Wild Yeast

Notes from my kitchen, in which I bake bread and raise a few other matters

Satay Got My Goat

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The January 2010 DC challenge was hosted by Cuppy of Cuppylicious and she chose a delicious Thai-inspired recipe for Pork Satay from the book 1000 Recipes by Martha Day. I opted to use goat instead of pork.

These Daring Cooks escapades always involve lots of education. Let’s just cut to the chase with what I learned this month:

  • Bamboo skewers should be soaked for longer than 20 minutes before putting them under the broiler.
  • A broiled bamboo skewer does not make a bad charcoal stick if there isn’t a pencil handy.
  • My kitchen smoke detector is in good working order.

  • Goats really give their shoulders a workout. I deduce this because the point of this challenge was to marinate a tough cut of meat to tenderize it, and the toughest parts are those that get the most exercise. Goat shoulder is what I had in my freezer, having received it in my last meat CSA box. (Why I belong to a meat CSA when I obviously don’t know the first thing about cooking meat remains one of those great unanswered questions.)
  • Given the workout that goats give their shoulders, longer than 12 hours’ marinating time might be advisable.
  • Yogurt makes a serviceable, if tangy, substitution for coconut milk in peanut dipping sauce.

Recipes for the sauce and the marinade, as well as general all-around kitchen competence, can be had courtesy of many Daring Cooks who are not me.

CommentsLeave a comment

  1. I don’t want to dig out my copy of On Food and Cooking but I’m fairly sure that marinades don’t actually tenderize meat. Pork shoulder and loin are fairly tender cuts to begin with, some portion of goat leg might’ve worked better. On the other hand I’m horribly jealous that you have a meat CSA and my baking has only improved from reading your blog.

  2. I just adore you. yes it is a good thing you have a working smoke detector. And yes this part of the animal ( almost any animal ) is best for low and slow. and satay is not that. Maybe if cut thin, really thin and grilled over open fire for a few seconds maybe a minute it would have worked.
    love the yogurt in the sauce it would give the peanut the chance to shine. not that it was bad with the coconut.

  3. I just adore you. I’m fairly sure that marinades don’t actually tenderize meat. Pork shoulder and loin are fairly tender cuts to begin with, some portion of goat leg might’ve worked better.

  4. My family raises goats (still haven’t tried it though – we haven’t been doing it for long), and they mentioned that stir frying goat is a good way to eat it. Just slice it thinly enough that you don’t get the chewiness. As for the meat CSA, I’m just jealous. I can get goat or chicken from my parents, but that’s it.

  5. Wise words, woman!
    I have never cooked with goat before, you are very brave. I agree with Ryan, I’m not sure marinating does enough tenderizing for tough meats.. usually long, slow cooking tenderizes them. Use a loin next time and put a weight over the skewers and give em more than an hour to soak and you will be golden!
    Love the yogurt idea, perfect. 🙂

  8. I’m definitely with you on the inability to cook meat. I don’t even buy it very often anymore since I can’t find a local source. You’re so lucky to have a meat CSA!

  9. Gonna have to go out and give you a primer next time or send you a the River Cottage cook book on meat!

    Happy cooking and baking!
    Tu Amigo!

  10. We bought a whole goat at the county fair and I can tell you that the Jamaican Curried Goat recipe from the Joy of Cooking is an excellent way to use up a goat shoulder.
    I’m glad your smoke detector works!

  13. Oh Susan! Too funny. I tried cooking goat once and it was such a disaster of a dish. Kudos to you for giving this a try. A good peanut sauce covers a multitude of sins!

  14. Susan — great to see you’re branching out to savory cooking!!! I believe that marinades (that have acid) do tenderize by breaking down muscle and connective tissue; this works well with smaller pieces of meat that come into direct contact with the marinade — so really tough meat in small pieces would be tenderized, but larger cuts wouldn’t be as the marinade wouldn’t penetrate. Kind of depends on the marinade, but as long as there is acid or enzymes that can break down the tissue, it would become tender (and tastier…).

  15. WOWOWOW love the idea that you did goat!! And even better that your smoke detector works! And at least you can tweak the recipe to suit your needs next time. Nice photos also. Cheers from Audax in Sydney Australia.

    And I think acid/enzymes (found in pineapple for example) certainly do tenderize the meat that comes into contact with it.

  18. Hi! I adore goat in whatever cooked form – not that I don’t like goats in their uncooked form. And I love satays and love all kinds of goat kebabs so this is very much up my alley.

    Your blog makes me want to eat my computer! Delicious!

    As a fellow blogger ( young, practically in the womb blogger) I would love for you to visit me sometime – http://www.weavethousandflavors.com and I have you listed under my ‘food tribe’ on my blog!

    Best wishes, Devaki

  21. I love satay! I use is skirt steak, and the trick is to marinade it over night. For marinade I use coconut milk, smoked chili, salt & lime. if you have one of those countertop grill/panini press machines this is a perfect use for it!

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