This past Sunday, I hosted my first Greek Supper Club since returning from my Greek vacation this past summer. I went to the island of Kefalonia (2nd time) and for the first time I visited Ithaca. When I travel, my memories include dining experiences and I try to eat local as much as possible.
One of the dishes that was a standout for me was Goat Kokkinisto (meaning reddened). There are many dishes in Greek cuisine that are cooked in a tomato-based sauce and the protein varies according to local tradition and what’s available. On the Ionian Islands, local lamb and goat is of high quality and consumed a lot by locals.
When cooking with lamb or goat, it’s important you source quality meat and the younger it is, the less gamey and the quicker it will cook. Cooking times may/will vary. If you’re cooking for guests, make this dish the day before and reheat. Braised dishes like this are always better the next day.
Goat Kokkinisto
Course: Featured4
servings30
minutes3
hoursIngredients
approx 4lbs. young goat meat (bone in)
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 cups diced onion
3 cloves of garlic, minced
2 Tbsp. tomato paste
2 cups tomato sauce
1 cup red wine
3 bay leaves
5-6 whole allspice
1 stick of cinnamon (2 inch)
sea salt and ground pepper
Directions
- Place a large pot (oven safe if possible) on your stovetop and bring up to medium-high heat. Pat-dry your goat meat, season with salt and pepper. Add 3 Tbsp. oil and brown your meat in batches. Remove meat and set aside.
- Into the same pot, add your remaining oil and add your onions and garlic and sweat for 6-7 minutes over medium heat.
- Add the remaining ingredients and bring up to a boil. If your pot is oven safe and large enough to contain the goat meat, then add goat. Cover and cook on your stovetop 90 minutes on medium low. Otherwise carefully transfer the contents into roasting pan along with the reserved goat (the liquid should come up to the side of the meat. If needed add some hot water. Cover with parchment and foil and place in a preheated 350F oven for two hours or until meat is fork tender (almost fall off bone).
- If sauce needs to be thickened, carefully removed meat and reduce sauce. Add meat back into sauce, take off the heat and wait 15 minutes before serving.
- Serve with boiled pasta (I like linguine or bucantini) along with lots of grated Kefalotyri cheese
Notes
- Goat meat: Ask your butcher to cut up a goat leg into portions. You should get about 6 portions.
