# Does goat taste like lamb?



## StaceyRosado (Oct 5, 2007)

I had prepackaged seasoned lamb tips - not so good

I've had venison steaks and ground venison - very good! 

Please tell me goat is more like venison.

We have more lamb (given to us) again prepackaged and seasoned lamb tips. I'm hesitant to eat it as I don't like it the first time. But I know I will try again. 

Would love to know what's the best way to cook goat. Share your recipes and recommendations. I have my first goat due in days and if she has boys am raising them for meat.


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## ariella42 (May 22, 2014)

I haven't had much venison, but I find goat meat more mild tasting than most lamb. I think it tastes closer to beef. However, I do like good lamb if it's cooked and seasoned correctly. Are you sure they were lamb tips and not mutton? Mutton tends to have a stronger flavor, which some (including me) don't much care for. Lamb tends to be milder and more tender.


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## nancy d (Oct 5, 2007)

Chevon is more like venison. But never gamey. It has very little fat & no marbling.
Any chops or roasts get put in a covered Dutch oven with plenty of liquid such as chicken broth or coconut milk & your favorite seasonings.
I always bake at 300 for 2 hrs.
Ive never been successful with steaks or chops so I do those the same way.
Any ground is fried up just like beef.
Let me find my favorite recipe; it was published in a PBS cookbook.


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## happybleats (Sep 12, 2010)

What kind of lamb do you have Stacy...woolie lamb taste no where near like hair sheep...and lamb processed young, like under 2 years old is better then older...wethered is better then rams but older is still older lol...meat can taste very strong....I was given two ideas for strong flavored meat..one is to soak in butter milk, the other in salt water...I havent tried them yet but need to since we processed an older wether lamb who was being a bully...
our best meat was processed just at or under a year old...
I love deer...and so think I would like goat too...


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## nancy d (Oct 5, 2007)

*Chevon Heaven*

About 8 chops or steaks

(any roast will work but wont absorb as much flavor)

Place meat in Dutch oven.
A few splashes soy sauce
Handful leeks
Several cloves chopped garlic
Tablespoon or so fresh chopped ginger
Heaping teaspoon curry
A few splashes vermouth
1 can coconut milk
A few squirts lime juice
A few sprinkles each Thai basil & lemon grass
Teaspoon or so white peeper & sea salt

Put in fridge to marinade at least an hour.
Bake at 300 with lid on for 2 hours. 
In last 15 minutes add chopped greens, serve over rice


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Goat and lamb is like alpaca. You have to be careful how long you cook it. Goat is similar to alpaca but not quite the same. We had pasture raised katadin lamb and boy was that good.


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## StaceyRosado (Oct 5, 2007)

Don't know the kin of lamb. Came pre seasoned and packaged for Trader Joes (super market). And yes it says lamb tips on the package 

Once past when they can sell it but still good they give it away to a food bank where my Aunt works.


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## J.O.Y. Farm (Jan 10, 2012)

I had goat once and thought it tasted a good bit like beef.. It was prepared in an Indian dish.

I don't think it tasted much like Deer... I'm not a fan of venison... But really like goat!


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## CritterCarnival (Sep 18, 2013)

Chevon is very much like venison, very lean with little to no marbling. Pretty much any recipe for lean meat works well. My go to is usually a crock pot or slow roasted in the oven.

My favorite is to build a bed of onions, carrots and celery in a crock pot, dip the meat in buttermilk and dredge in flour and seasonings, then sear in a hot cast iron pan on high heat to lock in the juices. Once well browned and crusty, place it in the crock pot. Use beef stock (or a nice dark beer if you are so inclined...or both) to deglaze the frying pan to get all the carmel-ly bits unstuck, add more stock and cook it down to a nice thick broth and add all that to the crock pot as well.

Cook all day on low and you'll have fall apart goodness in a yummy sauce that goes well with mashed spuds or over rice.

Dang...now I made myself hungry...:laugh:


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## ariella42 (May 22, 2014)

I had some Trader Joe's pre-seasoned lamb once, and I didn't care for it. Generally, I'm a fan of both TJs and lamb, but it just wasn't something I'd get again. I'm not sure if it's the lamb they're using or the seasoning, but I stay away from their lamb now. I wouldn't judge lamb in general on that, and I certainly wouldn't let it put you off of goat


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## nancy d (Oct 5, 2007)

Yeah I find some prepared foods there not very good.


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## happybleats (Sep 12, 2010)

We've had woolie lamb!! I just could not get the hang of cooking it to taste good..but hair sheep is much milder and taste alot like beef but not as chewy..my problem is getting used to grass fed...lol..Im used to the corn and junk being fed to them to make them taste good lol...but raising them as natural as we can does change the flavor some...its just me because the kids and hubby gobble it all up...But they will often drink milk I can taste a hint of that buckiness..I just cant handle that lol..Im a wimp I guess...
but with store bought, you will always get it too old...its just how its done...might try a processing place...Here is Texas almost all of them have a fresh meat store...when we dont have our own home raised meats, that is where I will go...I never buy from a grocery store any more..


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## Trickyroo (Sep 26, 2012)

Now I'm flipping hungry ! Especially after reading Nancy's recipe


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## Dayna (Aug 16, 2012)

Me too!


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## StaceyRosado (Oct 5, 2007)

It's not prepared just preseasoned/marinated


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## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

Goat tastes very much like Caribou, it's not as strong as venison but, sweeter than elk. Goat meat does best in dishes where it is cooked very slowly. If you want a steak it's best braised on low and cooked slowly for a long time.


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## canyontrailgoats (Jan 4, 2014)

I've had goat meat once, and it was yummy! The goat chops were marinated overnight in red wine, garlic and shallots, then grilled with the shallots and served with buttery red potatoes. (Btw it was a 5 month old kid, so still young and tender)

Young goat is definitely the best for grilling and such, old goats make good sausage (with added fat) or stews.


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## Dayna (Aug 16, 2012)

The goat I've had is "local kine smoke meat". And holy smokes it's delicious! Sauteed with some onions and butter and garlic sliced in a pan. Once you go smoked meat you never go back!

Speaking of which, I need to raise up a goat to have my friend smoke it and split the meat with me!


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## HawaiiHorseGirl (Apr 11, 2014)

Dayna said:


> The goat I've had is "local kine smoke meat". And holy smokes it's delicious! Sauteed with some onions and butter and garlic sliced in a pan. Once you go smoked meat you never go back!


haha me too! It's good stuff!

Sent from my iPhone using Goat Forum


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## lovinglife (Jun 6, 2013)

Ok, is the meat cooked from the smoking? How do you smoke a whole goat? Sounds like something I would like to try!!


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## kccjer (Jan 27, 2012)

One of the favorites around this area is a young goat placed in a pit with coals and bbq sauce and roasted overnight. Yummy! But you usually don't need that much cooked at one time unless you are having a party. LOL

I find that goat has a blend of beef and venison for taste. Not as gamey as venison, not as tender as beef. :shrug: I like lamb if I don't have to cook it. It's the only meat I know that smells like the live animal when I'm cooking it.....just can't do it. 

Here's my recipe for goat leg. It was really good.


SLOW ROAST GOAT LEG

For the seasoning paste:
1 bushy sprig of fresh rosemary (you can substitute 1 tablespoon dried rosemary, but fresh really is preferable)
1 lemon (organic if possible)
50 gm filets of anchovies packed in olive oil, drained (if you don’t have anchovies, then use a combination of green and/or black olives!)
4 cloves garlic, peeled
2 teaspoons whole mustard seeds
fresh ground black pepper to taste, or several good turns of the mill
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
3 teaspoons olive oil

For the meat:
2.2 kg (5 pounds) bone-in Goat Leg
8 small ripe tomatoes, about 650g (1 1/3 pounds)
8 small onions, quartered
4 cloves garlic,
Serves 6 to 8.
Pluck the needles of rosemary and discard the tough central stem (you can leave it to dry and
use it as a skewer on a later occasion). Peel the zest of the lemon using a zester or a simple 
vegetable peeler (save the naked lemon for another use). Using a mortar and pestle, combine 
the rosemary, lemon zest, anchovies, peeled garlic, mustard seeds, pepper, vinegar, and oil. 
Grind until the mixture turns into a coarse paste.
Place the leg of goat in a baking dish large enough to accommodate it, and rub in the
seasoning paste, taking care to spread it well, and on all sides. (Clean your hands meticulously 
before and after the rubbing.) Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for at least 1 hour,
preferably 3 or 4.
Remove the meat from the refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking to bring it back to room 
temperature. Preheat the oven to 220°C (430°F). Remove the plastic wrap from the baking dish. 
Add the unpeeled garlic cloves and the tomatoes, cored and halved, slipping them under and 
around the meat, wherever you can and place the quartered onions all around the goat leg and 
drizzle with olive oil.
Place the dish in the oven to cook for 30 minutes. Lower the heat to 130°C (270°F) and cook for 
another 2 1/2 hours, basting and flipping the meat every 30 minutes or so. Cover with a sheet of 
foil if it seems to brown too quickly.
Let rest on the counter under a sheet of foil for 5 minutes. Carve the meat table-side and serve. 
(The leftovers are even better the next day.)
Goes well with greek style roasted new potatoes or brown basmatti rice.


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## NubianFan (Jun 3, 2013)

I love lamb it is my favorite meat of all time. Goat is similar but definitely not the same. You must not have had good lamb. Good lamb is delicious. I don't think you can beat it's taste.


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## happybleats (Sep 12, 2010)

I actually prefer lamb over beef...its not as chewy IMO....but as I said..that wuld be Hair sheep...Barbado is great...


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## Lstein (Oct 2, 2014)

I had goat for the first time a month ago or so and I thought it was more of a beef/venison flavor, nothing like lamb (thankfully, hate that sweet nasty stuff. sorry lamb lovers). To be fair though, I've only had lamb once and it was a curry style dish at an Indian restaurant. 

We only put ribs on the grill and put honey and some seasoning on them, delicious. I've been waiting to get goat milk to try anything else, since a lot of the recipes I've found call for it. (just to make it as close to the original as possible.) Even though I liked it the last time I've had it, I'm still just having a hard time with the idea of eating it lol, idk why.


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## happybleats (Sep 12, 2010)

> Even though I liked it the last time I've had it, I'm still just having a hard time with the idea of eating it lol, idk why.


Me too..I think its because Goats are so personable...my sheep, which I love, just arent as fun or loving..even bottle raised Lambs are not in your face friendly..and whenwe have rams born..we dont name them or mess with them...because we know their fate...My husband keeps saying we will raise some goats the same way..but then I name them and pet them and I just cant do it...but this year...we will...I think lol...

You should try lamb again Levi..but try hair sheep ..: )


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## StaceyRosado (Oct 5, 2007)

goathiker said:


> Goat tastes very much like Caribou, it's not as strong as venison but, sweeter than elk. Goat meat does best in dishes where it is cooked very slowly. If you want a steak it's best braised on low and cooked slowly for a long time.


Not really helpful comparisons. I've never tasted any of those before. Just the normal chickn, turkey, beef and venison. Along with a recent exposure to lamb.


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## Lstein (Oct 2, 2014)

happybleats said:


> Me too..I think its because Goats are so personable...my sheep, which I love, just arent as fun or loving..even bottle raised Lambs are not in your face friendly..and whenwe have rams born..we dont name them or mess with them...because we know their fate...My husband keeps saying we will raise some goats the same way..but then I name them and pet them and I just cant do it...but this year...we will...I think lol...
> 
> You should try lamb again Levi..but try hair sheep ..: )


 Yea that's probably it, when we were doing the processing I kept getting flashbacks about when they were little curious pests (even though the ones we butchered were some of the wilder ones). I probably wont attend in the future haha.

I'll have to give lamb another try, the stuff I had probably wasn't the best for first time taste testing. It's really not that common up here surprisingly, kind of once in awhile thing some places will offer and chevron is non-existent.


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## NubianFan (Jun 3, 2013)

Lamb isn't sweet. In fact it has a bit of a strong flavor. It is often prepared with fruit or sweet tasting spices but it is not sweet itself. Like I said I love it because it has flavor. Someone may hate it because it is stronger. Everyone's taste is different. To me chicken is incredibly bland by itself. Especially store bought, but many like it precisely because of its mild flavor.


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## Dayna (Aug 16, 2012)

MUST. TRY. THIS! lol



kccjer said:


> One of the favorites around this area is a young goat placed in a pit with coals and bbq sauce and roasted overnight. Yummy! But you usually don't need that much cooked at one time unless you are having a party. LOL
> 
> I find that goat has a blend of beef and venison for taste. Not as gamey as venison, not as tender as beef. :shrug: I like lamb if I don't have to cook it. It's the only meat I know that smells like the live animal when I'm cooking it.....just can't do it.
> 
> ...


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## Barnes19 (Sep 8, 2013)

Ok thats a curve ball for me ... someone that doesn't like lamb??? !!! Thats a new concept.

However.

Goat is similar to lamb, but much leaner, and the flavour is a bit different. I've heard people say it a bit like venison ... but I've never had venison so I cannot personally comment on that.

The best goat is a young goat, about 9mo is perfect. My preferred method is roasting ... a nice plump prime young goat should be able to be roasted normally in an open dish. Season as desired. Be sure not to over cook or it will be tough and dry ... very slightly rare is good.

If the goat is slightly older, slow roasting in a covered dish is the way to go.

Poor portions of any age goat can be done as soup stew or curry.

If you happen to be on the receiving end of an ancient buck who has aroma to rival a skunk ... really slow curry is the secret!! Actually thats not a way to 'cover up' or disguise it you'd be amazed the flavour is the best ... I didn't believe this when the indians said it, I thought "Oh yeah but their taste runs to some pretty rank curry" until we got landed with some wild billy goat and it turned out to be the most amazing curry I've ever had ... and thats from someone that doesn't really like curry!


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## Tapestry (Feb 5, 2015)

I thought I hated lamb, but I'd only ever had it at those restaurants that serve it with mint jelly at Easter. Finally, I had it grilled in a Greek style and it was the BEST!


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## StaceyRosado (Oct 5, 2007)

So the doe I thought would have boys had twin girls. Haha. Not chance to keep any wethers for meat from her this year. Next doe is a 2X champion. no boys will be eaten! Well if she has like triplet bucks and I cant sell them then maybe. Last does will be late May -- not sure if they are bred yet. Still want to try though its looking less likely this year :/


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