KNOW YOUR GOAT

Whenever the Eid-ul-Azha comes around, there is a distinct shuffle of enthusiastic fingers on the keyboard looking for all those mouth-watering recipe tutorials on Youtube. But the first hurdle thrown by most recipes are the various cuts of meat. So let us dissect the issue, pun intended. 

1. NECK

The neck consists of the neck vertebrae and coarse-textured meat containing a large amount of white connective tissue (collagen). Long, slow cooking will convert this connective tissue into gelatine and make meat tender. The yellow connective tissue (elastin) is not affected by the heat and should therefore be removed prior to cooking. 

2. THICK RIB

The thick rib consists of a few vertebrae, 5 to 6 ribs, and part of the shoulder blade and an even layer of fat. If shoulder is removed round, the upper muscle layer and fat layer of thick rib are removed with the shoulder blade. 

3. FLANK & BREAST

The breast is sawn off with flank for convenience. The cut contains the breastbone and ribs in a triangular shape where the flank joins the breast. A large proportion of white connective tissue occurs in the flank and the meat has a coarse texture. 

4. RIB

The rib consists of vertebrae, ribs, a single eye muscle and an uneven fat layer. Meat has a fine texture. It is heavily marbled meat with a thick outer layer of fat. In fact, over 50 percent of its calories come from fat, even after trimming. 

5. LOIN

A feature of the loin is the T-shaped vertebrae flanked by the very tender fillet on the one side and the eye muscle on the other. If removed before the carcass is halved, this cut is known as the saddle. This section is considered the choicest part of the goat. 

6. LEG 

The leg contains the pelvic bone, marrowbone and shank bone and is possible the most popular cut. The hind shank is among the leanest cuts of the goat. 

7. SHANK 

The shank contains the shank bone, meat with a coarse texture and a large proportion of white connective tissue. When well cooked the muscle is very soft and buttery. 

8. CHUMP 

The chump contains the pelvic bone and a large proportion of meat. The chump can be left on the leg for a longer leg oven-roast. 

9. FORE SHANK

The fore shank, which is connected to the breast, is a lean, stringy cut--only 29 percent of its calories come from fat. It is usually tenderised by cooking in liquid for long periods and is cubed for stewing. The shoulder blade, marrowbone and shank bone are situated in the raised shoulder, which is covered with an even layer of fat. Attached to the shoulder blade is the softer cartilage section. If the shoulder is removed round, the upper portion of the thick rib is included. 

DIETARY VALUE: 

Mutton, with visible fat trimmed contains 665 Kcal of energy, 6.6 grams of protein, 70.6 gram fat, (saturated-32.2 gram, polyunsaturated-5.4 gram, monounsaturated-29.1 gram), 90 mg cholesterol, 31 mg sodium, and 1.7 mcg vitamin B12. (Dietary Fiber-0 g, Total Carbohydrates-0 g, Total Sugars-

0 g)

Photo courtesy:  Recipes from the Rasoi by Shawkat Osman