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So, the shot was clean, in spite of it being a snubby and him refusing to get close. I wasn't able to do the direct contact cervical destruction method, had to strike the back of the brain case, just behind the ear. Dropped instantly. Distance was over 20' and he was slowly moving. Meaning both he and I got lucky (and I was in single action mode - double, I'd never have hit him).
Sage outweighed me, I had to drag him up hill to the butchering station I hade made with two ladders and a heavy c bar for hanging. (took him in the "bowl" between our only in FL would they be called hills to ensure I had a good backstop if I missed). The C-bar rolled, the ladders would keep falling sideways as I tried to hang him, I couldn't use a rope to pull him up (because he outweighed me), and unltimately, he was too tall anyways.
Dragged the 4x8 flat bed aluminum trailer over, covered with plastic, that became my butcher station. Took about 3 hours to mostly complete, before it was too dark and too cold to continue. This was my yield:
7.5# cavity fat for Soap?? Still needs to be rendered
3.75# loins and sirloins
0.88# (inside) loin - this has another name
10.5# boneless shoulder roasts
3.0# heart, liver, kidneys for dog food (mostly liver)
16.75# meat for sausage - most could have been brisket
10.0# blade roasts
3.0# legs
Basically, about 45# of meat, plus 3# to make dog food with (heart/liver/kidney), plus whatever I get off the carcass.
That puts his live weight north of 160#. Which helps to explain why there isn't a huge commercial goat industry in the US - yields are too low.
So far, I ground 1# coarse and seasoned as I would beef/sausage for patties or (not breakfast) sausage. Edible, but chewy, leaving most of the fat in place. Tastes fine, not very gamey, but leaves a waxy mouthfeel and a definite old goat aftertaste. Edible, but not eager to repeat.
I took the other 4# from the first bag of "sausage" meat (which really looked a lot like a thin brisket cut), and spent an hour carefully cutting away all the fat I could, then ground fine - likely had about 1.75-2.0# of meat (so that sausage, above, was quite fatty, though not 50%, as I had grabbed one of the "leaner" portions of the untrimmed cut).
That went thru a fine die, combined with cumin, ground ancho, guajillo, and chipotle chilis, some smoke paprika, some onion, green pepper, garlic. Browned in a pot until well cooked, very little fat rendered off. Poured off what I could, added most of a Tblsp corn meal to thicken, stirred to incorporate (yes, flour would have made a better roux, but in spite of the difficulties, I'd rather use masa for this dish, which I didn't have, so I used the meal) and cook some, then added a large can of crushed tomatoes, salt, black pepper (fresh ground), more ground chilis to adjust seasoning, brought to a boil, reduced to simmer about 2 hours. Added diced green pepper and a large can of red chili beans for the last 15 mintues.
Stew of ground goat and tomato, with dried peppers. Don't you dare call it chili!
Tasty, though the grind (at my wife's insistence) was too fine. I had about 3 cups full, you can barely tell you aren't eating beef while you eat it. The waxy mouthfeel was gone. Unfortunately, the gamey aftertaste builds, remains with you a long time. If you burp later, its "distinct". The combination of warm spices with the tomato acidity is DEFINIETLY the way to season this. I may do some Moroccan take next time, with cinnamon, clove, coriander, and the rest, plus some tomato paste and just slow stew it in the crock pot all day.
Oh, and I have 2# of lye coming to try my hand at soap making. Its not enough lye for the fat I have on hand, but once its been rendered down and the impurities removed, I *think* I'll have enough. I'll have enough to see if its worth the effort, anyways.
The hide was badly hacked up while I butchered the beast laying on its side, so heavy I could hardly flip it, but its been scrapped (badly), salted, and is currently brain tanning, hair on. I'm probably doing it wrong, but learning thru failures.
and on that note, I've learned... Goat is lean not because goat is lean, but because the fat carries so much "flavor" and mouthfeel, both of which linger long after the meal is complete, and need to be cut away. The roughly 15# of "sausage" meat the carcass yielded will likely be 7-9# once I have 0 trimmed it. If the world should end tommorow, its edible, just nowhere near a favored meat (though it was really good stew, while I was eating it, one of my better recent efforts!).
This goat had all his teeth, making him at least 3 years old, as I understand it. His sons were both wethered, and are now about 6 months. If my wife says I should trim, grind, and cook this one for dog food and try again with a younger goat, I'll be very accomodating - *but* I am going to finish last night's stew.
Hope that was helpful? Remembering Sage, a good goat, but not great eats.
Sage outweighed me, I had to drag him up hill to the butchering station I hade made with two ladders and a heavy c bar for hanging. (took him in the "bowl" between our only in FL would they be called hills to ensure I had a good backstop if I missed). The C-bar rolled, the ladders would keep falling sideways as I tried to hang him, I couldn't use a rope to pull him up (because he outweighed me), and unltimately, he was too tall anyways.
Dragged the 4x8 flat bed aluminum trailer over, covered with plastic, that became my butcher station. Took about 3 hours to mostly complete, before it was too dark and too cold to continue. This was my yield:
7.5# cavity fat for Soap?? Still needs to be rendered
3.75# loins and sirloins
0.88# (inside) loin - this has another name
10.5# boneless shoulder roasts
3.0# heart, liver, kidneys for dog food (mostly liver)
16.75# meat for sausage - most could have been brisket
10.0# blade roasts
3.0# legs
Basically, about 45# of meat, plus 3# to make dog food with (heart/liver/kidney), plus whatever I get off the carcass.
That puts his live weight north of 160#. Which helps to explain why there isn't a huge commercial goat industry in the US - yields are too low.
So far, I ground 1# coarse and seasoned as I would beef/sausage for patties or (not breakfast) sausage. Edible, but chewy, leaving most of the fat in place. Tastes fine, not very gamey, but leaves a waxy mouthfeel and a definite old goat aftertaste. Edible, but not eager to repeat.
I took the other 4# from the first bag of "sausage" meat (which really looked a lot like a thin brisket cut), and spent an hour carefully cutting away all the fat I could, then ground fine - likely had about 1.75-2.0# of meat (so that sausage, above, was quite fatty, though not 50%, as I had grabbed one of the "leaner" portions of the untrimmed cut).
That went thru a fine die, combined with cumin, ground ancho, guajillo, and chipotle chilis, some smoke paprika, some onion, green pepper, garlic. Browned in a pot until well cooked, very little fat rendered off. Poured off what I could, added most of a Tblsp corn meal to thicken, stirred to incorporate (yes, flour would have made a better roux, but in spite of the difficulties, I'd rather use masa for this dish, which I didn't have, so I used the meal) and cook some, then added a large can of crushed tomatoes, salt, black pepper (fresh ground), more ground chilis to adjust seasoning, brought to a boil, reduced to simmer about 2 hours. Added diced green pepper and a large can of red chili beans for the last 15 mintues.
Stew of ground goat and tomato, with dried peppers. Don't you dare call it chili!
Tasty, though the grind (at my wife's insistence) was too fine. I had about 3 cups full, you can barely tell you aren't eating beef while you eat it. The waxy mouthfeel was gone. Unfortunately, the gamey aftertaste builds, remains with you a long time. If you burp later, its "distinct". The combination of warm spices with the tomato acidity is DEFINIETLY the way to season this. I may do some Moroccan take next time, with cinnamon, clove, coriander, and the rest, plus some tomato paste and just slow stew it in the crock pot all day.
Oh, and I have 2# of lye coming to try my hand at soap making. Its not enough lye for the fat I have on hand, but once its been rendered down and the impurities removed, I *think* I'll have enough. I'll have enough to see if its worth the effort, anyways.
The hide was badly hacked up while I butchered the beast laying on its side, so heavy I could hardly flip it, but its been scrapped (badly), salted, and is currently brain tanning, hair on. I'm probably doing it wrong, but learning thru failures.
and on that note, I've learned... Goat is lean not because goat is lean, but because the fat carries so much "flavor" and mouthfeel, both of which linger long after the meal is complete, and need to be cut away. The roughly 15# of "sausage" meat the carcass yielded will likely be 7-9# once I have 0 trimmed it. If the world should end tommorow, its edible, just nowhere near a favored meat (though it was really good stew, while I was eating it, one of my better recent efforts!).
This goat had all his teeth, making him at least 3 years old, as I understand it. His sons were both wethered, and are now about 6 months. If my wife says I should trim, grind, and cook this one for dog food and try again with a younger goat, I'll be very accomodating - *but* I am going to finish last night's stew.
Hope that was helpful? Remembering Sage, a good goat, but not great eats.
