Mary Had A Little Goat

One of the things I like best about cooking (and eating) is trying new foods.  I might have to draw the line at Sweetbreads--to my credit I tried it and did not like it--but you never know what something is going to taste like until you try it. 

5 Hour Goat from the NY TimesI first tried goat a couple of years ago.  I but most of my meat at our local farmer's market and Forest, the meat guy, had a leg of goat.  I prepared it the way I usually prepare a leg of lamb--covered with Julia Child's mustard, garlic and herb coating and roasting in a 325 degree oven.  The flavor was delicious.  It's similar to lamb, but actually more mild and sweet.  The only problem is that goat meat is leaner than lamb and much more tough.

I was really excited a few months ago when the NY Times Food Section featured goat including a recipe for 5 hour roast leg of goat.  I just happened to have a leg of goat in my freezer, so I decided to try the recipe yesterday.  It is amazing!  It is basically Osso Bucco--a braise with onions, garlic, wine and spices--but with a goat shank and lots (10 cloves) of garlic.  The meat fell off the bones and was juicy and flavorful.  If you can't get goat, try this recipe with a leg of lamb.  This is a great recipe for dinner parties because you can prep it before hand and it cooks with minimal monitoring while you hang out with your guests.