Roast Goat Shoulder with Black Olives and Herbs

One Sunday morning a couple of months ago while at the San Rafael farmers market I picked up a goat shoulder roast at the Rossotti Ranch stand. I had never cooked a goat shoulder before, but my prior efforts with Rossotti Ranch's goat had turned out so well that it seemed worth a try.

I had put the shoulder in the freezer and had forgotten about it until earlier this week when I happened across a recipe I had found on the Rossotti Ranch website (that and other good recipes are available here). I made the dish this evening and it turned out very well. The shoulder - which is not a very big cut (mine was about 2 pounds) - includes a good deal of connective tissue and is chewy, but I like that consistency in meat and the flavor was excellent. Here's the variation of the recipe I used:

INGREDIENTS

• 1 goat shoulder roast, 2-3 lbs
• Salt & ground pepper
• 1 large carrot, peeled and diced
• 1 celery stalk, diced
• 1 small yellow onion, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, sliced
• 5-6 fresh flat-leaf parsley sprigs, plus 2 tablespoons chopped
• 2 or 3 fresh oregano sprigs
• Extra virgin olive oil for coating
• 2 cups beef broth
• ½ cup dry red wine
• 10-12 kalamata olives, pitted and coarsely chopped
• 2 tablespoons capers, rinsed and chopped
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch

PREPARATION

1. Trim away all but a thin layer of fat from the goat. Rub the meat all over with the salt and pepper, place on a plate, and refrigerate for 12-24 hours. Remove from the refrigerator about 1 hour before roasting.

2. Preheat the oven to 400°F

3. Select a heavy ovenproof pan just large enough to hold the goat. Add the carrot, celery, onion, garlic, parsley sprigs, and oregano to the pan. Lightly brush or rub the goat with olive oil and place, fat side up, on the vegetables. Pour in the broth and wine.

4. Roast the goat for 1 hour. Remove from the oven and turn the roast. Reduce the oven temperature to 325°F. Continue to roast the goat for 20 minutes, then remove the pan from the oven and turn the roast again fat side up. Continue to roast until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers 180°F, 20 minutes longer.

5. Remove the pan from the oven, transfer the goat to a warmed platter, and tent with aluminum foil. Let rest while preparing the sauce.

6. Pour the contents of the pan through a coarse sieve placed over a bowl. Using the back of a spoon, press on the contents of the sieve to extract as much liquid as possible. Discard the contents of the sieve. Using a spoon, remove as much fat from the surface of the pan juices as possible. You should have about 1½ cups of liquid. Pour into a saucepan and place over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil and add the olives, capers, tomato paste, vinegar, and chopped parsley. Reduce heat to low. In a small bowl, dissolve the cornstarch in 2 tablespoons water and whisk into the simmering sauce. Cook, stirring, until slightly thickened, 2-3 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Keep the sauce warm.

7. Transfer the goat to a carving board. Cut the meat into slices ¾ – 1 inch thick and arrange on warmed plates. Spoon a little of the sauce over the meat. Pass the remaining sauce at the table.