Goat’s milk is used widely in local cheeses. But this simple dish from Stelios Trilirakis of Dounias restaurant represents a traditional Cretan preparation of the meat, slow-roasted for hours in a clay pot over a wood-fired oven. You can achieve equally tender meat and crisp edges using a heavy, covered pot.
Welcome to the land of lost cheeses, where a band of shepherds and farmers resist industrialization
What You Will Need
Roasted Goat with Potatoes and Onion
This slow-roasted Cretan goat dish is traditionally made in a clay vessel on a wood-fired oven, but a heavy pot or Dutch oven will work just as well.
Yield: serves 4-6
Time:
3 hours, 35 minutes
Ingredients
- 3 1⁄2 lb. bone-in goat leg and ribs, cut into large (3-inch) pieces by a butcher
- 1 1⁄4 tsp. kosher salt, or more as needed
- 1⁄4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
- 1⁄2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 2 3⁄4 lb. russet potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks
- 1⁄2 large onion (7 oz.), thinly sliced (2 cups)
- 5 garlic cloves, peeled
- 2-3 tbsp. chopped sage leaves
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°. Season the goat all over with 1 teaspoon kosher salt and the black pepper. Transfer to a large (6-quart) Dutch oven or heavy pot with a lid. Add the olive oil and toss to coat.
- Roast, covered, for 1 hour. Stir, then continue cooking uncovered for 1 hour more, stirring once halfway through. Stir in the potatoes, onion, garlic, and the remaining ¼ teaspoon salt. Roast uncovered, stirring every 30 minutes, until the goat is tender and well browned and the potatoes are soft, about 1½ hours more.
- Stir to coat the ingredients with the juices. Sprinkle with the sage and more salt or pepper to taste. Serve.