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[Clansgian AT wmconnect.com]

> My question is how to best feed out a goat and then how best prepare and 
> cook the meat ?

We regularly eat surplus males from our mixed breed dairy herd.  Most are 
year old wethered goats but we've eaten intact five year old billies as well.

I've served goat to people without telling them what it was and no one was 
the wiser, even after having seconds and thirds.  A few times we've had some 
parts of the carcass be so strong that the dog would hardly eat it.  But 
that's 
rare and was probably due to it being a male goat in rut.

Here's what I've found makes the goat a superior meat:

1.  Hang the carcass and let it age a bit.  At least let rigor nortis come 
and go completely.  If it is very cold, two or three days is best.

2.  If you freeze the meat, put a generous amount of olive oil on the it.  
The meat is very, very lean and the oil marinates it and prevents freezer 
burn 
and dehydration.

3.  Give a thought to the grain of the meat when cooking it and carving it.  
The loin will be tender no matter what you do or how old the goat is.  The 
neck should be ground, it will be tough even on a 3 mo goat.  The rest ... 
take 
some time to contemplate the cut.


This past fall we made on entire fully mature wether into tamales (except the 
ribs and loin which we et).  From our own corn and peppers (and using the 
husks as wraps) we put up several hundred tamales entirely from resources on 
the 
place (including the fuel to cook them).  That serves as our 'fast food'.  If 
we are busy any particular day, we put a stack of the frozen tamales in a pot 
to steam, start a pot of chili sauce from dried chilis, and there's supper.   
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