Yucky goat meat

[Laura Workman]

I had a wether butchered. This guy was 18 months old. He was wethered at 2 months and was on his dam until she weaned him. After that, he ate grass hay and alfalfa pellets just like my girls. On butchering day, we loaded him into the truck (we have a canopy) and my husband took him for an hour's drive. At the butcher's, they took him out of the truck and within a few seconds cut his throat. They did not stun him first. Although I asked to have him cut right away, he hung for five or six days before they cut him up and froze the meat.

So here's the problem. The meat has a funky aftertaste. I cooked two roasts in a crock pot, seasoned with fresh rosemary, garlic, salt and pepper. The meat smells fine cooking, tastes fine when you bite into it, but after you swallow, you taste some goatiness. Is it because he was older? Are younger kids less "flavorful"? Is it because he was stressed by the ride or butchering method? Did he hang too long?

Mind, the flavor isn't anything that would make anyone gag. My husband likes it fine, but I have very little tolerance for goaty taste in anything. It doesn't stop me from eating the meat, but it's far from the top of my list of tasty things to eat. As in, if that's what they all taste like, I'll probably never butcher another one except as dog food. I have too many other options for meat I DO like.

[mygoat]

I'd say that the stress got to the meat. Imagine being taken away from your surroundings, travel for an hour, and then die from getting your throat cut! Next time you butcher, try doing it yourself in your backyard... Take the wether out of the pen, and give him a bowl of grain. Then shoot him in the back of the head. See this thread : Ozark's butchering article

[KellyHill]

the only thing that comes to my mind is did he get raised with the bucks and pick up the goatyness from them? If the butcher got some of his hair on the meat it could taint it. I've eaten older wethers and not had a problem. I don't like goaty (bucky) tasting meat either!!

[DocM]

I always hang my meat, and 5 days is about right. "Gourmet" beef is often hung for a week or more. An hour ride is way too much stress before killing. You want them quiet and relaxed. What he ate in the weeks before butchering can greatly affect the taste - it's why a lot of people don't like deer - they claim it tastes "gamey". I guess I like the gamey flavor.

[ozark_jewels]

Sounds like way too much stress to me. He was scared from the ride, strange surroundings and strange people. And I would've shot him *before* slitting the throat. Also, the consensus from the *old pros* when we discussed it a couple years ago was that goat meat does not need aged. I never hang mine to age. They go from live and eating, to in the freezer in an hour or less.
A little gamey taste doesn't bother me, but it does bother my mom and she loves our goat roasts and steaks. It shouldn't be gamey if done correctly. You might try doing it at home next time??

[DocM]

I've never done goats, but I'll keep that in mind, Ozark. I hang sheep, deer, elk, even chickens. It tenderizes the meat.

[ozark_jewels]

Originally Posted by DocM

I've never done goats, but I'll keep that in mind, Ozark. I hang sheep, deer, elk, even chickens. It tenderizes the meat.

I remember they said that *if* you do hang goat to be careful with it as its easier for it to go *off* when hanging than other meat....can't remember why at the moment... I know some people do hang it...its just not something I ever saw the need for and I have no good place to hang them anyway. I've not had to deal with tough meat, so it doesn't seem to be a problem.....If you've got a good place to do it and you want to...hang em high!!

[GrannyCarol]

Ok, now I'm curious... I have a friend that says she'd bring me three of four goats (male) for me to have butchered for meat. However, she lives 300 miles away and now I find the butcher is too expensive and I'd probably do the butchering myself. I've never done that - not afraid to cut one up, but I did ask about how to slaughter them.

Would the trip make the meat no good? I don't think she is willing to kill them and bring me meat, or I think she'd just eat them herself.

Also, we've decided we'll probably have to shoot them - how would we contain them safely to do that? Tie them up? How do you do that? I've never dealt with goats at all. I think I know a farmer that would let me use his field for the slaughter, but its not fenced, just open land.

Heh, I feel like a pest, but I'm trying to make a good decision and I realized there is a LOT I don't know! I'd like to cover my bases pretty thoroughly before I decide to go forward. If the meat is likely to be gamey because of stress, there is always sausage.

[pasotami]

When I kill our lambs - I shoot them in the pasture (it is a large lot) - I do not want them upset, so I sit on our RTV with the gun, when they look at me I shoot. If you hit the right spot they will just fold their knees and drop. The others will look at them funny and continue doing what they were doing. Nothing gets scared or excited - I think that has a lot to do with the taste. Plus I do not hang meat here - usually not cold enough when they are ready to butcher.
I have to say I've learned something on this thread - never knew anyone hung chickens, I've heard of aging ducks and geese but not chickens or turkeys... interesting.

[Laura Workman]

Hi All, thanks for the input. This wether was pretty big. He was eating me out of house and home, keeping my nice does outside in the rain while he hogged the shed and feeders, growing fatter all the while. I even found him ASLEEP with his head in the feeder! I just didn't have a day to devote to butchering, so had it done "professionally." HA! IF I keep another wether, it will be killed much younger, here on our place. The problem is, I sure don't want to do that if it's going to taste like this guy does.

The meat isn't really "gamey." It just tastes kind of goaty. So, do the goats you all eat taste goaty, or do they taste like beef? I mean, I realize they're different animals, but I figure if Muscovy duck can taste a lot like beef, so can another animal. If young ones don't taste goaty, do older ones normally taste goaty, or is that entirely from stress? This guy was not in with bucks, and ate only very nice grass hay and free choice alfalfa pellets since he was weaned.

[Shazza]

What breed was he??

[dezeeuwgoats]

Laura;

We've only butchered one goat - and it was an at least six months old buckling with a retained testicle. He tasted fine - no goaty/bucky taste at all. The meat was wonderful, absolutely wonderful - and he was a stinky buck! Dh used a knife to cut its throat and said he lost consciousness within seconds, but I think we'd both rather use a gun next time, given what I've read here. It's easier on us. We'd heard that an extremely sharp knife was more humane.

On another note - we don't 'hang' chickens, but we have noticed a huge difference between throwing them right in the freezer vs holding them in a cooler with ice a couple days, or taking the chicken that WAS thrown directly in the freezer, and allowing it to thaw for several days in the fridge. Much more tender to give it a few days - either before, or after freezing.

Niki

[Gailann Schrader]

all the goat I've eaten tastes 'different' as does venison.

BUT I think there are some of us that are very odor/smell driven.

I can't cook feed-lot pig without gagging. And sometimes I can't eat chicken because of the cooking smell.

If I don't smell it cooking (from the raw stage to just cooked) I'm fine.

Maybe you should try NOT overdoing the smelling as you are cooking. Sometimes the feed-lot pig smell lasts days with my sensitive nose. Feed-lot anything...

[fishhead]

What temp was it during the hanging period? That has a lot to do with it.

I always soak my venison in several ice water exchanges. That pulls a lot of the blood out and gives it a milder flavor.

GrannyCarol,

You could always kill the goats at your friends and remove the guts just hunters do with deer. Prop open the body to cool it and if it's warm pack it with ice for the trip home.