How to Cook a Goat Shoulder

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Whether you roast it in the oven or grill it over indirect heat, the key to serving a succulent goat shoulder roast is to cook it low and slow. Unlike other cuts of goat meat, the shoulder has enough fat to stand up to slow roasting. Additionally, the meat pairs well with other strong flavors, which help keep it from tasting too gamey.

Oven Roasted Goat Shoulder

Trim all but a thin layer of fat off the goat shoulder and season it with salt and black pepper. Place the meat on a plate and refrigerate it uncovered for 12 to 24 hours.

Preheat your oven temperature to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. While it's heating up, prepare some aromatics and herbs for roasting with the goat, if desired. Some examples include chopped onion, celery, garlic, parsley and oregano.

Grab a heavy, ovenproof frying pan, pot or Dutch oven that's big enough to hold the goat shoulder. Place the aromatics in the bottom of the pan.

Rub the goat shoulder with olive oil, or the cooking oil of your choice, and place it on top of the aromatics with the fatty side facing up.

Prepare a mixture of beef broth and red wine, using a ratio of 1 part red wine to 4 parts beef broth. Pour the mixture over the goat shoulder and vegetables.

Roast the goat shoulder for 1 hour before turning the roast and reducing the temperature to 325 F.

Continue roasting it for another 20 minutes; turn it again and roast it until an instant-read thermometer reads 180 F when it's inserted in the meatiest part.

Grilled Goat Shoulder

Prepare any marinade or basting sauce that you intend to use while grilling the goat shoulder. If you're using the same sauce that you're going to marinate the shoulder in, set some aside to use for basting. Alternatively, make a basting oil by combining ingredients such as fresh mint, rosemary, oregano, red wine vinegar and olive oil.

Cut several 1/2-inch-deep slashes into the meat. Season the goat shoulder. Use any dry rub, marinade or spice paste, depending on your preference. Try combining lemon zest, garlic cloves, anchovy fillets, fresh oregano, fresh mint, black pepper and olive oil in a food processor to make an anchovy-herb paste. Cover the goat shoulder with the seasoning and refrigerate it for eight to 24 hours.

Set your grill up for indirect cooking over medium-low heat, by turning on only one burner of a two-burner gas grill or the front and back burners of a gas grill with three or more burners. Alternatively, light the charcoal only on one side of a charcoal grill.

Place the goat roast on the grill over the unlit burners. Grill it for roughly 1 hour before basting the goat with basting sauce.

Continue basting it every 20 minutes for another 60 to 90 minutes, until the goat is tender and an instant-read thermometer reads 155 F when it's inserted in the meatiest part.