How to cook leg of goat. Goat meat is becoming much more popular in the US these days, as people return to more traditional ways of cooking. Just a decade ago goat meat could only be purchased at ethnic markets, or by buying a whole live goat.
Leg of goat is one of the most forgiving cuts of goat meat. The taste is mild, and slow-roasted goat leg will quickly win over goat meat skeptics. A dry rub helps to flavor the meat and ensures that the meat doesn’t dry out during a long slow cook.
My favorite goat leg recipe uses a simple dry rub. For a 3-pound Prosperity Acres goat leg, I add 2 teaspoons of each salt, erythritol, garlic powder and onion powder. Feel free to add spices based on your own tastes. Believe it or not, goat meat doesn’t need intense spices to taste amazing. Salt and a tiny bit of erythritol help to bring out its natural flavor, beyond that the seasoning is up to you.
After dry rubbing the goat leg, wrap it tightly in foil and allow it to rest 24 hours in the refrigerator. The salt and sugar are going to pull moisture out of the meat, and that cooking liquid will be trapped in the foil and will help to braise the goat meat.
If you’re not a fan of foil, place the meat in a roasting pan, that works too. Just make sure the drippings are captured after the dry rub marinade.
Pull the meat out of the refrigerator, and allow it to come to room temperature on the counter for an hour or two before cooking. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Once the oven is hot, immediately turn the temperature down to 300 degrees and put the goat leg into the oven.
The hot initial temperature will help to sear the exterior of the goat meat, and then the slow cooker will ensure a tender roast. A three-pound goat leg takes 6 to 8 hours to cook, and once it’s done the meat will pull back from the bone and you’ll be able to see that it’s visibly contracted.
At this point, test the meat with a fork. The meat should fall away from the bone. You should be able to pull off a forkful of goat meat with almost no effort.
Give it a taste and feel the tender meat just melt in your mouth!