Who all eats Goat

CountryHaven · #21 02/26/08, 01:19 PM

This will be our first year, and I can't WAIT. I loved reading the thread here though for the suggestions on cooking. It will be quite an adjustment for me since I'm used to cooking fast (no patience and less time) but I have used a crock pot a lot, so I'm really anxious to try the above mentioned crock pot method.

white eagle · #22 02/26/08, 10:23 PM

Boy it sounds like goat meat sounds really good. We will have to order some off the net since around here we don't have no trusted butchers to kill a goat.. Lots of them around here wants to take the good meat an give you the older meat.. Maybe at least on that one site on the net will be worth trying goat.. It is also USDA approved..

My DH is wanting to try goat hamburger sometime it really sounds like it make a good meatloaf.. We have never tried really good goat milk cheese either. Did one time by from a store but it didn't seem to taste right.

Thanks for the help just now if we can find a really good place on the net to get goats meat to try.

Shazza · #23 02/26/08, 10:49 PM

What we have found is...our dairy goats, bucks whethers or does taste yummy.
But....goat meat we have bought has tasted yukky, gamey and yukky. We found out, no offense to anyone that has boer goats, but thats what the meat was, boer goat.
Which is why a lot of boer goat people here have a dairy buck to put over their pure boers, which changes the taste of the meat.

ozark_jewels · #24 02/27/08, 07:29 AM

Shazza, the reason for the difference in taste is not the breed, its the feeding, butchering and killing method. Boer goats taste just like dairy goats, goat meat tastes pretty much the same if its raised the same.
Difference between Boers and Dairy is the AMOUNT of meat. Not the flavour.
That is why I do not reccomend anyone buying goat meat off the net for their first try. Unless the place is established and knows what they are doing.
What effects the flavour, folks, is the feeding, killing and butchering. Breed has nothing to do with it.
I butcher Boers, Lamanchas, Nubians, Alpines, etc. Once their hide is off, you can't tell the difference.

The reason some people use Boers crossed with dairy is for the higher milk production of the dairy. The FB Boers taste just like the Dairy/Boers.

CountryHaven · #25 02/27/08, 08:54 AM

Hey Emily, you brought up a very VERY interesting point. Would you say the difference in feeding between your commercial type animal that might taste 'gamey', and what you have on your place is that the commercial farms tend to not grain at all? Since most dairy breeds are fed grain would you consider that a difference? I'm curious because I've heard that people that buy commercially want pasture fed animals that aren't grained (at least not heavily, and some prefer not at all).

farm mom · #26 02/27/08, 09:57 AM

Perhaps the grain is the difference? We have tried grass fed beef for some time now and just don't like it. We have gotten a lot of cuts that were very gamey and sharp tasting. In fact, most of the steaks and roasts we got were almost inedible in our opinion. We won't be eating it anymore.

dezeeuwgoats · #27 02/27/08, 10:11 AM

I don't have lots of experience eating goat - but we have started butchering our extra bucklings. I have a dairy goat operation - milking thirteen right now - four more to kid! Had a buck year.....Anyway, this year I found meat buyers, so I won't have as many for our own use....

Last year we put five in our freezer. Intact, 5/6 months old, never touched a bit of grain dairy bucks. None of them were gamey - the meat is good. Not everyone's favorite around here, but I think it is due to not being 'familiar' with it. I have a bunch of non-adventerous eaters over here. Once they are accustomed to it, I think it will be fine. We've pit roasted, oven roasted, and stewed the meat. If I don't tell them it is goat - they do better, lol.

So, I can't say that the taste difference between commercial and non-commercial would be the grain. My best guess would be the amount of stress involved on the animal. I know you didn't ask me, but I figured I'd add my two cents, lol, since I don't grain them and leave them intact.

Niki
PS It is easier for us to butcher the older ones - which is why we wait to six months.....We haven't managed to butcher a 'cute' one yet.....

ozark_jewels · #28 02/27/08, 10:12 AM

I don't think the grain makes the difference. I rarely feed my butcher goats grain. Usually they are on browse and/or hay until the day I butcher them. If they get grain at all its just a smidgeon and not enough to make a difference.
I've butchered adult goats who were on grain and goats who were not on grain and they both tasted just fine. Certain strongly flavoured plants will change the flavour of the meat.
The biggest factors are the killing method, and the cleanliness of the butchering. If the kill is quick and the goat doesn't stress, and the butchering is clean, the meat cooled quickly, it will taste good.
I'll tell you what though, I think the health of the animal has something to do with it too. I butchered a kid that had had terrible cocci and he was stunted from it. He was only two months old and very small. He had the strongest *goat* flavour I had ever tasted. He smelled up the kitchen while cooking and literally made me gag when I tasted the meat. I threw it to the dogs and they loved it.

That truly was the only goat of any type that I have ever butchered who didn't taste good. He was a Lamancha, by the way.

CountryHaven · #29 02/27/08, 10:13 AM

Dezeeuwgoats, thanks that was very useful. Sorry didn't mean to infer that no one else could answer but Emily, I just said it that way because she raised the point that I wanted to know. Glad to know that yours are intact as well, answers the above question from another person as well.

CountryHaven · #30 02/27/08, 10:17 AM

Thanks Emily, that's good to know too. Actually I have one kid from last year that I bought that never really grew (nubian) and was thinking of just butchering her. Hated to cause I really wanted her as part of my program but I don't think she'll ever be the right size. I don't know WHY she is so very small, but I'm having second thoughts on butchering her now though.,

dezeeuwgoats · #31 02/27/08, 10:26 AM

Sure thing!

I also leave on horns for those that have no hope of being a herdsire, which is most of them. Helps strengthen my resolve to not keep them, lol. So - no disbudding, no castrating, no grain. Just alfalfa pellets and momma's milk (for awhile).

Niki

ozark_jewels · #32 02/27/08, 10:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CountryHaven

Thanks Emily, that's good to know too. Actually I have one kid from last year that I bought that never really grew (nubian) and was thinking of just butchering her. Hated to cause I really wanted her as part of my program but I don't think she'll ever be the right size. I don't know WHY she is so very small, but I'm having second thoughts on butchering her now though.,

Chances are she would taste just fine. Thing was, this little guy of mine was dam-raised and it was during the busiest time of the year when we were dairying....I just never noticed how stunted he was. So he was never treated for cocci at all. When I noticed his condition I just decided to butcher rather than treat a bad case of cocci in a butcher boy who was slated for the freezer in one months time anyway.
So when I butchered him, his body was already stressed from dealing with the cocci.
Your doeling would probably taste just fine if thats what you decide to do.

stormwalker · #33 02/27/08, 11:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pookshollow

OK, here's another question for you!

I have an intact dairy buckling, almost 11 months old. Will he be edible? I'm buying a quarter of beef from my neighbour and was placing my cutting order with the butcher. Apparently he butchers goats too.

I think I've heard that some cultures really prefer the flavor of the intact buck
meat.
Personally, I don't mind a little gamey taste. But. none of the goat meat I've had was stinky at all.

Backfourty,MI. · #34 02/27/08, 11:25 AM

We really like it. DH was disappointed because he was expecting more of an exotic meat taste & we think it taste like sweet beef. If it steaks or chops I cook on the grill or george foreman & they are GREAT, I cook the meat exactly how I would beef & I don't think anyone would know it was Goat if you didn't tell them.

Shazza · #35 02/28/08, 07:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ozark_jewels

Shazza, the reason for the difference in taste is not the breed, its the feeding, butchering and killing method. Boer goats taste just like dairy goats, goat meat tastes pretty much the same if its raised the same.
Difference between Boers and Dairy is the AMOUNT of meat. Not the flavour.
That is why I do not reccomend anyone buying goat meat off the net for their first try. Unless the place is established and knows what they are doing.
What effects the flavour, folks, is the feeding, killing and butchering. Breed has nothing to do with it.
I butcher Boers, Lamanchas, Nubians, Alpines, etc. Once their hide is off, you can't tell the difference.

The reason some people use Boers crossed with dairy is for the higher milk production of the dairy. The FB Boers taste just like the Dairy/Boers.

Oh ok...oops...so people that have Boers think they dont have to feed them well and dont obviously get what we feed our dairy goats....and probably all piled into a trailer to be taken to the abitoir, stressed etc. This is here in Oz I am talking about.

ozark_jewels · #36 02/28/08, 07:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shazza

and probably all piled into a trailer to be taken to the abitoir, stressed etc. This is here in Oz I am talking about.

Yep, be my guess as to why the flavour wasn't good. Slaughter houses don't always get a clean kill either, especially if they are used to killing cattle. Just one of the reasons I butcher my own.

Shazza · #37 02/28/08, 07:17 AM

Oh for sure..we have our home butcher do all of our stock too. The company I bought the goat meat from is no longer in business...so that tells ya something.

goatsareus · #38 02/28/08, 07:18 AM

dh and I have been eating our surplus kids since 1977. We butcher the dam raised wethers at about 8 months of age. The kids have access to hay, pasture and their mothers' udder. Lovely meat, very lean, we love the meat.

**GREENCOUNTYPETE** · #39 02/28/08, 07:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by white eagle

Who all on here eats goat?

I have never ate it an heard it is very good meat to eat. I have found some websites that sells goat meat and was wondering how good is goat meat for a human being.
What meaning is it better for you than beef, pork or chicken?
I don't know all about goat meat at all an thinking very seriouly of purchaseing some on the net this month if it is really good for you. I have ate deer an like that meat so what is the difference in goat meat?

Thanks for the help.

if you have eaten deer then you have eaten goats wild cusin i found the texture about the same but i feel flavor has a lot to do with what they are fed
example we hunt an area with ground juniper and open grass, agriculture and hardwoods but if you take a deer from an island with prinarily juniper and cedar it is said to taste it , although i am sure some taco seasoning would hide it.

i can nt speak of what a goat looks like when butchered but deer form their winter fat in a layer between the hide and meat there is no marbling like beef for this reason they have very lean meat and are as the nutritionist woudl say a good source of lean protien . they realy like to push the lean protien and vegitables.

but go to a indian buffet they often have goat curry , very good but they seldom take the bones out.

Backfourty,MI. · #40 02/28/08, 03:21 PM

DH & I both hunt deer & luckily most years get a cuople between the 2 of us, we love venison & also the goat meat & Don't think the 2 taste alike at all, Though they are supposed to be cousins.