Roasted Goat Leg

Servings

5-6

Prep

20 min

Cook

2 hr 30 min

Ingredients

  • 1 ‏whole bone-in goat leg, about 5 pounds (2.2 kg and above)
  • 1 bulb ‏garlic, minced
  • 3-4 ‏small anchovies, finely chopped
  • 1 tablespoon ‏chili flakes (hotter is better)
  • 2 tablespoons ‏salt
  • 1/4 cup ‏brown sugar (or honey)
  • 1 tablespoon ‏cumin powder
  • 1/4 cup ‏mustard (or olive) oil
  • 1/4 cup ‏whisky
  • 1/2 cup ‏cumin seeds, roasted
  • 6-10 ‏basil leaves, chopped
  • 2 ‏lemons, halved and squeezed
  • 3-4 ‏rosemary sprigs

Roasting a leg of goat (or lamb) is quite easy, and most importantly, it’s an exciting project that ends up with something  ridiculously delicious. Also, let’s be honest — roasting turkeys for big gatherings is pretty monotonous.

Getting a fine goat leg is important. If you have a butcher, ask him to give you a fresh baby goat leg (generally weights between 3-4 pounds) or a leg of lamb. You can also order these from your local farms that raise sheep and goats.

Directions

A day before the roast, combine the minced garlic, chopped basil leaves, anchovies, chili flakes, salt, brown sugar (or honey), cumin powder, mustard oil (you can use olive oil) and whisky in a mixing bowl, and then squeeze lemon juice into it. Divide the mix into two halves — one to marinade and the other to use as rub during roasting.

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Use a paring knife to make slits on the goat leg on both sides (about 4-inches apart, so maybe 14-18 in total) and rub the marinade on the leg using your hands, making sure it reaches every part of the meat. Push some of the mix into the slits you’ve made — this will make sure the flavor of the marinade seeps into the meat.Take the roasted cumin seeds in your palm and pat the goat leg to make sure the seeds stick throughout the leg. Place the leg in a large roasting pan, cover a baking sheet or  foil to cover it, and refrigerate overnight.

The following day, take the leg out of the refrigerator a couple hours before you plan to start roasting. Preheat the oven to 250 degrees. Unwrap the foil and place rosemary sprigs under and around the goat leg. Then creating a sort of a loose tent, cover the roasting pan with foil again and place it inside the oven.

Roast the meat for about an hour and a half before taking it out of the oven. Raise the temperature to 325 degrees and remove the foil from the roasting pan. Mix a few drops of hot water in the other half of the marinade you made the day before, and rub it on the meat using a brush. Roast for another hour or so, until the meat starts turning brown and crispy on the outside — and reaches an internal temperature of 145 degrees.

Rest the tray for about 10 minutes before cutting it, and serve with a tomato-papaya chutney, and some vegetables and potatoes.

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