Since before Biblical times, goats may have been the most useful of domesticated animals, producing milk (for drinking or for cheese), gourmet meat (kid), leather and fiber for clothing.

Goat meat is relished and highly priced in many parts of the world, as cabrito by Spanish, chevreau by French people, and also favored by Greek, Moslem, Jews, Arabs, Mexican, Puerto Ricans...

Goat Meat Cookery

Kid
A young goat. Only the very young males (four-six weeks to four months old) are slaughtered for meat, as the females are reserved for milk productions. They are available from mid-March until the beginning of May. "Easter kids" should weigh about 25 to 30 lbs.

The meat is tender, juicy, very lean and tasty at this age, similar to that of milk lamb. It is genereally eaten roasted or marinated, sometimes even smoked and dried (in the mountains).

Male (bouc)
The male is today eaten only when a kid, but for centuries, in spite of its leathery flesh and pungent smell, it was a basic meat for the poor (the word boucherie - butcher's chop - is derived from bouc).

Goat
Goats'meat can be fairly firm, with a pleasant flavour but a strong smell. It looses easily moisture and can toughen quickly due to low fat content if it is exposed to high, dry cooking temperatures.

Tender Cuts
Tender cuts of goat meat are the legs, ribs, portions of the should cut, the loin roast and the breast.

They can support cooking method such as roasting, broiling or frying.

Less tender cuts
Less tender cuts of goat are stew meat, giblets and shanks.

In general, it is advisable to cook the meat slowly. Use braising and stewing methods. Cooking at low temperatures results in more tender and flavourful product with more juice.

Mexican Cuisine
Traditionally, on the day of the pachanga, several cabritos are slaughtered in the very early morning hours. All parts are saved and meat is cut up according to method of preparation - large pieces for asado (barbecued), small bite-size pieces for guisado (stewed) with traditional cumin (comino), garlic (ajo), and chile pepper spices.

Corsica
Corsican Goats were developed on the Isle of Corsica from local indigenous goats. They have long been valued on the island for their dairy and meat production. Each Christmas, Corsican Goat kids are a traditional Corsican specialty food.