Kitchen Exile Goatober
Every year I make a special effort to get involved in Goatober in October. you can find recipes such as Bock and bock beer pie, Harissa goat sausages and Pulled aromatic goat and there will be one more recipe before the end of the month. You can also search using the link Goatober on my website which gives you lots more recipes.
Goatober is a now an international festival celebrating male goat meat, in started in New York in 2011, since then it has become an international event spanning many countries. In 2017 it officially launched here in the Netherlands with more participation from farming organisations and chefs.
So why the special effort just to promote one product? With the increase in demand for goat dairy products, there is a preference with goat dairy farmers for (naturally) female goats. As a result of this demand, male goats are considered a "waste product" and many are euthanised at birth.
Goatober is not just about raising awareness of the meat but acts as a means to connect farmers, some already in the dairy industry and farmers who would take the male goats and raise them on their farms. These male goats are not going to waste and are raised to be part of the meat industry.
Goat meat is very underestimated, it has a wonderful flavour which can be compared to either lamb in it's young stage or venison or mutton in it's later stages. It is a very lean meat so very healthy and it's preparation and cuts are similar to those of lamb too.
You're probably now asking where can I buy goat and preferably ethical goat meat from small farmers and local butchers? In the UK you can purchase from Cabrito Goat Meat who do online deliveries, James Whetlor the owner of Cabrito (and founder of Goatober in Europe) has also written a book Goat, cooking and eating. Here in the Netherlands you can buy direct from farmers at KoopenGeit, De BokkenBunker amongst others or you can buy from Butchers such as Slagerij Poldervaart in Amsterdam. For a full list of all participating Butchers and Farmers head to Meat the Male
Give goat a try!
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