Source: NZ Department of Conservation
Queue long intro and eventually getting to the point.
You don’t need to be genius to work out that food equals happiness. Just try sparking up a conversation with someone who hasn’t eaten in a couple hours, and you might be on the receiving end of a ‘H-angry’ (anger lead by hunger) conversational uppercut to the thorax.
Food is obviously critical. It plays an important part in shaping our cultures, strengthening our bonds with others, providing a sense of community, and most importantly nourishing us to grow and develop as individuals.
Plus, good food simply tastes good, and as a result we feel good.
In ancient times hunting and foraging was the primary means of food sourcing. There was no Pak’ N Gap down the road or even lab-grown food delivery services, believe it or not. Now, a modern-day re-discovery of ‘mountain-to-plate’ foods has brought a certain excitement and appreciation back to foodies around the world.
That’s why, throughout the National Wild Goat Hunting Competition we teamed up with Cazador restaurant in sharing some tasty wild goat recipe ideas, in an effort to not only promote the conservation and environmental needs and benefits of keeping wild goat numbers down, but also emphasising and uncovering a lesser-known, often looked-down-upon, game meat that boasts the label as one of the most lean, high-protein meats (per pound) around in the world.
It’s putting the G.O.A.T back into goat.
We’ve had unwavering feedback with the recipes we shared on our socials last year, so to make it easier we’ve put all the recipes in one place. We even drew upon scientific method and rigor, putting these recipes through the ringer and rating thing in terms of
- ‘Ease in not stuffing it up’
- ‘H-anger O’Clock cook-time’
and of course
3. Tastiness, based on our ‘Goat Any Leftovers Bro’ scale.
Key: 5 emojis = Excellent, 1 Emoji = Not that great
#1 Harissa Roast Goat Leg
Yep, this one tastes good.
‘Ease in not stuffing it up’ =
‘H-anger O’Clock cook-time’ =
Tastiness, based on our ‘Goat Any Leftovers Bro’ scale =
Anything that says “roughly chop” is going to be easy, chuck a few herbs, sauces and juices on, slam it in the oven and away you go. If you have a growingly ‘h-angry’ whanau or group of friends, plan ahead and get this roast in early, so you can serve it up before the verbal ‘h-anger’ punching starts. It’s a big cut of meat so you probably will have some leftovers too, but not for long though…. Cold meat sandwhiches the next day, cut it up and freeze it for a quick and easy pizza topping – get creative!
#2 Goat & Walnut Salami
Yep, this one tastes good too…
‘Ease in not stuffing it up’ =
‘H-anger O’Clock cook-time’ =
Tastiness, based on our ‘Goat Any Leftovers Bro’ scale = + (off the scale!)
Ok, salami isn’t hard to mess up but if you DO, the consequences of eating rancid meat can be dire! So, make sure you follow the instructions. In terms of ‘H-anger O’clock’, yeah if you can curb the ‘h-anger’ for 4-8 weeks then you’re something special and we want to know how you do it, please. Otherwise, you’re going to need some patience and let the curing salts and salami do it’s thing. No such thing as leftovers with this one. That concept doesn’t even exist. You might even eat your fingers, it tastes so good!
#3 Goat Bresaola
Sticking with the cured meats. Again, yep, you guessed it, this one tastes good.
‘Ease in not stuffing it up’ =
‘H-anger O’Clock cook-time’ =
Tastiness, based on our ‘Goat Any Leftovers Bro’ scale = + (off the scale!)
Way easier to make then the salami, so you’re not going to stuff this one up (hopefully). Also, it doesn’t take that long to prepare, and the curing time is 7 days, so it’s a cut-down in the ‘h-anger O’clock rating than the salami, but still not ideal. Like the salami, there’s no leftovers here bro, sorry!
#4 Goat Shank Kleftiko
Yep, this one also tastes good, funny that.
‘Ease in not stuffing it up’ =
‘H-anger O’Clock cook-time’ =
Tastiness, based on our ‘Goat Any Leftovers Bro’ scale =
Low and slow cooks are pretty hard to stuff up, so it should be smooth sailing with this one. There’s a bit of preparation time needed, but hey, all good things take time. With a similar cook time to the roast, you’re going to want to plan a head to avoid… you already know, don’t need to say it again. The shank is one of the most under utilised cuts because of its toughness, but done right, like in this recipe, you can transform it into one of the most delicious fall-off-the-bone, tender pieces of meat around.
#5 Goat Shank Pappardelle
Don’t need to keep saying it…
‘Ease in not stuffing it up’ =
‘H-anger O’Clock cook-time’ =
Tastiness, based on our ‘Goat Any Leftovers Bro’ scale =
There’s a bit of prep time with this one so it’s going to take some reading and following instructions to get this started, but once you’ve prepared it and it’s in the oven, you can’t really stuff it up. Just keep an eye on the timer. Like the roast and the other shank recipe, plan a head. Saturdays and Sundays are good days for these recipes. With proper planning, there’s minimal risk of ‘h anger’ related issues popping up. The reminder of pasta is always a winner, especially with kids. In terms of leftovers, well, let’s be honest you’re always going to cook more pasta than you need, that’s the rules isn’t it? But like we said, pasta is always a winners so the left overs won’t last long.
#6 Roast Rack Herb Salsa
It. Is. Good.
‘Ease in not stuffing it up’ =
‘H-anger O’Clock cook-time’ =
Tastiness, based on our ‘Goat Any Leftovers Bro’ scale =
Let’s not beat around the bush. This is pretty easy to stuff up! Firstly, you need to know how to break down the animal to get a good-looking rack like the one you’re seeing above. But don’t let that deter you, there’s loads of good How-To videos out there that make it way easier and if you truly get stuck, go to your local butcher, they’ll sort you out. Only 10mins cook time! This is your go-to if ‘h-anger’ levels are peaking and you’re dodging and ducking verbal haymakers. A quick way to set things back in order. Loin is one of the most tender, juicy pieces of meats out there so this cut will melt like butter in your mouth and taste beautiful!
As far as hunting goes, wild goat falls lower down on the target species, for both trophy and meat. Because they’re not usually sought after, their numbers can often go unchecked, giving them opportunities to destroy and devastate key habitats and ecosystems. That’s why we’ve been increasing our wild goat control efforts and trying to get the public to help out too.
Hopefully, these recipes will inspire you to get out there and put wild goats on your target species list. They are a great, sustainable source of meat, that’s organic, free-range, has high protein and low fat content, and is a conservation threat that you could help out with.
Win-Win situation right there.
If you liked these recipes and want us to try some new ones out in the future, maybe with other wild animals, let us know! We’d be happy to share some more ideas.
The National Goat Hunting Competition closed on the 26th of November 2024. If you entered, that’s fantastic, we thank you for your support and if you supported in any other way, thanks to you too. Keep an eye out on our channels later on in the year as we announce the winners and share the results!
