Curried Goat

Name: Curried Goat
Total time: 14 h
Yield: 8 to 10 servings
Cuisine: caribbean
Ingredients: 4 tablespoons cumin seeds; 4 tablespoons coriander seeds; 2 tablespoons ground turmeric; 1 tablespoon fenugreek seeds; 1 tablespoon ground black pepper; 1 tablespoon garlic powder; 2 teaspoons onion powder; 2 teaspoons ground allspice; 3 pounds boneless goat meat, such as shoulder or leg, cut into 2-inch cubes; 1/2 cup vegetable or canola oil; 1 large white onion, sliced; 6 garlic cloves, minced; 1 Scotch bonnet chile, sliced, seeds removed; 3 fresh thyme sprigs; 2 teaspoons Lawry’s Seasoned Salt, plus more if needed; 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper; 3 medium russet potatoes, peeled and chopped into 1-inch pieces; Cooked white rice, for serving

Recipe from Hazel and Jessica Craig

Adapted by Priya Krishna

Curried Goat — Ryan Liebe for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.

Total Time: 2 hours, plus 12 hours’ marinating
Rating: 4(174)
Notes: Read community notes

Hazel Craig, the mother of the pastry chef Jessica Craig, prepares this hearty, spicy dish from her native Jamaica with her homemade curry powder blend. It’s worth making to maximize the dish’s depth and complexity, and the recipe here makes extra (which can be used in any kind of stew or braise). Hazel insists that the best way to prepare goat is not to brown the meat first, but to cook everything all at once in the same pot. “When you heat everything up together,” she said, all the flavor “gets locked in there.” —Priya Krishna

Featured in: A Family’s Christmas, Filled With the Tastes of Jamaica

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Ingredients

Yield:8 to 10 servings

For the Jamaican Curry Powder

4tablespoons cumin seeds
4tablespoons coriander seeds
2tablespoons ground turmeric
1tablespoon fenugreek seeds
1tablespoon ground black pepper
1tablespoon garlic powder
2teaspoons onion powder
2teaspoons ground allspice

For the Goat

3pounds boneless goat meat, such as shoulder or leg, cut into 2-inch cubes
½cup vegetable or canola oil
1large white onion, sliced
6garlic cloves, minced
1Scotch bonnet chile, sliced, seeds removed
3fresh thyme sprigs
2teaspoons Lawry’s Seasoned Salt, plus more if needed
¼teaspoon ground black pepper
3medium russet potatoes, peeled and chopped into 1-inch pieces
Cooked white rice, for serving

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Preparation

Step 1
Prepare the Jamaican curry powder: In a skillet, toast the spices over low heat, gently shaking the pan, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Let cool. Transfer to a spice grinder, blender or mini food processor and pulse until the mixture forms a fine powder.
Step 2
Prepare the goat: Set the meat in a large bowl. Put on a pair of disposable latex or vinyl gloves. (Scotch bonnet chile can be very hot to the touch.) Add the oil, onion, garlic, chile, thyme sprigs, seasoned salt, black pepper and half the prepared Jamaican curry powder (or 4 tablespoons store-bought) to the bowl and massage the marinade into the meat. (Save remaining spice mix for another use.)
Step 3
Transfer the meat to an airtight container and refrigerate at least 12 hours and up to 3 days.
Step 4
Place the meat in a large pot or Dutch oven. Add the potatoes and 2 cups water. Cook over medium-high heat until the mixture comes to a boil.
Step 5
Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer, stirring every 20 minutes, until the potatoes break down, the sauce has thickened and the meat is tender and cooked through, about 1½ to 2 hours. The curried goat will look like a thick stew. Add more seasoned salt, if needed. Serve with the rice.

Ratings

4 out of 5

174 user ratings

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Private Notes

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Cooking Notes

Aldona Jonaitis5 years ago

Goat is the most widely eaten meat in the world and is truly delicious; for this recipe I urge you to find a butcher who carries it -- halal butchers usually do. The other wonderful thing about goat is that it has fewer calories than any other meat including chicken. In addition, virtually all goats in this country are raised on small farms and thus are not subjected to the horrors of industrialized food production.

Danielle5 years ago

Can this be made with chicken? Any suggested adjustments?

Bonnie5 years ago

I put a good healthy slug of rum in it...All of my BWI family does the same. Now, if someone had a good recipe for heavy cake which is a Cayman specialty but comes from Jamaica....they were all one country at one time.....sure would love to have that. The recipe died with the last of the Aunties...

Anita5 years ago

No, it’s not. Pork is the most widely eaten meat in the world. Goat is mainly eaten in parts of Africa, the Middle East and a few other parts of Asia.

Allyson3 years ago

I served this with rice and peas and steamed cabbage, and it definitely brought be back to the Caribbean. I used bone-in goat, and it wasn't quite as tender as I'd like after two hours, but the potatoes were close to disintegrating. Next time, I'll cook the goat for 2.5 hours, and add the potatoes at the one hour mark.

Susan Campbell5 years ago

Is this a candidate for an InstaPot? Sounds like it could be...and if so, how long should it be cooked?

Cheryl5 years ago

If you are looking for a substitute because goat is unavailable in your area, I suggest lamb. The taste is not the same, but much closer to goat than chicken, and better able to stand up to the spices. Cooking time is probably shorter, but not that much.

HNR1 month ago

Trinidad Homestyle Version: No onion/garlic/Lawry powder or potato! Don’t just put the meat in a pot: chonkh or bloom the spices—mix in water to make a slurry and sauté on medium heat in 1/4 cup ghee or oil, stirring to avoid burning. Add 1/2 cup each of diced onion and fresh tomato, 1/4 cup crushed garlic and ginger, high heat stirring for 3-5 mins, then add seasoned meat, incorporating well. Add water, cover, cook on low. Finish w/cilantro or add crushed culantro at start.

melissa5 months ago

Fabulous and a perfect amount of heat for us. Added cubed Kabocha squash with the potatoes and chopped cilantro on top. A keeper.

cooleddie1 year ago

I have trouble imagining Jamaican curry powder without ground ginger (powder).

Christiane2 years ago

I think that some ingredients are suspiciously missing from this recipe. Onions? Coconut milk? Ginger? Tomatoes? I added all these plus some carrots and plantains. Very tasty and I'm making it again for the third time.

Jason M.2 years ago

I figured it out! They don’t. This is a beautiful recipe, btw.

Jason M.2 years ago

This might be a silly question, but does onion and pepper get discarded prior to cooking or do they join the goat?

Christiane2 years ago

Substituted homemade chicken stock and a can of coconut milk for water (3C total). For additional acidity added 2T powdered lime, 2T vinegar, and 1T tomato paste. Substituted jalapeño and banana pepper for scotch bonnet — plenty hot. Also added 2T minced ginger, 2C cubed pumpkin, 1 chopped carrot and 1 chopped celery. Cooked in a well-soaked, covered clay pot in 350 oven for 90 minutes and then at 300 for 2 hours. Wow.

Christiane2 years ago

Cooked in soaked clay pot 90 min at 359 and 2 hours at 300.

Allyson3 years ago

M/R Cooper3 years ago

Would make again. Made with 2 Lbs Australian Bone-In pre-cut 1-2” chunks. Made 3-4 servings. Personal notes: Used Jamaican Style curry powder. Marinated 24 hours. Seared goat before adding onion mix to pot. Added one cut potato at start after 90 min. Mashed into sauce. Added second potato for another 30 min. Served in bowls without rice.

Julie4 years ago

6 hours slow cooker.

Mama J4 years ago

was delicious. I used sambar curry mix as I had it on hand. I got the goat from a local farm and the goat was really amazingly delicious and tender. I marinated the day before.

Debra M4 years ago

Any protein would work with this recipe. Try goat- you won't be disappointed. It is a wonderfully lean, healthy protein that Americans should embrace.

DBO2 years ago

It's an animal. Calling it a "protein" is an attempt at whitewashing.

Gerry H5 years ago

Bought my boneless goat leg at the local weekend farmers market. Starting late on Saturday afternoon we couldn't find Lawry's (sub Adobo seasoning) or fenugreek (sub mustard seeds). It is the best curry goat we've ever had. Flavors are deep and complex without being overpowering. Removed the goat after 1 1/2 hrs, it was tender, didn't want to toughen it up. Continued cooking down the spuds for 20 mins until the sauce was perfect. Fried ripe plantains will add the needed sweetness. Thank you!

Nadina Cole-Potter2 years ago

The local markets that cater to my Hispanic and other ethnic neighbors carry Lawry’s Seasoned Salt in larger containers. Inevitably on display near the meat/fish counters.

Susan Campbell5 years ago

Is this a candidate for an InstaPot? Sounds like it could be...and if so, how long should it be cooked?

April5 years ago

I’d love to know this, too. I’ve learned, the empirical way, that not all slow-cooked meats work well in a pressure cooker! Or...if they can, I’ve not figured out how to perfectly adapt the cooking time and technique.

Chuck2 years ago

This is a great recipe. I have made this several times in a countertop pressure cooker and found that pressure cooker times GENERALLY are 1/3 that of a cook top. This will obviously vary according to your cooker and the cut/type of meat. In this recipe I would suggest 40 minutes in your pressure cooker to start, release the pressure and check for tenderness. If it needs a few more minutes then I would add the potatoes so that they are not over cooked. Hope this helps. Enjoy!