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[Clansgian AT wmconnect.com]

> > I'm no expert on goat, so you'll have to talk to James on 
> that.  Deer should hang at least 48 hours.

Yeah, I've skinned many a goat by now.  Basically treat a goat as if it were 
a deer.  Physiologically they are nearly identical, same joints, vicera in 
the 
same place, etc.

Hanging, or aging improves any meat.  Goat is far better if it hangs for at 
least the two days.  The very best venison I've ever had was hung in a warm 
October for eight days.  Thin exposed parts had started to decay.  The 
neighbor 
who had shot the deer stayed too drunk to cut it up, but on the eighth day a 
friend of his who is a butcher showed up, schwinged out the professional 
knife, 
cut away all and sundry dubious parts, and we grilled from the rest.  I've 
never had the nerve to hang anything that long, but until extemities start to 
fall off, the longer the better.

That's why, says I, salt cured pork is the best.  It has time to age in the 
curing process.

Same is true of small animals as well.  Rabbit and chicken are far better if 
they are aged a bit.  Chicken will spoil quickly and so we age it by coating 
it with a little salt and putting it in the coldest part of the fridge for 
three days.