| However, the authentic
cooking practices are baked or barbecued (asado) or
stewed (guisado) with traditional cumin (comino), garlic (ajo), and chile
pepper spices. Traditional Mexican methods of cooking meat are
often designed for a cut of meat from an animal that has matured or has
done a bit of walking around. In many cases, market goats today are older
and larger than true cabritos. Chevon may be a goat from 48 to 60 pounds
and 6 to 9 months of age with almost the entire animal being expected to
serve the table.
Traditionally, on the day of the pachanga, several cabritos are
slaughtered in the very early morning hours. All parts are saved and meat
is cut up according to method of preparation - large pieces for asado,
small bite-size pieces for guisado. Of course, there are many other
dishes, and goat meat is prepared in many different ways with eaach family
adding its own ingredients to a recipe. Women are often the cooks, but men
also have their own style and prepare some delicious dishes.
Palatability and Calories
Panel taste tests rate cabrito and young chevon Spanish goats as being
much more acceptable in overall satisfaction than slightly more mature
prok, lamb and beef carcasses. "Satisfaction" is a combined
impression of flavor, juiciness and tenderness. Older goats are generally
tougher and less palaataable. Tast tests also indicate that goat meat is
unique and in not interchangeable with meat from other species.
A goat carcass contains bone, muscle and fat. Goat muscle meat is the
equivalent in caloric value to chicken and has 94 fewer calories than beef
per serving. This is desirable for persons with a need to reduce
their caloric intake. Overall, goat meat is similar in most nutrients to
other species, but the cholesterol content of goat meat is slightly
lower
than beef or chicken.
Meat Care and Preparation
A cabrito is usually selected, slaughtered and prepared the same day.
Retail markets usually sell chevon (older goats). These are sold as entire
carcasses, quarters or smaller cuts as customers specify. Since there is
no standardized procedure for cutting a goat carcass, many butchers follow
the traditional procedure for cutting up lamb carcasses.
Fresh meat should be removed from the market wrapping paper and
re-wrapped, unless the meat is to be used the same day it is purchased. Fresh
meat should be frozen if it is to be kept for three days or more.
Wrap in freezer paper, freeze and store at 0 degrees or lower.
Fresh goat meat should be placed in the coldest part of a refrigerator
or in the meat compartment. the frozen food storage of ice cube section of
most household refrigerators is not designed for rapid freezing and will
not substitute for a home freezer when the meat is to be frozen and stored
for longer than one week. Goat meat that has been properly wrapped and
promptly frozen at 0 degrees or lower can be kept for 6 to 9 months.
cooked goat meat should also be chilled rapidly, covered and stored in the
coldest part of the refrigerator.
Goat Meat Cookery
Cabrito will lose moisture and can toughen quickly due to low fat content
if it is exposed to high, dry cooking temperatures. Therefore
two
basic rules are:
- cook it slowly (low temperature)
- cook it with moisture
Tenderness of a meat cut determines the method or methods of cooking.
Tender cuts of meat are usually best when cooked by a dry heat method such
as roasting, broiling or frying. Less tender cuts are tenderized by
cooking with moist heat such as braising and stewing
Tender cuts of goat meat are the legs, ribs, portions of the shoulder
cut, the loin roast and the breast. Less tender cuts of goat are stew meat, riblets and shanks. In general, it is advisable to cook the meat slowly.
Cooking any meat at low temperatures results in more tender and flavorful
product with more juice |
