Thread: Getting back to living off the land.....

We had goat shanks in the crock pot the other night. Unbelievably good!

Originally Posted by MB

We had goat shanks in the crock pot the other night. Unbelievably good!

I'm about to upload a short video of a slow cooked leg off a billy that was at least 5-years old! After 3-hours in the crockpot it was super tender and when we tried it there was no gamey taste. I've been a butcher since I was 16 (58 now!) and I would never have thought that would be the case! It just goes to show how much of the "all billy goats are stinky/gamey is a load of tosh.

Having said that; it wasn't rutting; so had no "goaty" smell. also; when I skin them I always have 2 buckets of water beside me; 1 soapy and 1 fresh. I ALWAYS frequently wash hands when skinning them; especially my left hand that touches the skin and meat. It minimises the chances of transferring hair, dirt, smell to the meat

Originally Posted by bumblefoot

I'm about to upload a short video of a slow cooked leg off a billy that was at least 5-years old! After 3-hours in the crockpot it was super tender and when we tried it there was no gamey taste. I've been a butcher since I was 16 (58 now!) and I would never have thought that would be the case! It just goes to show how much of the "all billy goats are stinky/gamey is a load of tosh.

Having said that; it wasn't rutting; so had no "goaty" smell. also; when I skin them I always have 2 buckets of water beside me; 1 soapy and 1 fresh. I ALWAYS frequently wash hands when skinning them; especially my left hand that touches the skin and meat. It minimises the chances of transferring hair, dirt, smell to the meat

and make sure its cold water for washing, otherwise your skin pores open and the stink gets in. also a cold shower before the warm one

Originally Posted by bumblefoot

I'm about to upload a short video of a slow cooked leg off a billy that was at least 5-years old! After 3-hours in the crockpot it was super tender and when we tried it there was no gamey taste. I've been a butcher since I was 16 (58 now!) and I would never have thought that would be the case! It just goes to show how much of the "all billy goats are stinky/gamey is a load of tosh.

Having said that; it wasn't rutting; so had no "goaty" smell. also; when I skin them I always have 2 buckets of water beside me; 1 soapy and 1 fresh. I ALWAYS frequently wash hands when skinning them; especially my left hand that touches the skin and meat. It minimises the chances of transferring hair, dirt, smell to the meat

and make sure its cold water for washing, otherwise your skin pores open and the stink gets in. also a cold shower before the warm one

Originally Posted by bumblefoot

I'm about to upload a short video of a slow cooked leg off a billy that was at least 5-years old! After 3-hours in the crockpot it was super tender and when we tried it there was no gamey taste. I've been a butcher since I was 16 (58 now!) and I would never have thought that would be the case! It just goes to show how much of the "all billy goats are stinky/gamey is a load of tosh.

Having said that; it wasn't rutting; so had no "goaty" smell. also; when I skin them I always have 2 buckets of water beside me; 1 soapy and 1 fresh. I ALWAYS frequently wash hands when skinning them; especially my left hand that touches the skin and meat. It minimises the chances of transferring hair, dirt, smell to the meat

I do a fair bit of goat shooting for meat in Taranaki. Billy's around October seem to be a couple of months past the rutting season and getting some condition back from spring growth. Last one my mate shot and ate was around 3 years and a big goat. I read somewhere ages ago that the very first thing you do after shooting it is whip its balls off with a sharp knife. Like, completely remove them. Even if you do nothing else before you get to field dress it. I've always followed that advice and had some great eating. This 3 yr old was fat and my mates first. He took it home and dined off it for weeks. Raved about it. Slightly gamey but entirely acceptable. For me I don't bother with the older ones, bigger horn spreads. But "spikers" I'm very happy to take for meat. They are however capable of breeding I think from around 8 mths. And their nuts are well developed by that stage. So get them off as fast as you can lol

I eat the drakes that I breed and they are lovely. The Buff Orpington ducks I raise are a dual purpose breed. They're not the heaviest meat breed or best layers, but are good meat and good layers. Re the salmonella in eggs: I think it's a bit overstated. Collecting them every day is a key and also rinsing them straight away as the dirty little duckers drop them anywhere. That's why the hawks find them easy to spot.