Goat curry

Recipe submitted by: Matias Jimenez, Grade 11

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup vegetable oil

• 6 to 8 tablespoons curry powder

• 1 tablespoon allspice (see Step 1)

• 3 pounds goat stew meat (use lamb or beef if you can't find goat)

• Salt

• 2 medium onions, chopped

• 1 to 2 habanero or Scotch bonnet peppers, seeded and chopped

• 1 (2-inch) piece ginger, peeled and minced

• 1 head garlic, peeled and chopped

• 1 to 2 (15-ounce) cans coconut milk

• 1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce or crushed tomatoes

• 1 tablespoon dried thyme

• 3 to 4 cups water

• 5 Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks

Procedure:

Make the curry powder:

If you can find Jamaican curry powder, definitely use it. If not, use regular curry powder and add the allspice to it. You will need at least 6 tablespoons of spices for this stew, and you can kick it up to 8-9 depending on how spicy you like it.

1. Cut and salt the goat meat: Cut the meat into large chunks, maybe 2-3 inches across. If you have bones, you can use them, too. Salt everything well and set aside to come to room temperature for about 30 minutes.

2. Heat the curry powder in oil: Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Mix in 2 tablespoons of the curry powder and heat until fragrant.

3. Brown meat in curried oil: Pat the meat dry and brown well in the curried oil. Do this in batches and don’t overcrowd the pot. It will take a while to do this, maybe 30 minutes or so. Set the browned meat aside in a bowl. (When all the meat is browned, if you have bones, add them and brown them, too.)

4. Cook onions, habanero, ginger, garlic: Add the onions and habanero to the pot and sauté, stirring from time to time, until the onions just start to brown, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle some salt over them as they cook. Add the ginger and garlic, mix well and sauté for another 1-2 minutes.

5. Put the meat (and bones, if using) back into the pot, along with any juices left in the bowl. Mix well.

6. Add coconut milk, tomatoes, curry powder, water, thyme, then simmer: Pour in the coconut milk and tomatoes and 5 tablespoons of the curry powder. Stir to combine. If you are using 2 cans of coconut milk, add 3 cups of water. If you’re only using 1 can, add 4 cups of water. Add the thyme.

7. Bring to a simmer and let it cook until the meat is falling-apart tender, which will take at least 2 hours. Longer if you have a mature goat.

8. Add potatoes: Once the meat is close to being done – tender but not falling apart yet – Add the potatoes and mix in. The stew is done when the potatoes are. Taste for salt and add some if it needs it.

9. Skim fat: You might need to skim off the layer of fat at the top of the curry before serving. Do this with a large, shallow spoon, skimming into a bowl. Also, be sure to remove any bones before you serve the curry.

The stew is better the day after, or even several days after, the day you make it. Serve with Jamaican rice and peas, a coconut rice with kidney beans.

Personal connection:

Goat curry was a meal I used to eat for middle school lunch in our cafeteria with all my friends which is why it's significant in my life and a meal I love which is why I added it to this recipe book for people to enjoy.

Matias' bio:

I'm a chileno athlete who was raised on different ethnic food and was involved with many different cultures over the years.