheese-laced mashed potatoes, anyone? Let's get to it.
First, position the rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350F (175C).
Next, make a paste out of the following: several minced garlic cloves, 2 tablespoons (about 6 grams) minced oregano leaves, 2 tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil, 1 teaspoon (about 6 grams) salt, and 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. You can get the job done with a mortar and a pestle--or you can use the side of a chef's knife, wiping it across the ingredients repeatedly on a cutting board to mush them into a paste.
Rub this paste onto a 3- to 4-pound (1 1/4 to 1 3/4 kilogram) leg of goat (or leg of lamb, as I said). Set it aside.
Mix all this in a large roasting pan: 3 1/2 cups (800 grams) canned diced tomatoes (do not drain), 3 cups (850 grams) canned chickpeas (drained and rinsed), 1 cored seeded and chopped green bell pepper, 2 cups (475 ml) dry sherry, 1/2 cup (about 25 grams) minced parsley leaves, 1 teaspoon mild smoked paprika, 1 teaspoon ground cloves, 1/2 teaspoon saffron, 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, and 2 bay leaves.
Set the rubbed leg on top and shove the whole thing in the oven.
Roast it until the meat is tender at the bone, between 3 and 4 hours. It's a wide range because the leg's tenderness will be a factor of its age, its diet, etc. (Same goes for lamb.) After the first hour, start basting the leg with pan juices every 15 to 20 minutes. Listen, you don't have anything better to do--you're roasting a goat leg! You'll know the thing is super-tender when you can insert a meat fork in it at the bone without much resistance. And Bruce is sitting here telling me that the meat should in no way cling to the fork; the fork should come free without any pull or tug--and certainly not be able to stand up in the meat.
Take the pan out of the oven and let the whole thing stand for 10 to 15 minutes. If you want to make this ahead, cover the pan with foil and set it in a warm oven for an hour or two. Then hack the meat off the bone and serve in bowls with the sauce lapped over the top. I swear, you'll have to hold yourself back from sucking it down. Remember to breathe.
Mark Scarbrough | Posted on Wednesday, February 2, 2011 at 4:58PM | in Comfort Food, Hunks of Meat, Main Courses Spain, braise, braised goat, comfort food, goat, goat leg, goat meat, roast, roasted goat
Reader Comments (5)
Looks good, but dang! my local market is all out of goat..
Maybe lamb?
My 2 year old woke up as I was reading the recipe. I had the final photo showing and when he saw exclaimed that it looked tasty. I have to agree. I will be trying this next week and can't wait. I have never cooked anything like this before, but it looks delicious. I can't wait! What type of pan do I need for this? Will my large pyrex pan work or do I need something larger? Thanks for sharing.
Is the second 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon a mistake? Not sure what it could be. Thinking nutmeg, but? Thanks!
Dawn: Sorry, my mistake. Long day yesterday. Nutmeg's close. But it was actually 1 teaspoon ground cloves. I changed the recipe accordingly in the post.
It'll be pretty fine with lamb, but make sure you get a leg on the smallish side, as the weight indicates in the recipe. Otherwise, you'll need more liquid in the pan and may need to cover it for some of the roast/braising to keep it from drying out.
M.
That looks magnificent! Great recipe - love the chickpeas especially. I'm in a mad chick pea phase at the moment.