This month, our columnist Anna Hedworth, aka The Grazer, goes for the chop
Having The Goat Company at Jesmond Food Market regularly means I’ve been able to get hold of goat meat much more easily; and hearing James Whetlor of Cabrito speak last year about his endeavours to make it available more widely, has encouraged me to try it
out more.
It’s a really tasty yet subtle meat. I tried out a goat ragu a couple of months ago; browned then slow-cooked with onions, carrots and celery, some red wine and chopped tomatoes, served with polenta – it was simple and delicious. This time round I’m going for chops – so
try these.
I began by marinating goat chops in a mix of chopped rosemary, a clove of grated garlic, the juice of half a lemon, olive oil and salt and pepper. I thought simple was best, to appreciate the flavour of the meat and I favour a BBQ that is Greek in style; home made flat breads, choppy salads and dips… lots of things to pick at on the table.
Leave the goat to sit for an hour or so while the BBQ gets hot and set about some simple side dishes. Some asparagus, spring onions and sliced courgettes, with just a bit of olive oil and salt are delicious. More often than not people pile a ton of meat on, but I like a vegetable on the BBQ just as much as a chop.
BBQ pea pods are a good discovery – just put fresh pea pods on, turn until they’re charred, then open them up and you have tasty steamed peas, which are fantastic sprinkled with a bit of salt. They can go on while the BBQ is still too hot for everything else so are a good pre dinner snack, as they only take a couple of minutes.
I made some homemade flatbreads, which sounds like a lot of effort but is the opposite. Just take 250g plain flour mixed with 150ml of warm water, a teaspoon of salt and a tablespoon of olive oil, mix it into a dough and knead for 2 mins then let it sit under a bowl until you need it. Just divide it into 4 and flatten out into a thin disc when you need it and chuck on the BBQ at the end, it will puff up and char a bit. The dough takes 2 mins, as does the rolling out. I also made a sweet cumin yoghurt, a smoky aubergine yoghurt and a spicy tomato sauce; my favourite trio of dips.
Time to BBQ. I put the veg on first and a bit of sliced halloumi. Then the goat chops, about 3 mins on each side. I put a sprig of rosemary on at the same time as the chops which caught fire coating them in a lovely rosemary char. Place into a warm bowl to rest for 5 mins, and put the flatbreads on, roll them quite thin and they will only take a minute. Enjoy!
Read more from The Grazer at the-grazerblogspot.com and eat her food at The Cookhouse, Ouse Street, Newcastle, NE1 2PF, www.cookhouse.org
