Savvy Walked The Green Mile today. lol--Goat meat is great!

[CountryHaven]

Continuing on the subject of the thread not too long ago about goat meat, I have my own experience now to tell.

Right after reading that thread awhile back, I got some goat meat from a friend of mine, a leg and some ribs. I slow cooked the leg roast and my son and I had it for dinner one night. Some of it was good--gave a hint as to what goat meat should taste like, very tender, sweet meat--but some was REAL gamey tasting. I had just read the thread on the forum about how different kill methods, stress, illness, etc can do that so I had already primed myself not to judge goat meat by that particular instance, and it was bad enough that if I had I wouldn't have wanted any more. LOL But I know that lady and although she's a friend, she really doesn't have good handling practices or killing skills much less clean butchering skills. And I also know that buckling died of 'something'. So anyway, long story short...

Savvy--the doe who killed her triplets last weekend--entered our freezer this morning...boy that was a chore, she was a BIG goat. LOL However, it wasn't all that bad either, the worst part was how heavy she was to lift up and hang. Bob shot her, and we put her legs through the tpost and the two of us (and Bob is a big guy, and strong) still had a struggle to hoist her up. haha, but Emily's post on how to do the job was excellent. I had done plenty of other animals, but never a goat, and never a full-sized adult like that, plus never an animal with an udder before, just like Emily said, it cut right off, I was shocked at how easy it was.

Now, for the final result... Savvy hambugers this afternoon were DELICIOUS. Even past the 'son' test. (Bobby is really cool about eating our animals and such, but he's very honest about the taste, and that last goat he said was like licking our big buck's butt, lol, ewww) but he said this was really good, tasted just like a regular hamburger.

The last leg of goat that I got from my friend I put in the slow cooker, and you could even smell the 'goatiness' while it was cooking. I have a leg roast in there now from Savvy and it smells delicious. We're gonna have it for dinner in a little bit, but I am sure it will be wonderful. I'll let you know if it's not though.

As of now I say.... anyone who hasn't tried goat yet--you have got to try goat!

[BlueHeronFarm]

Good for y'all - and congrats on the successful butchering.
We have yet to put one in the freezer - we may keep a buckling this year to try, though.

I don't eat meat, so we would probably slaughter young -- a full grown goat would be a lot for my husband to polish off on his own.

[simplyflow]

I REALLY want to try goat meat. I have read Emily's post on how to butcher. I have done all the self-talk about where meat really comes from and that I should be able to do this. But for some reason I have had a hard time actually doing it. We raised and killed pigs this winter for the first time. I knew when I bought them what they were for, so I did not have a problem with it. It just seems so different with the kids. We had two does kid two weeks ago. One of the does is stand-offish and is teaching her kids the same. I don't know, maybe one of those bucklings? Other than a heinous act by the goat, how have some of you crossed over to being able to eat the goats you care for? I just need to put my mind in the right place...can someone help me????

[Backfourty,MI.]

As with any livestock I think we all get more attatched to some of them than to others for what ever the reason, but I guess you just have to remember everything has a purpose includung our animals. As for the goat meat we also really like it & can hardly tell the difference in taste between it & beef. We really think it tastes like sweet beef.

[mpete]

My family and I are ok with it seeings how all these hormones the commercial industries use get into our systems. We started with gardens and chickens. I tell the children which ones not to get attached to. I haven't tried goat yet, (I like to call it Chevon) but I am told it tastes like venison and soaks up whatever seasoning you add really well. Also, I know that my animals are healthy and treated well before slaughter.

[Backfourty,MI.]

We eat alot of venison, DH & I and We don't think goat(Chevon) tastes like venison at all and we really like venison too if it's processed & cooked right, otherwise I think it has a much gameier taste than goat does.

[mpete]

Could the way they told me it tasted had to do with the butcher process?

[CountryHaven]

I kind of am in the 'it tastes like sweet beef' camp myself. I've had venison and love it, perhaps it's in the way goat is raised. Possibly anyway. I know that wild rabbit tastes a lot different than farm raised rabbit (we have raised many a meat rabbit and love that too).

[CountryHaven]

Oh, by the way--the goat leg roast was terrific!

And I didn't end up answering the question for myself either, lol----this is the first goat I have actually butchered myself (okay, with Bob's help--it's the first animal he's helped with ever, I can't tease him anymore that I'm the one that's the killer around here, haha). But we have done a lot of other animals, and raised them for that purpose. Usually I never slaughter one of my breeding animals. I get very attached to them -- this case with Savvy being different due to the situation, but even then, it was sad because I had so had hopes for what she would bring to our farm in production---but offspring I have no problem with. I know what I am raising my animals for. Some will be shown and retained for the herd, some will be sold for either breeding or market... and some will end up in our freezer. It is their purpose, and to my mind, it is a noble purpose.

I take comfort in the fact that all of our animals regardless of their ultimate destination, are treated with love, care, and in the best way possible for their happiness--and their slaughter is made as painless as humanely possible. And we are thankful for what they provide to us.

Even Savy, as angry as I was with her, I was thankful for the wonderful food she presented to us at the end.