Goat Carcass Cuts


 

Home Up Goat Anatomy Priority-List USDA Classify Carcass Cuts Meat to Bone Measuring Balance Prices/ Percentages
This is a goat carcass showing some of the basic cuts that come from the goat and where they are located. Notice on this chart, the neck is left as part of the Forequarter. The lower part of the chart shows individual cuts and has pictures of the individual neck cuts showing Neck Chops (steak) is made from the lower part of the neck. This better documents why the South African standard calls for the neck to be moderate in length, FULL and WELL FLESHED.  The thinner the neck, the less meat for the neck chops and a lower muscle to bone ratio.

Below is a chart of a lamb carcass. One of the research articles I read, said the lamb and goat carcass were very similar other than the goat has less fat. This is another example of being able to see where different cuts of meat are located on a carcass.

The chart below is another lamb chart showing a little better where different cuts come from on the carcass. This better enables us to know where to look on our goats for the potential areas of meat utilized by the iindustry.

Cuts

  • Overall, 50% live weight is wholesale carcass but only 34% is retail boneless chevon meat. (reference 2)
  • For carcass evaluation, however, the fore- and hind saddles are separated between the 12th and 13th rib to show rib eye and loin eye areas, and subcutaneous fat thickness. The fore saddle, shoulder, rack, fore shank and breast make up approximately 51% the carcass or 25.5% of live weight. The hind saddle, loin, leg and flank comprise the difference of 49% or  24.5% respectively. (reference 2)
  • Principal Cuts Primal cuts are the leg, loin, rack and shoulder. The largest cut is the leg, about 33% the carcass or 16.51% the live goat. On a retail basis it would be trimmed down to 24% carcass weight. The sirloin is normally included with the leg after separation of the loin at the seventh or last lumber vertebra. (reference 2)
  • Leg - The leg may be prepared as Frenched, American or boneless. For the Frenched leg, only the tail bones, hock bones, Achilles tendon, fat trim and prefemoral lymph node are removed and the shank bone is exposed. For the American leg, the shank bone and the shank muscle are also removed. The whole leg may also be cut into 4 to 6 sirloin chops, the rump, center roast and shank. The latter two can be sliced into steaks. The best use of the leg is as boneless cut, after removing the whole pelvic bone and femur. For roasting, the boneless leg needs to be tied together or jet-netted.
  • Loin - The loin is the most valuable and most tender cut. Only 4 of the live weight are retail loin cuts. Kidney fat is usually left on the wholesale carcass to protect the valuable tenderloin muscle underneath from discoloration and dehydration. The loin may be prepared as double loin chops, or after sawing through the lumbar vertebrae as single chops containing the characteristic T from the vertebral process as in T-bone steak of beef. The rack may be prepared likewise into rib chops, containing at least one rib, but may be cut considerably thicker than pork chops or beef steaks because of their small size.
  • Shoulder - The largest cut in the foresaddle is the shoulder, second in size only to the leg. Shoulder cuts are priced less than leg and loin because of less tenderness and palatability. However, Saratoga roll boneless shoulder blade chops composed largely of rib eye muscle make very tender and juicy chevon. The rest of the shoulder goes for stew or shish kabobs. The shoulder can also be made into a jet-netted boneless shoulder roast. Rough cuts, the flank, fore shank and breast are best ground up, but can be utilized also cubed or as spareribs

source: ( National Goat Handbook)

Cut Identification:

Boneless leg - hind leg, sirloin off with femur and tibia removed

Loin - separated from rack between 12 and 13 rib, includes sirloin

French rack - contains ribs 3-12, distal end of ribs bare for 1.5 in.

Saddle- loin and rack left intact

Shoulder - includes ribs 1 and 2, shank and neck

Shoulder ( cut) - neck, shank and portion of breast removed

Ribs w/ breast - ventral ¾ of ribs 3-12 with sternum (breast) intact.

Trim - soft tissue with at least 50% lean content