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Goat PilauTara O'Brady

Goats are hardy animals that can thrive in difficult landscapes, which is why their meat has long been a staple around the world. From West Indian goat roti to South Asian goat curry, from Middle Eastern tagines to Korean black goat stew. Now, goat finally seems to be having a mainstream moment in Canada.

Goat dishes are appearing on trend-forward menus with regularity. Always ahead of the curve, Joe Beef in Montreal has regularly featured goat since at least 2011. In Toronto, you'll find it at the Haitian place Rhum Corner, and The Black Hoof serves it from time to time.

And in New York, Andrew Tarlow's Marlow and Sons in Brooklyn advertised a here-until-it's-gone goat curry special last week.

The growing interest in goat comes as no surprise: With the price of beef on the uptick, goat is still comparatively inexpensive. Nose-to-tail dining, kickstarted a decade ago by London chef Fergus Henderson's book The Whole Beast, still inspires interest in less-common cuts of meat. Goat is a popular go-to for alternative dairy products, and – perhaps most importantly – Canadian cooking continues to embrace the diversity of its population.

By and large, goat can be used similarly to lamb. Its taste is deeper and more rounded than lamb, and not as markedly grassy. If the goat is quite young, tender cuts such as chops can be grilled, but if the age isn't certain, cook it slowly and gently. Goat is particularly suited to braises and stews.

Goat can be found in some supermarkets and butcher shops, as well as halal, Caribbean, Latin or Indian markets. (Here's a tip: Try to select a whole cut and ask a butcher to trim it into pieces for you, rather than buying prepackaged stewing meat. This guarantees that all the meat came from the same part of the animal, helping to control the ratio of fat to lean.)

Since cooking goat might be new to some, this understated recipe has more fragrance than all-out fiery oomph. My mum suggested a sweetly spiced mutton curry from my paternal grandmother, Sarah, who we called Bombay Ma. The meat is layered with rice and well-cooked onions; the force of the few chilies is softened to a background humming sort of warmth.

This pilau takes time to make. But none of the steps are taxing and the time is well spent. By cooking the curry, the rice and the frizzled onions separately, each can be perfected before they are combined. The curry needs to be confidently seasoned and its sauce, what is often called the gravy, should be sticky and rich. The rice should be tender, while retaining the integrity of its grains. The onions, which truly benefit from the luxury of time, are, ideally, caramelized but still supple; curled but not dry.

Start cooking the day before you want to eat. Season and simmer the goat, and fry the onions (once bronzed, drain the onions on paper towels then cover and chill). The curry base can also be made ahead and stored in an airtight container in the fridge overnight.

When finally baked together, the curry and onions stain the rice. The rice steams and fluffs up, and the goat becomes exceptionally lush. I like to serve the pilau simply with lime wedges, showered with chopped cilantro and mint – the finishing touches that wake up the lolling effect of the curry and rice in surprising harmony.

Salt is crucial now. My mum added it at the last minute, so the salt didn't blend into the dish but rather punctuated the mellow notes of the whole with savoury impact.

Goat

1 tbsp ginger paste

1 tbsp garlic paste

1/2 cup natural yogurt, not nonfat

1.6 lbs (750 g) piece bone-in goat meat suited for braising, preferably flank, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes

6 cups water

1 onion, chopped

2 bay leaves

1 tsp peppercorns

A 2-inch cinnamon stick

6 cloves

2 cardamom pods

1 star anise

Curry

2 tbsps neutral oil

2 to 4 split fresh red or green chiles

1/2 tsp fennel seeds

10 peppercorns

6 cloves

2 cardamom pods

A 1-inch cinnamon stick

1 star anise

1 small onion, minced

Pinch of medium-grain kosher salt

1 tbsp ginger paste

1 tbsp paste paste

1 tsp ground coriander

1/2 tsp ground turmeric

1 tomato, cut into quarters

2 large handfuls cilantro leaves, chopped fine, plus more for garnish

2 large handfuls mint leaves, chopped fine, plus more for garnish

Rice

3 cups (600 g) sella basmati rice, Lal Qilla brand preferred, rinsed.

Water to cover rice while soaking

1/4 cup (60 ml) neutral oil, divided

Onions

1 large sweet onion, sliced into thin half moons

2 tbsp neutral oil

Medium-grain kosher salt

Method

The goat

Preferably the day before you want to eat, pull out a bowl large enough to accommodate the meat. In it, stir the ginger and garlic pastes into the yogurt. Fold in the goat meat, then cover and refrigerate for at least two hours and up to six. Tumble the marinated goat into a large, heavy-bottomed pot with a tight-fitting lid. Pour in the water, onion, bay leaves and spices, and bring to a boil over medium heat. Turn the heat down to maintain the lowest simmer, cover and cook until the goat is tender, 45 to 60 minutes. Pull the pot from the heat and let the meat cool in the stock. Refrigerate until very cold, maybe two hours, but ideally overnight.

The next day, skim the fat off the top of the stock with a spoon. Strain the meat through a colander, reserving the liquid. Set both meat and liquid aside while you start on the curry and rice.

The curry

In a brasier or similar pan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the chilies and sauté, stirring, until starting to shrivel, about 1 minute. Tip in the fennel seed, peppercorns, cloves, cardamom pods, cinnamon and star anise and toast until fragrant, 45 seconds or so. Stir in the onion with a hefty pinch of salt, and turn the heat down to medium low. Fry until the onion is browned and soft, 10 minutes. Scrape in the ginger and garlic pastes, followed by the ground coriander and turmeric. Stir for 30 seconds, then add the tomato. Break the tomato with the back of the spoon, mashing the flesh to a pulp. Fish out the tomato peels if you can, then keep cooking until soft. Scatter the cilantro and mint across the pan, and turn the leaves through the vegetables. Top with the cooked goat, discarding any bones that have completely come loose from the meat. If the pan looks dry, add <AF>1/4<XA> cup water. Turn the meat through the gravy, then pop on a lid and cook, stirring regularly, until the gravy looks to split and fat rises to the surface, 30 minutes. Check for seasoning, cut the heat and leave the meat in the pan with lid on.

The rice

While the goat is bubbling, pour the rice into a large pot that has a tight-fitting lid. Cover the rice with water and soak for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, the onions

Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet and fry the onions with a good pinch of kosher salt on medium low heat, stirring often, until deeply caramelized but not crisp, 20 to 30 minutes.

Back to the rice

Drain the rice in a colander, and in the rice pot heat the last 2 tablespoons of oil on medium heat. Flip the rice back into the pan, and fry, stirring all the while, until the rice starts sticking to the pan, about five minutes. Pour in the reserved goat-cooking liquid, it should measure 6 cups, top up with water if necessary. Season lightly with kosher salt, stir and clamp on the lid. Bring the pot to boil over high heat, then turn the flame down to low and simmer until the water is absorbed and the rice is tender, about 20 minutes. Leave to stand 10 minutes off the heat before fluffing with a fork.

Preheat an oven to 350 F.

Either in the pot in which the rice was cooked or in an oven-safe casserole, layer the rice, curried goat and fried onions. Cover tightly and bake for 30 minutes. Garnish with extra mint leaves and cilantro, then serve with salted yogurt or raita and lime wedges. Sprinkle servings with extra salt, if desired.

Notes

In Indian cooking, garlic and ginger is often ground to a paste in a mortar and pestle or in a blender, so that they melt into the gravy. If you have neither, grate the ginger and garlic on a microplane instead.

Remind guests to look out for the aromatic cardamom pods, which can be intense to bite into.

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