Slow roasted leg of goat with fennel and honey recipe

This leg of goat recipe blends the flavors of fennel and Chinese 5-spice with the sweetness of honey for a great holiday dish or any special occasion.

Ingredients: 

• 2.75# leg of goat 
• 1.5 tbs. salt 
• 2 tsp. Chinese 5-spice 
• 2 fennel bulbs, cut in half (use fronds on top as well). If fennel bulbs aren't available substitute 1 fennel bulb for 1 lb. of coarsely chopped celery or 1 lb. of chopped boc choy stems with 1 tsp. fennel seed 
• 3 small leeks, or one very large one, rough chopped 
• 6 cups apple cider
• 1 cup apple cider vinegar 
• 5 bay leaves
• 7 cloves of garlic 
• ¼ cup honey 
• 1 cup water 

 

Directions: 

1. Season the leg of goat thoroughly with salt and 5-spice. It's best to do this 12 hours prior to cooking to allow the salt to penetrate further into the meat, giving more flavor. The 12-hour timeframe can be omitted if needed. It will still produce a delicious result. 
2. Sear all sides of our meat in a pan on high heat, with a small amount of sunflower oil or other vegetable oil.
3. Start preparing pan while meat sears. Choose a size of roasting pan that will allow your liquid to cover your roast at least half way.
4. Add fennel halves, roughly chopped leeks, bay leaf apple cider, apple cider vinegar, garlic and honey to pan. 
5. Once meat has a solid golden brown on all sides, deglaze your searing pan, by adding 1 cup of water to a ripping hot pan. Use a spoon or metal spatula to scrape any brown crust from the pan so it suspends in the liquid. Pour this liquid into pan and add browned meat.
6. Cover the pan with saran wrap and then foil. This will really lock in all moisture. 
7. Bake in 350 degree oven for one hour.
8. After one hour, remove top, and flip your meat in pan so other side is submerged, then recover with just foil. This will allow the pan sauce to start to reduce a bit. 
9. Continue flipping your meat every 30 minutes, so the opposite side is submerged for 2 to 2.5 more hours. Continue to put foil back on each time the leg goes back in oven.
10. Enjoy the leg of goat smothered in the delicious roasting pan sauce. A very effective method to ensure deliciously juicy meat is to strip the meat from the bone and toss it in the pan juice, and serve that way.

Mashed potatoes and roasted carrots are great sides for this leg of goat recipe.