We're big on self-sufficiency at our house, and we like to know where our meat is coming from.  So when we have the opportunity to raise our own meat, we jump at the chance.  I had been hearing about how goat is the best meat, how it is the beef you always wished you had, so this year, we made a point of finding out for ourselves.

Now, I know, goats are cute.  I have had goats for years, but never a goat I planned to eat.  This year, however, we ended up with an extra one and decided to see what all the fuss was about.  I have butchered small animals before, but never a goat.  As far as they go, this one was small, being a miniature breed, but still larger than anything I'd dealt with before.While there was not as much meat as I expected, there was enough for a few meals, and some for the dogs.  For our first meal, we pan-seared the backstrap with some simple spices.  Oh.  My.  Word.  Unbelievable.  That's all I can say.  He was grass fed and had never eaten grain to my knowledge.  That first meal of goat was probably the most delicious meat I have ever tasted.

For the second meal, we cooked up a roast just like we would a beef roast in the crock pot.  Equally delicious!  I am just amazed that goat hasn't caught on with the rest of the country.  We are completely sold on the idea of raising goats for meat, so we will be keeping all of our males born next year for butcher in the fall.  It is healthy, costs virtually nothing, and the taste is amazing.