Curried goat is a popular Caribbean dish that combines Indian-inspired curry spices with the rich taste of lean goat meat, often seasoned with Scotch pepper and coconut milk. Goat meat is widely available throughout the Caribbean, and pre-seasoning or marinating is common.
Curried goat is a popular Caribbean dish that combines the exotic spices of curry with the rich taste of goat meat. The combination produces a dish enjoyed on many islands in the Caribbean, where the cuisines of India and Africa have fused into dishes of spicy flavor and satisfying, hearty textures.
Goats are hardy creatures that have a natural instinct for navigation and exploration. This keeps them active and produces lean red meat. Even when domesticated, the flavor of goat meat is richer and somewhat gamey than the meat of beef cattle. This makes lean cuts very adaptable to stews, barbecues and curries.
Curries are common throughout Asia. The flavor profile of curry depends on the region, with different areas of the world using distinct combinations of spices and different levels of heat. Curries that are mostly found in the Caribbean have their roots in Indian cuisine. Within the island chain that forms the Caribbean, the degree of influence that the culinary traditions of the Indian subcontinent have on local cuisine varies widely. The spices used in the curry goat have also been adapted to local availability.
Curried Caribbean Goat uses curry powders made with local spices that either grow on the islands or are readily available. Almost without fail, two spices that appear regularly in commercial and homemade curry powder are turmeric and cumin. The Indian-inspired curried goat also features coriander, cumin seeds, fennel, and sometimes the sweetness of cloves and ginger. Some commercial curry powder manufacturers make a separate curry spice mix for meats such as goat and duck to complement the richness of the meat.
Caribbean cooks often rely on retail curry powder blends to make curried goat, largely because it’s easier than grinding each spice. Goat meat is widely available throughout the Caribbean. Land-use laws make it easy to keep goats in urban and rural areas by providing cooks with fresh goat meat from backyard stock.
Caribbean cooks often add the popular Scotch pepper to curry bonnets to intensify the heat. Pre-seasoning or marinating goat meat before preparing the dish is a tradition in places like Jamaica, where the preparation of curried goat might also include thyme, onions, ginger, fresh tomatoes, or tomato sauce. Adding coconut milk is common when making curried goat in the Caribbean. In addition to providing an extra layer of flavor, the coconut milk helps tenderize the goat meat as it cooks.
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