Goat Meat Stew

 

I wanted to try cooking goat this time. I found a recipe that looked doable. This hybrid Ghanaian-Nigerian recipe came from someone who’s Ghanaian and her husband is Nigerian. It doesn’t require purchasing a lot of pantry items that I might never use again. I also made some slight modifications. (I never follow a recipe exactly.)

I used tomato sauce, garlic paste, and chopped onion instead of having to chop them (I only had to chop the habanero), and I blanched the meat first. I like blanching meat before poaching/stewing so there is no need for skimming while it is being cooked. 

The goat meat can be poached and fried the day before and kept in the fridge until ready to make the stew. It’s really mainly bone, but bone gives a dish a lot of flavor.

• 2 lbs bone-in cubed goat meat
• 2 tsp coarse salt
• 2 cups chopped onion
• 2 small habanero peppers, chopped
• 1 8-oz can tomato sauce
• 1 tblsp garlic paste
• 4 tblsp vegetable oil
• 2 tblsp tomato paste
• 1 tsp chicken bouillon powder
• 1 tsp curry powder
• 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
• 2 bay leaves
• hot cooked rice (I prefer basmati rice)

1. In a saucepan, cover goat meat in cold water about 4 cups and bring it to just below boiling. Remove the meat and rinse. Discard the liquid.
2. In a clean saucepan, add 5 cups of water, 1 tsp salt, and 1/2 cup chopped onions and bring to a boil. Add goat meat. Reduce heat to low, cover the pot and simmer the meat for 1 hour. 
3. In the meantime, combine chopped habanero, 1 cup of chopped onions, tomato sauce, and garlic paste in a blender and blend until smooth. Set aside.
4. After the meat has simmered for 1 hour, remove from the saucepan and drain on paper towels. Strain and reserve the poaching liquid.
5. Heat 2 tblsp oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Brown the goat pieces on all sides. Drain on paper towels and set aside.
6. Turn the heat to medium low and add the remaining 2 tblsp oil. Add the remaining 1/2 cup chopped onions and sauté for about 3 minutes until soft. 
7. Add tomato paste and stir for about 5 minutes.
8. Stir in tomato-pepper puree. Cover and simmer for 5 minutes. 
9. Stir in the bouillon powder, curry powder, thyme, bay leaves, and 1 tsp salt, and cook for 3 minutes. 
10. Add the goat meat and 2 tblsp reserved poaching liquid. Cover and simmer over low heat for 10 minutes.
11. Ladle over rice.