About six or seven years ago my best friend and I started raising Boer goats on 80 acres in Perry, Kansas. Until this point in my life I had never tried goat meat. To be honest, I never had a desire to even try it, however, I was very supprised the first time I tried it because the flavor was mild and non-gamey and for lack of a better word “sweet”, plus very lean. Our three kids have always been adventurous and were actually excited to try it too and immediatly became a family favorite.
Nutrition
As you can see in the chart below, goat meat has less calories, fat and Cholesterol than even chicken, yet provides high protein.
Nutritional Statistics Comparison Chart
| Per 3 oz. Serving | Goat | Chicken | Beef | Pork | Lamb | Bison | Turkey |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Calories (g) | 122 | 162 | 179 | 180 | 175 | 179 | 170 |
| Fat (g) | 2.6 | 6.3 | 7.9 | 8.2 | 8.1 | 8.6 | 8 |
| Saturated Fat (g) | .79 | 1.7 | 3 | 29.9 | 2.9 | 3.49 | 2.5 |
| Protein (g) | 23 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 24 | 25.45 | 24 |
| Cholesterol (mg) | 63.8 | 76 | 73.1 | 73.1 | 78.2 | 71 | 70 |
(Data from USDA Nutritional Database)
Cooking With Goat Meat
Did you know that goat meat is one of the most consumed meats in the world? Goat is especially popular in Middle Eastern, Asian, African, and South and Central American countries. Goat meat is also considered a delicacy in several European countries.
Different cultures prefer their goat meat to come in different ways. For example, most Americans and Middle Easterners want a young goat (6-9 months old) that is either a non-bred female or a young “weathered” (castrated) for a mild flavor. Many Africans prefer and older goat that is non-weathered for a stronger flavor.
You can use goat meat is just about any recipe you would use beef in. The fat content is very low so you need to take that into consideration when you are cooing it.
Author: The Frustrated Farmer
