Braised Goat with Olives, No Kidding!

Local Edibles: fresh goat chunks, (reasonably priced around $5/lb, and can be easily purchased at The Holy Land Deli and Grocery)

Grocery Finds: russet potatoes (10lb/$2.99 at Rainbow); Roundy's brand black olives on sale (99 cents a can); day-old pita bread at Holy Land for half price! ($1.99)

(additional ingredients: bacon, onions, beef stock, petite diced and whole crushed tomatoes, crushed garlic, spices)

 

Spice Mixture Includes:

Cumin!

Chili Powder!

All Spice Berries!

Saffron!

Red Pepper Flakes!

Black Pepper!

Paprika!

Cinnamon!

Sugar!

Salt!

After mixing a teaspoon or so of each spice, throw them together in a bowl with a quarter cup of olive oil and whisk.  Then, lovingly rub the goat cubes with your spice mixture.  Don't be afraid to get in there!  All those cracks and crevices. You want these morsels tasty!  

Rub, baby, RUB.

Then, even though it should go without saying: wash your hands.

While the goat is marinating, cut your bacon in thin strips (just a few pieces--we don't want the bacon to overpower the goat here) and chop up one large onion.  Throw them in a large pot and get them started.  Add the goat meat once the bacon begins to sizzle.  Everything should be cracklin' and searing by now.

Use your stock to deglaze the pan.  Add your peeled, diced russet potatoes, a can of black olives, crushed and sliced garlic, and about 36 ounces of tomatoes (I used one can crushed, one petite diced).  Mix everything together, throw in a couple shots of siracha sauce and lime juice, cover lid, and turn down heat to low.  Warm up some pita bread to serve with your dish. About an hour or two later, viola:

The Verdict

First of all, did you know that something like 24% of the world's population consumes goat on a weekly basis?  SO many people eat goat, yet so LITTLE is prepared in the United States!  And the fact is--it's absolutely delicious!  Kind of a lamby/beefy hybrid with lots of connective tissue, but with its own distinct taste.  I have always wanted to try it, so... tonight was my night!

Taste: 7
Appearance: 7
Creativity: 5

Improvements for next time: more research!  I spent hours looking up goat recipes--stews, curries, etc.--but had difficulty coming up with something truly creative, so I opted for the braised goat technique instead.  PS Mom, I'm going to make a convert out of you yet!  Love, your loving (goat eating) daughter. Aloha!

Slow-Cooked Bison Stew

Abandoned Edibles
Local bison roast, discounted ($6.99--slight freezer burn)
Fingerling potatoes (abandoned)
(additional ingredients: onions, beef stock, mushrooms, cornstarch, carrots, beef broth powder, garlic powder, spices, etc.)

What I did: okay folks, this meal was ALL ABOUT THE CROCK POT! I was seriously beyond ecstatic to use my new toy, and a bison roast was the perfect cut of meat to slow cook in ol' black beauty (yes, I named my crock--deal with it.) To start, I rubbed the roast down with beef broth powder, garlic powder, and spices and seared it before I placed it in the crock. Searing roasts is KEY if you want the meat to retain its juices--by searing the outside, all the 'good stuff' gets locked in. I filled the pot with a few inches of beef stock, and set it on the lowest possible setting. Then, I drank a six pack of Grainbelt and watched a few episodes of Land of The Lost while I waited about 6 hours before dumping in the (scrubbed and cleaned) fingerling potatoes, onions, mushrooms, and carrots. I seasoned the dish one more time, turned the crock up to medium, and let it sit another 2 or 3 hours. Unfortunately, I was out of Grainbelt at this point.


The Verdict
OhmygodILOVEcrockpots! Black beauty did not disappoint. It was super easy to make this dish, and the bison was moist, tender, and succulent--slow cooking is key to this particular cut of meat! Before I served the stew, I made a quick broth/gravy out of the juices left in the crockpot by whisking in a cornstarch slurry, and I also sliced the roast on the bias. It was simple, easy, delicious, AND I got to drink beer and watch horrible 1970s television shows whilst cooking: the perfect winter dinner.

Taste: 8
Creativity: 6
Appearance: 7

Improvements for next time: as Carrie from SATC would say...'I couldn't help but wonder'....would BRINING make a difference? Can one brine bison cuts?! Stay tuned!

(Blue Cheese Stuffed) Bratwurst Stuffed Cornish Game Hen

Abandoned Edibles
tomatoes, fingerling potatoes, french baguette
(additional ingredients: blue cheese stuffed bratwurst (a birthday present from Al and Al, mahalo!), prosciutto, cornish game hen, carrots, mozzarella cheese, butter, olive oil, peppercorns, onion flakes, flour, candied ginger, sugar, thyme, chicken broth, spices, etc.)

What I did: this meal was INSANE! Okay, so first I brined the hens for about two hours in a simple brine mixture of salt, peppercorns, candied ginger, and sugar. Then I cut up the baguette into smaller pieces, so I could stuff the hen with it. I crumbled and cooked the blue cheese stuffed bratwurst. When the hens were done soaking, I patted them dry, rubbed them down with a butter/olive oil/spice mixture, stuffed them with the bratwurst and baguette, and wrapped them with prosciutto--into the oven they went! For the potatoes, I roasted them with carrot curls, olive oil, thyme, and spices. I also made tomato and mozzarella stacks, broiled them in the oven for a few minutes to melt the cheese, and seasoned them with salt and pepper. And lastly, I made a gravy using chicken broth, butter, flour, and onion flakes.



The Verdict
I'm usually not one to toot my own horn, but god DAMN this was amazing! Somewhat labor intensive, sure--but it was worth it. The hen was absolutely delicious, so moist, and the flavors were complex, thanks to the bratwurst and prosciutto. I literally licked my plate clean. Also, as an aside, can I just say--I loved the carrot curls! Kind of like carrot 'noodles' I suppose, but I think they really added to the presentation. Overall, an excellent meal.

Taste: 10
Creativity: 9
Appearance: 10

Improvements for next time: honestly, I can't think of any! This may be the best meal I have EVER cooked, no joke. Hurrah for me!