When it comes to goat meat, it can be a challenge to find in grocery stores. Sometimes specialty markets will carry it. But, if you do find it, it is likely imported all the way from Australia. 
 
Australia is one of the world’s largest exporters of goat meat. Most of the goat meat found for sale in grocery stores in the U.S. is sourced from Australia. According to Meat and Livestock Australia:

• imports of goat meat into our country have more than doubled in the last 10 years
• 98 percent of goat meat imported into the U.S. is from Australia
• In 2015, imports were about 40 million pound of goat meat to the U.S.

 
Most of these goats are semi-wild (feral), sourced from Australia’s rangeland.
 
Sourcing goat meat in the U.S.
So how can you find goat meat in the U.S., that’s raise right here in our own country? 

1. If a store in your area carries goat meat, check the label to see where it is from. If you can’t tell ask the manager to know if it’s imported or raised in the U.S. Food co-ops often carry food sourced from local farmers. You can ask the same question at restaurants as well.
​
2.  Look for farms that raise and sell their meat direct to customers. It’s not always easy to do, but with a little homework you can hopefully find some good options. Several places to start include farmers markets, local foods listings and goat breeder organizations. Even an online search can help as well since many farms have an online presence and may even have online ordering options. 

Often buying direct from the farmer means purchasing a whole goat, cut and packaged to your liking. Sometimes you can also purchase individual cuts of meat, which can be convenient if you don’t have a lot of freezer space or want to enjoy a special recipe without needing to purchase large quantities of meat.  

Let us be your choice for enjoying goat meat raised in the Upper Midwest on our farm. Sign up for our email list to know about upcoming sales, recipes and tips for cooking goat meat and updates on what's happening from our farm. In spring of 2020 we will be launching a new ordering website, with an option for shipping right to your doorstep. 

​In celebration of Goatober, we’ve partnered with the Farm Table Restaurant in Amery, Wis., to bring a brand-new dish to highlight flavorful goat meat, with the Smoked Philly Goat with meat from our farm.  The sandwich is a special at the restaurant throughout the month of October. 

If you’re not local, I’m excited to share the full recipe below for you to enjoy at home. A big thanks to the Farm Table staff for celebrating goat meat and sharing this recipe with our farm customers and community.

Thank you to the team at the Farm Table Restaurant in Amery, Wis., for creating this wonderful, smoked Philly Goat Sandwich and sharing the recipe with our community. 

Makes 6-8 sandwiches

Full Ingredient List for rub, braise and sandwiches
1 – 4-pound Goat Roast (leg or shoulder) 
3 - Yellow Onions
3-4 - Heirloom Tomatoes 
2 – Bell Peppers, thinly sliced
1/2 bunch - Fresh Rosemary
½ bunch - Fresh Thyme 
½ Tbs. - Cinnamon
6 - Bay Leaves, divided
1/8 cup - Hungarian Wax Pepper, dried
6 - Garlic Cloves, divided
1 1/2 Tbs. - Oregano, dried, divided
Salt and Pepper
1 Qt. Stock 
1/4 cup - Red Wine Vinegar 
1 1/2 Tbs. – Dijon
Mayo, to taste
8 slices – Provolone 
8 – Hoagie rolls, or other bread of choice
Butter for sautéing and grilling bread
Mesquite pellets for smoking

Directions
Goat Rub Directions

1. Put 1 onion, cinnamon, 2-3 bay leaves, Hungarian wax pepper, 2 garlic cloves and ½ tbs. of oregano into blender.
2. Blend until relatively smooth. 

Goat Braise Directions

1. Rub goat roast thoroughly with pepper and the goat rub
2. Season with salt and pepper additionally, and then let sit over night
3. **(Optional, if you can, do it!) Smoke goat at 220 degrees with mesquite pellets for 1.25 hours
4. If not smoking, sear goat roast on all sides until caramelization is achieved
5. Place roast in deep pan and cover in rough chopped tomatoes, rosemary, thyme, remaining 4 garlic cloves, remaining 2-3 bay leaves, remaining 1 tbs. oregano, stock, red wine vinegar, Dijon, and another seasoning of salt and pepper all over
6. Cover pan in plastic wrap first (if you have restaurant grade wrap, otherwise omit), then foil
7. Put in 300-degree oven for about 6 hours, flipping roast halfway through
8. Finish roast by taking off wrap and foil and allow to brown in over another 15-20 minutes
9. Allow meat to cool in its juices or use right away!

Assemble Philly Goat Sandwiches 

1. Sauté thinly sliced bell peppers and remaining onions in butter, seasoned with salt and pepper
2. Toast hoagie rolls, or bread of choice with butter
3. Brush mayo on both insides of roll
4. Fill with about ½ cup of goat meat and ½ cup of the pepper/onion mix
5. Place slice of provolone over meat and vegetables, then place in broiler to melt cheese
6. Enjoy delicious goat meat!

Recipe and photos by the Farm Table Restaurant, Amery, Wis.

Order your goat roasts or leg of goat from our Farm Store. For more goat meat recipes, cooking tips, promotions, and to know when goat meat is available, sign up for our email list here.

While this recipe take a while to cook, it is so worth it. You'll have a super tender, braised goat meat dish with a flavorful Thai sauce.

I will often make it before I go to bed. When I wake up, I'll put it in the fridge and then re-heat (and add the veggies) in the slow cooker before dinner.

Braised, Thai Goat Curry in Slow Cooker - Recipe 
Serves 4-6 
 
Ingredients:

• 2 tbs. butter, divided
• 2-3 lbs. goat roast or stew meat/curry cubes
• 1 onion, sliced
• 2 tsp. jarred garlic in water
• ½ tsp. ginger 
• 1 13.5-ounce can, full-fat coconut milk
• 2 large fresh, red tomatoes quartered
• ½ cup Thai red curry paste
• 2 tbs. fish sauce
• 2 tsp. lime juice
• 2 tsp. sea salt
• 2 cups broccoli, florets 
• 1 cup of carrots, thinly sliced

 
Instructions:

1. Heat 1 tbs. of butter in a pan. Brown the meat on all sides. If using a goat roast, slice it into several chunks so it is submerged under the sauce while it cooks.
2. While the meat is browning, blend the quartered tomatoes in a blender or food processor. Set aside.
3. When the meat is done browning, transfer the meat into the slow cooker. 
4. Add remaining butter into the pan. Saute onion and garlic over medium heat for 5 minutes.
5. Pour in coconut milk, stir well.
6. Add tomato purée curry paste, fish sauce, lime juice, salt and ginger. Mix well. Pour sauce over the goat meat in the slow cooker.
7. Cook on low for 10 hours. Add the vegetables during the last 30-60 minutes. 

 
Serve with rice, cauliflower rice, naan flatbread or double the veggies while cooking. 
 
P.S. I’m working on an Instant Pot version of this recipe that I’ll share in the future. I need a little more work on getting the right timing for the goat meat to be the perfect tenderness. 
 
Inspiration from Danielle Walker’s Crockpot Thai Beef Stew at AgainstAllGrain.com at ​https://againstallgrain.com/2014/07/07/crockpot-paleo-thai-stew/

Order your goat stew meat (curry cubes) or roasts from our Farm Store. For more goat meat recipes, cooking tips, promotions, and to know when goat meat is available, sign up for our email list here.

​Have you ever wondered: Is buying a whole goat right for me? The reality is that buying a whole goat isn’t for everyone. So how do you know if it’s for you?
 
Here are seven questions to ask yourself if you’re considering ordering a whole goat for you and your family. 

1. Are you willing to try new cuts of goat meat? 
Are you willing to eat all your cuts of goat meat? Part of the experience of purchasing a whole goat, may also mean trying out new recipes and ways to cook goat.

If you only want goat chops and shanks, buying a whole goat isn’t for you. 
 
A whole goat order typically includes ground meat, leg, shoulder roast, shoulder steaks, chops, rack or rib chops, ribs, shanks, stew meat (curry cubes) and an option for organ meat (liver, heart, tongue, and kidney), as well as bones. You do have the option to leave out some cuts and opt for more ground or stew meat.
 
How do you feel about trying new cuts of goat meat? 

• Yes, I’m up for it.
• No, I’m not so sure.

3. Will you eat it within a year?*
Typically, a whole goat will give you about 22-30 lbs. of usable meat (this is different from hanging weight, see this article for more details).  Depending on your recipes or cuts of meat, this could work out to 10-15 meals, or a recipe using pound of goat meat every two weeks. 
 
Are you able to eat all of your goat meat?

• Yes, of course
• No, I’m not sure

*Note: The USDA says frozen meat can be stored up to a year.  

5. Do you want to know your farmer? 
Knowing your farmer is important, because you’re able to know how they raise their goats for meat. This includes where the goats live (Do they have enough room to move around? Do they have access to pasture?), how the goats are being fed (pasture, hay/grain combination, heavy grain), how the goats are being handled and so on. Ask about these farming practices to know what you’re getting. 
 
By supporting local farmers, you know your meat is coming from a local source, and not imported from thousands of miles away, which is often the case with most goat meat found in grocery stores in the U.S.
 
Do you want to support local farmers?

• Yes, I want to know where my meat comes from.
• No, it doesn’t really matter.

7. Are you willing to wait to order your whole goat? 
Typically farms who sell whole goats, will offer the opportunity to order once or twice a year. 
 
Usually, this happens because farms raise goats on a seasonal basis, meaning goat kids are born once a year and are ready for market (the general term for sale!) during that year. 
 
While some goats might have multiple groups of goat kids born throughout a year, it is not as common. 
 
Are you ok with waiting to order your whole goat once a year? 

• Yes, I can do that. 
• No, I might not be able to wait. 

We’re excited to share that we’ve joined the New Richmond Chamber of Commerce. To celebrate, we’re offering a special sale to Chamber members and their employees: 15% off the purchase of our goat meat in stock at our farm store near Deer Park. Sale is good until Aug. 31, 2019.
 
To order, visit our online Farm Store and promo code “NR Chamber.” You’ll receive an email confirming your order is in stock and then arrange to pick up your order at the farm store. 
 
As a member of the New Richmond Chamber of Commerce, we will now accept Chamber Gift Certificates for the purchase of goat meat at our farm store.
 
About Our Farm and Goat Meat
We know it often can be hard to find goat meat in the grocery store and if it is available it’s often imported all the way from Australia. At our farm, Cylon Rolling Acres, we raise Boer-Kiko cross meat goats on pasture using rotational grazing practices. The farm is located east of New Richmond, just a few miles past the “four corners” of highways 64/46/63.
 
We offer cuts of goat meat, gyro meat, organ meat and bones for sale at our licensed farm store. A whole goat can be ordered for bulk pricing in fall-winter. All meat is cut and packaged at a USDA inspected facility to ensure quality and safety standards. Limited retail cuts of meat are also for sale at Jewelltown Roastery in Star Prairie and seasonally on the menu at the Farm Table in Amery.

​For more goat meat recipes, cooking tips, promotions, and to know when goat meat is available, sign up for our email list here.

I like hearing back from our customers. It gives me an idea of how we’re doing in  terms of raising our livestock and producing quality meat. I also love trying out new recipes to cook goat meat. 

​Here’s a recipe one of our customers shared with me recently, broiled rosemary garlic goat chops served with sautéed mushrooms and onions, wild rice and asparagus. It looks wonderful. I’m definitely putting this on my to-cook-list.  In fact as the weather is warming up with spring, this would be a perfect recipe for the grill, also paired with freshly grown asparagus from our garden. So, thank you David for sharing!

Here’s the recipe, with three cooking options: broiling, pan frying and grilling.

Rosemary Garlic Goat Chops Three Ways (Broiled, Pan Fried or Grilled)
Ingredients:
½ c fresh rosemary, chopped
5 garlic cloves, minced
Sea salt
Ground black pepper
2 lbs. goat chops or rib chops (order Cylon Rolling Acres chops here)
1 tbsp. olive oil

Instructions:

1. Pull chops out of fridge to allow to come to room temperature
2. Mix olive oil, rosemary, garlic, salt and pepper together to form rub
3. Rub all sides of chops

Cooking options:

Pan-fried goat chops:

1. In a pan, heat olive oil or butter on medium heat.
2. When hot, pan fry about 3-5 minutes on each side.
3. After cooking let chops rest for 2-3 minutes. Then enjoy!

Broiled goat chops:

1. Place chops on a greased sheet pan.
2. Turn on broiler to high. Place chops about 8 inches from the heat source.
3. Broil for about 10 minutes, flip half way through for desired browning.
4. After cooking let chops rest for 2-3 minutes. Then enjoy!

Grilled goat chops:

1. Preheat grill to high.
2. Cook for 4-6 minutes on each side. For thicker chops (3/4 inch) grill for 6-8 minutes on each side.
3. After cooking let chops rest for 2-3 minutes. Then enjoy!

Order your goat chops or rib chops from Cylon Rolling Acres here. For more goat meat recipes, cooking tips, promotions, and to know when goat meat is available, sign up for our email list here.