The Other, Other, Other White Meat?

Quiz time.  And we're on the honor system here, people, so don't lie to yourself.  Maybe everyone knew this but me, but I was a little surprised. 

What would you guess is the most widely consumed meat in the world?

If I had to guess, if I had been asked to guess prior to having learned the information and being surprised by it, I would have guessed chicken.  I know there are places and religions where both beef and pork are banned, but I'm not aware of any banning of poultry.  (Sidebar: a quick Google search of "poultry banned" returns two types of stories.  1. Raising poultry banned due to avian flu, and 2. Poultry found to contain banned drugs/banned antibiotics.  I find that second one to be very disturbing.  I am certain that there will need to be a post on the dangers of factory produced poultry or meat in general. But I can't get stuck reading about it tonight because it's late, and because I need to get back to talking about the purpose of this blog.  Which is the most widely consumed meat in the world.  Which is not poultry.)

So, it's not poultry, and it can't be pork what with the being banned by two of the world's major religions (it truly is a cruel god that bans bacon...), and it can't be beef what with it being banned in India and the many people who think it's bad for your heart.

So, what is the most widely consumed meat in the world?

It's goat.

Do you eat goat?  Have you ever eaten goat?  Or is goat one of those edible things that just isn't food - like dandelions and smelt?

According to The Washington Post, 70% of the red meat consumed in the world is goat.  Goat can be kosher and halal.  It has 1/3 fewer calories than beef for equal serving sizes, and 1/4 fewer calories than chicken.  It has two-thirds less fat than beef and lamb.

Goats are sustainable. They are browsers, as opposed to grazers like cows.  Browsers eat leaves, bark, and stems from plants, while grazers eat vegetation at ground level.  What does this mean?  Well, Cows need large areas to be "free range," because they pretty much destroy where they are and need to move on to allow the grass to grow back.  Goats basically eat whatever's around, and not destroy the land.  1 acre of pasture will hold maybe two steers, but will comfortably hold 10 goats.

It's better for you.  It's better for the land.  Why aren't we eating more of it?

A common answer I found on the internet to that question is because it's not easy to find.  There's no mass producer of goat, and generally the only way a butcher can get it is as a whole animal.  But I learned enough in my MBA program to know that supply and demand doesn't work that way.  If there were some demand, it would be supplied.  

I think it's mainly that goats get a bad rap.  We think of them as eating garbage and tn cans and what not.  I remember one time as a child at a petting zoo, a goat tried to eat my sleeve. 

We eat the cheese, and that's okay.  But for some reason, goat meat is not something that Americans want to eat.  Which is actually a problem.  Because here's the thing: only girls make milk.  I'm not sure if you knew that, but it's true.  So you've got dairy goats, and they're making milk, and also making baby goats, but some of those baby goats are boys.  Goat dairy farms don't want male goats.  On a cow dairy farm, the male babies are sold to beef farmers and become steer.  They are then sold for meat.  But no one eats goat meat in the US.  So, most of the male baby goats are killed at birth.  Nobody wants them, which means they're worth less than the cost to feed them.  So they're killed off.

If you like goat cheese, and that sounds terrible to you, you should probably start eating goat meat too.

Here's the thing, though.  Not only is it good for you and good for the earth, it's also just plain good.  I mean, really, really good.  I would describe it as a cross between pork and lamb.  You can tell that it eats a lot of grass because, to me, it tastes just a little grassy.  It's almost sweet.

Give it a try.  You probably won't find it at your local butcher.  I have purchased goat from BSW Farms, out of Union Grove WI.  I know that they are at the Menominee Falls Farmer's Market on Wednesdays, and that you can also email them to order directly.  They do not have a website that I can find.  I have not ordered form Shepherd Song Farm, but I might.  They have a very nice website with goat and lamb, and are located in Downing, WI.

There are lots of goat recipes out there, especially a lot of Greek recipes that look really good.  I decided to go sans-recipe with this one, though, and just use up some of my (you guessed it!) chutney.

Braised Goat Chops in Yellow Tomato Chutney
(makes two servings)

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 6 goat chops (they are very small)
• salt and pepper 
• 1 pint curried yellow tomato chutney (see below)
• hard apple cider

 In a dutch or french oven, heat the two tablespoons olive oil over medium high heat.  Add the onions and saute until softened, about 5 minutes.  Add the garlic and saute three additional minutes.

Meanwhile, season the chops on both sides with salt and pepper.  Add the chops to the onions and garlic, and brown on both sides.  Add yellow tomato chutney, and hard apple cider as needed to bring the chutney/liquid level to about 3/4 of the way up the sides of the chops.  Reduce the heat to low, cover tightly, and allow to braise for one hour, turning once.

I served this with brown rice, and sauteed asparagus and morels with goat cheese.

Curried Yellow Tomato Chutney
(This was a recipe that I made during my canning frenzy last fall.  It turns out to be a great base to braise meat in.  I'm not sure what else to do with it, although the picture in the recipe book seems to imply that you just want to eat it, like jam, on flat bread.  This recipe is from William Sonoma's "The Art of Preserving.")

• 5 lbs yellow tomatoes
• 2 large yellow onions 
• 2 fresh green chiles
• 1 Tbsp plus 1/2 tsp curry powder
• 1 tsp brown mustard seeds
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 3/4 tsp chili powder 
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 Tbsp peeled and grated fresh ginger
• 3/4 cup malt vinegar
• 1/2 cup raw cane sugar or light brown sugar
• 3/4 tsp salt, plus additional to taste
• Freshly ground pepper

Have ready hot, clean jars and their lids.

Blanch, peel, and core the tomatoes, then cut them into large chunks.  You should have about 10 cups.

Cut each onion into quarters through the stem end, and then cut each quarter crosswise into slices, separating the rings.  Cut each chile in half lengthwise and remove the stem, seeds, and ribs.  Cut each half in half again lengthwise and then thinly slice crosswise. 

In a small cup, stir together the curry powder, mustard seeds, cumin, and chili powder.  In a large nonreactive saucepan over medium heat, warm the oil.  Add the spices and cook, stirring constantly, for one minute; do not allow the spices to smoke or burn!  Andd the chiles, garlic, and ginger, and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes longer.  Stir in the tomatoes, onions, vinegar, sugar, and 3/4 tsp salt.

Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce the heat to medium low and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the mixture has thickened, about 1 hour.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Ladle the hot chutney into the jars, leaving 1/4 inch of headspace.  Remove any air bubbles and adjust the headspace, if necessary.  Wipe the rims clean and seal tightly with lids.

Process the jars for 15 minutes in a boiling-water bath.  Sealed jars can be stored in a cool, dark place for up to 1 year.

Makes 7 half-pint jars.

Yay! New Grill!

Over the 4th of July Weekend, Jeff went out and got us a new grill.  It wasn't the grill that I wanted (click here!), but it fit a little better into our budget.

 I was very impressed at Jeff's ability to go out, purchase a new grill, tear down the old grill, and assemble the new grill in just a few hours.  Putting things together in our house tends to be an adventure, and usually ends with me angry and yelling.  I guess I am the problem.  Solution: no more me putting things together!!

So, time to try out the new grill, while still trying to get rid of the garden/dairy excess...

I've been visiting the Menomonee Falls farmer's market on Wednesdays.  It's close to my work, and, in theory, I should be able to store whatever I buy in the fridge at work for a few hours after I buy it.  I say in theory, because one time someone stole my eggs.  Seriously.  Someone stole a dozen, raw eggs.  There was some suggestion that someone took them on mistake, thinking that they were their eggs, but frankly I don't believe that for a minute.  ("Oh, sorry.  I thought I brought a dozen raw eggs for lunch.  Must have remembered incorrectly.  My mistake!")  I made a big stink about it, and threatened to anyone who would listen that I was going to leave a dozen eggs in my car for a week and then put them in the fridge, and it hasn't happened again, so I guess I'm okay.

Anyway, at the Menomonee Falls Farmer's Market, there's a woman who sells goat meat.  I had goat meat on my honeymoon in Jamaica, but not since.  From what I remember, it was pretty good... although I think it mostly tasted like curry.  I know that it's a tougher meat, so when I bought the goat chops it was my intention to braise them.  But, it is the middle of summer, and I do have a new grill, so why not give that a try.  My solution for making it tender?

A marinade.  But not just any marinade: a dairy marinade.  Because I learned on Food Network (see, I'm not just wasting my whole Sunday.  I'm LEARNING) that dairy marinades activate enzymes in meat that break down proteins, and they don't contain the acid in traditional marinades that can cause your meat to be mushy and gross. (Have you ever soaked your tequila lime chicken in the tequila lime marinade for too long?)

Most dairy marinade recipes call  for yogurt, but I found a few that call for milk or buttermilk, which leads me to believe that it isn't the bacteria in the  yogurt that is important.  This is what I came up with:

Sour Cream Marinated Goat Chops with Wilted Bitter Lettuce:

4-6 small goat chops (L)

For the Marinade:

• 1 cup sour cream (L)
• 3 1/2 tbsp butter, melted and cooled (L)
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tbsp garlic skapes, minced (L)
• 2 small green onions, including tender green parts, minced (L*)
• 1 tbsp fresh oregano, minced (L*)
• 1 tsp fresh tarragon, minced (L*)
• 1/2 tsp fresh thyme, minced (L*)
• 1/2 tsp fresh mint, minced (L*)

Combine all ingredients, and spread generously over the goat chops.  Allow to sit, refrigerated, for a few hours.  I did this before going to work, and they sat all day (about 11 hours).

Grill goat chops over medium high heat for about 3-5 minutes per side, depending on thickness and desired doneness.  Ours were medium, and they were delicious!  The meat was not gamy at all, and the sour cream made them a little tangy in a good way.  The only thing I would have done differently was cook more!  The chops were tiny and had a lot of bones, so you didn't get a lot of meat.  The husband and I easily could have eaten 4 chops a piece (he probably could have eaten 6), and they marinade could have covered that many.

Wilted bitter lettuce:

• 1 large bunch bitter lettuce, washed well (L*)
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 green onion, thinly sliced (L)
• 1 tbsp garlic scapes (L)
• 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
• Salt and pepper to taste

Melt butter in a hot frying pan over medium heat.  Add onion and garlic, and saute until lightly golden.  Turn heat to low and add lettuce.  Add vinegar, salt, and pepper, and stir until lettuce is wilted.

The first bite of this was surprisingly good.  The second bite was okay, and the third bite was barely palatable.  It was just too bitter, and the bitterness overwhelmed all of the other flavors.  I read online that bitter lettuce can be used in the same way as any other bitter green (like kale or spinach), but obviously that was not the case here.  We threw most of this away, and supplemented our dinner with popcorn.  I will keep trying, though.  There's got to be a recipe out there for me!