Slow-braised goat stew is a dish reserved for celebrations — weddings, homecomings, Christmas Day. The bones do the heavy lifting here: cooked low and long, they enrich the sauce with a depth that beef simply cannot match. Pair with sadza and greens and you have a meal that says “we care you’re here”.
Serves 4 to 6
Ingredients
- 1.5 kg Goat Meat (Bone-In)
- 2 large onions, thickly sliced
- 4 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 thumb-sized piece of ginger, grated
- 3 large tomatoes, chopped (or 1 tin chopped tomatoes)
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 tsp curry powder or masala
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp paprika
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 litre beef or chicken stock (or water)
- 3 tbsp cooking oil
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Fresh coriander, to finish
Method
- Season the goat with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a heavy pot and brown the meat well on all sides in batches. This is the most important step — don’t rush it.
- Remove the meat. Sauté the onions in the same pot until soft and starting to caramelise, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger and cook for another minute.
- Stir in the curry powder, cumin and paprika and toast the spices for 30 seconds until fragrant. Add the tomatoes and tomato paste and cook until the mixture is thick and jammy.
- Return the goat to the pot along with the bay leaves. Pour in the stock — it should just cover the meat. Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook on the lowest possible heat for 2.5 to 3 hours. The meat should be falling off the bone.
- If the sauce is too thin at the end, remove the lid and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes to reduce. Taste and adjust salt.
- Scatter with coriander and serve.
To serve
Traditional pairing: sadza and covo (collard greens), with extra sauce spooned over both. Also excellent with rice or fresh bread to mop up the gravy.
Shop the meat: Goat Meat (Bone-In)