Goat’s meat is being tipped as an ethical and sustainable alternative to lamb as celebrity chefs and the foodservice industry tap into the health benefits of this full-flavored meat. Goat’s meat has long been served by many ethnic restaurants and is central to cooking elsewhere in the world, but has never seemed to make it mainstream in Britain – but that could be about to change, according to a recent article in The Guardian.
Britain could be on the verge of catching on to goat’s meat which has long since been popular in the Caribbean, Middle Eastern and Asian cooking. It is being championed in the UK by TV chefs including Fergus Henderson, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall and Jeremy Lee, who have been inspired by supplier James Whetlor who has also published his book “Goat: Cooking and Eating.”
Aside from being lower in saturated fat and cholesterol than most red meat and fairly similar to lamb, kid cooks well, is tender and delicate, while older goats are used for slow cooking and can be heavily spiced. It can easily be swapped in for lamb and is full of flavor.
Goat meat can’t be found at many retailers in the UK, although Morrisons does stock it in some stores. Instead, those seeking out goat meat find it at farmer’s markets and buy online as well as local butchers in certain communities.
According to the article, there are around 45,000 commercial dairy goats in the UK and demand for goat’s meat is predicted to rise substantially as consumers who already enjoyed goat’s cheese and milk consider moving into meals with goat’s meat.