Fine Dining Chefs Celebrate Goatober
Days are getting shorter, the leaves are ablaze, and it’s all pumpkin this, and mulled cider that, and goat prepared three ways. That’s right, folks. It’s Goatober! October is hands-down the best time of year for goat meat fanciers to access fresh chevon. Stewed, curried, baked, braised, skewered and grilled, stuffed into sausage, or jerky-fied, goat is the meat to be savored this season.
Chefs across the country are prepping goat in ways you haven’t dreamed of… yet. It’s high time to sit down with a nice hearty pile of goat chops, or goat tacos, or goat gyoza. (You’ll be sure to thank us later.)
Here are Heritage Radio Network’s picks for top chefs celebrating Goatober.
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Chef Matt Rudofker | Momofuku Ssäm Bar, New York, NY
Heralded for their inventive, ever-changing menu, Momofuku Ssäm Bar has never shied away from charcuterie, highlighting off-cuts during dinner service and offering a whole rotisserie duck to lunch-goers. On November 3, Momofuku Ssäm Bar presents their own special tribute to the good work of Heritage Foods USA’s Goatober campaign. The Goats du Rhône Wine Dinner is billed as “an intimate 5-course menu, highlighting in each course the under-rated and sustainable heritage goat.” Each of Chef Rudofker’s delectable dishes will be expertly paired with a selection of Rhône Valley wines curated by Momofuku’s beverage director Jordan Salcito, and Lyle Railsback of Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to Heritage Radio Network.
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Chef Ryan Caldwell | The Fat Radish, New York, NY
The Fat Radish offers a distinct take on farm-to-table. Yes, the food is local. But the restaurant team puts extra love into meticulously sourcing heritage produce, and in highlighting the innate flavors with their contemporary British approach. Chef Caldwell’s modern twist on meat and potatoes pairs Jamaican goat curry with crispy smashed fingerlings, adorned with spicy pickled green beans and creme fraiche.
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Chef Jonah Miller | Huertas, New York, NY
Basque-inspired cuisine is at the heart of Huertas, and diners wishing to be transported to Spain in a mouthful won’t be disappointed. Neither will Goatober fans. Huertas’ menu evolves with the season. This fall, Chef Miller features a daily cut of goat in his take on a traditional pepper-studded stew, Chivo al Chilindrón. Wanting to start smaller? Try a goat croqueta. Featured as a pintxo, or Basque small bite, the croqueta could be the perfect introductory morsel.
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Chef Ryan Denicola | Chi Spacca, Los Angeles, CA
The fruition of culinary superstars Mario Batali, Joe Bastianich, and Nancy Silverton, Chi Spacca was named in Bon Appetit’s 2015 list of the Top 50 New Restaurants. Of course, any restaurant given the moniker of “meat speakeasy” by Food & Wine Magazine, would do well to have goat on their menu. Chef Denicola’s Macelleria lists a goat sausage and rib chop, served with lentils and jus. Mangia!
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Chef Carmen Quagliata | Union Square Cafe, New York, NY
Union Square Cafe is inspired by the changing tide of local ingredients available at the Greenmarket—and it shows. Chef Quagliata’s creative menu pulls heavily from the surrounding foodshed, while giving a gracious nod to his southern Italian and Californian roots. How does he recommend goat? In a gyro, drizzled with tzatziki and hot sauce. Try it with a side of home fries for lunch at Union Square.
For more on why no goat should be left behind this October, tune into Episode 263 of The Farm Report in which host Erin Fairbanks chats with goat farmer Mark Baustian to learn more about the farmers behind Goatober.
