Goat Shoulder

Name: Goat shoulder — the front part of the goat, a hard-working, flavourful cut with plenty of connective tissue, sold bone-in or boneless, and best slow cooked until tender. It has more fat and flavour than the leg.

Description

The shoulder is one of the most flavourful and best-value parts of the goat, and, like lamb and beef shoulder, it is full of collagen that melts to a rich, soft texture after long cooking. It is the preferred cut for pulled goat, birria, curries and stews, and for slow-roasting in the oven or smoking in a barbecue.

Because it is a worked muscle, it needs patience, and cooking it quickly yields tough meat. A shoulder usually feeds 4 to 6 people, and leftovers are excellent shredded into tacos, rice dishes and sandwiches.

Main nutrition value

Goat meat is a good source of high-quality protein, iron, zinc and vitamin B12, and is generally leaner than lamb or beef, with less saturated fat. The shoulder is fattier than the leg, and rich in collagen.

How best to be consumed

Goat shoulder is slow roasted or braised.

1. Rub with spices, garlic and salt, and marinate overnight if possible.
2. Roast covered at 150°C for 3.5 to 4.5 hours, or braise with stock, wine or tomato, until it falls from the bone.
3. Shred the meat for tacos, birria or sandwiches.
4. Skim the fat from the cooking juices.
5. Serve with rice, flatbread, pickles and fresh herbs.

Overconsumption could cause…

Goat shoulder is healthy in moderation.

1. Higher risk of bowel (colorectal) cancer with regular high intake of red meat, which the World Health Organization's cancer agency classifies as probably carcinogenic, so many health bodies advise keeping red meat to about 350 to 500 g (cooked weight) a week.
2. Raised LDL cholesterol and heart disease risk from the saturated fat in fattier cuts, skin and processed products, so choose lean cuts and trim visible fat. The shoulder carries more fat than the leg.
3. Iron overload in people with haemochromatosis, an inherited condition, since the haem iron in red meat and offal is well absorbed.
4. Gout flare-ups in people with gout, since meat and especially organ meats are high in purines.

GroupsLamb and GoatMammals (red meat)High proteinLow fatLow sodiumRich in vitamin B12Rich in zincFresh

Related foodsGoat Curry CutsGoat LegGoat MeatLamb RackLamb ShankLamb Leg

Wikipedia — Goat meat, used for origin, naming and history: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goat_meat