Shepherd-Style Barbecued Goat

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The central Texas town of Brady has staged the World Championship Barbeque Goat Cook-off for more than twenty years on Labor Day weekend. And they know how to cook it correctly, using ten to eighteen pound goats that have been slaughtered at thirty to forty days of age. The older goats eat grass and develop a distinct muttony flavor. They can also be tough. The best time to find young goat is around May. Cabrito is the Spanish word for young goat.

Purists insist that the only traditional way to cook cabrito is to dig a hole in your back yard and burn mesquite wood down to coals. Then you take the skinned cabrito, season it, wrap it in wet burlap bound with wire, and set the meat over the coals. You cover it with dirt to seal in the heat and smoke, and let it cook all day.

Known in the Southwest as cabrito al pastor, barbecued young goat is a spring tradition that can be duplicated in a grill with a spit or in a smoker. The biggest problem is going to be finding a young, tender 12 to 15 pound young goat and you may have to search out butchers, farmers, or Hispanic markets.

Ingredients

  • Your favorite barbecue rub containing chile powder

  • 1 12-pound young goat, cleaned

  • Barbecue sauce of choice, chipotle recommended

  • Flour or corn tortillas

  • Guacamole

  • Salsa of choice, chipotle recommended

    • Instructions

    Sprinkle the rub all over the goat and rub it in thoroughly. If grilling the goat, build a mesquite wood fire in a large barbecue with a spit, or use natural charcoal and mesquite chips. Arrange the goat on a spit about 1 foot above the coals. You can use a motor to turn the spit, or turn it manually every 10 or 15 minutes. Cook until the internal temperature reaches 170° F., for well done.

    If smoking the goat, place the goat on a rack in the smoker with the smoke from pecan, oak, or fruitwood at 200 to 220° F. Smoke for about 1 hour per pound, or until the internal temperature reaches 180° F.

    To serve, slice the cabrito thinly and top with barbecue sauce. Serve with the tortillas, guacamole, and salsa on the side, or make tacos topped with the salsa.

    Pork and Tomatillo Chili

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    Adding tomatillos gives the variation of a traditional New Mexican chili a south of the border twist. They provide a tangy, citrus-like taste that can at times be very tart. The heat in this dish will very depending on the heat of the green chili you use. The Big Jim variety will be mild, the Sandia hot, and most will fall into the medium range.

    Ingredients

    • 2 pounds boneless pork, cut into 1-inch cubes

    • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

    • 1 large onion, diced

    • 4 cloves garlic, minced

    • 3 to 4 serrano chiles, stems and seeds removed, chopped

    • 2 12-ounce bottles of dark beer

    • 1 12 to 15-ounce can tomatillos

    • 1 15-ounce can peeled tomatoes, including the liquid

    • 4 to 6 green New Mexican chiles, stems and seeds removed, chopped

    • 1 teaspoon dried oregano, Mexican preferred

    • ½ teaspoon cumin seeds

    • 1 16-ounce can pinto beans, including the liquid

    • Salt

    Instructions

    Heat some of the oil in a heavy skillet over medium high heat. Brown the pork, remove and put in a large kettle or stockpot. Add the remaining oil to the skillet and saute the onions until soft. Add the garlic and serrano chile and cook for an additional couple of minutes. Remove and add to the pork.

    Pour one of the bottles of beer into the skillet, raise the heat and deglaze the pan scraping up all the bits and pieces. Add the liquid to the pork.

    Add the remaining beer, tomatillos, tomatoes, green chiles, oregano, and cumin to the stockpot. Bring the mixture to just below boiling, reduce the heat and simmer for 45 minutes. Add the pinto beans, adjust the seasonings and simmer for an addition 30 minutes.

    Jalapeno Black Bean Chili

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    Turtle, or black beans, have always been a favorite in both Central and South America and have been gaining in popularity in the country. These are also the beans that the Chinese ferment for their black bean sauce. This is a great recipe to serve your vegetarian friends and is so tasty you won’t even miss the meat.

    Ingredients

    • 1 ½ cups black beans, sorted, rinsed, and soaked overnight

    • 6 to 8 jalapeño chiles, stems and seeds removed, chopped

    • 1 large onion, chopped

    • 2 cloves garlic, minced

    • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

    • ½ teaspoon ground cumin

    • 3 cups vegetable broth

    • 1 15-ounce can peeled tomatoes

    • 1 ½ tablespoons red wine vinegar

    • 2 tablespoons dry sherry, optional

    • Salt to taste

    • Garnishes: Sour cream, chopped fresh cilantro

    Instructions

    Heat the oil in a heavy skillet, add the jalapeños, onion, and garlic and saute until soft, about 5 minutes.

    In a large saucepan or stockpot, combine the beans, onion mixture, cumin, and broth and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the beans are soft, about an 1 ½ hours. Add the tomatoes and vinegar and continue to simmer, uncovered, for an additional 30 minutes or until the chili has thickened.

    Remove the chili from the heat and stir in the sherry and season with salt. Ladle the chili into bowls, garnish with a dollop of sour cream, sprinkle the cilantro over the top and serve.

    Amy’s Basic BBQ Rub

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    Amy Anderson of the Madd Momma and The Kid barbecue team loves black pepper. It plays a key role in this rub.

    This recipe and others can be found in the following article:

    The Heat of Competition: The Jack Daniels’ Championship

     

    Ingredients

    • 1 cup sugar

    • 1 cup seasoning salt

    • 1 /2 cup paprika

    • 1/3 cup red chile powder

    • 1/3 cup black pepper

    • 1 tablespoon garlic powder

    • 1 tablespoon onion powder

    Instructions

    Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and mix thoroughly. Apply liberally to meat 1 to 2 hours before cooking.

    Sambal Kacang (Spicy Peanut Sauce)

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    This recipe and others can be found in the following article:

     

    Indonesian Sambals

    by Nancy Gerlach, Fiery-Foods.com Food Editor Emeritus

     

    Ingredients

    • 3 shallots, minced

    • 1 tablespoon minced garlic

    • 1 teaspoon minced ginger

    • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, peanut preferred

    • 1 cup chicken broth

    • ½ cup peanut butter, either crunchy or smooth

    • 3 tablespoons lime juice, fresh preferred

    • 1 tablespoon crushed dried piquin chiles or substitute Sambal Oelek

    • 1 tablespoon soy sauce

    • 1 tablespoon brown sugar

    • 2 teaspoons Asian fish sauce

    Instructions

    Heat the oil in a heavy skillet over medium high heat. Add the shallots, garlic, and ginger and saute until the onions are soft and transparent but not browned, about 5 minutes.

    Add the chicken broth, raise the heat, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and stir in the remaining ingredients. Simmer the sauce, uncovered, for 10 to 15 minutes until thickened.

    Serve the sambal warm or at room temperature. Do not refrigerate or the peanut butter will congeal and the flavors will not blend.