A Spring Feast: Curry Goat, Jamaican Rice and Peas, Cornbread, and Plantains

My #1 favorite chef hails from a family of the coolest Jamaican American cooks, spends the cold months of each year in Jamaica, and is a spice wizard. He can be a jerk (chicken, tehehe) at times, but he is oh so cool and he's forgiven as long as he lets me watch him and help out in the kitchen :)

He returned to the States for Spring and in the same spirit as my warm Brazilian welcome, we welcomed him back and celebrated St. Patty's with a huge meal. He's taught me enough that I felt comfortable putting together dishes for him and a few guests--it got a stamp of approval. #winning #protege

I love goat meat. It is the best. So much yumminess. *sigh* Punjab Groceries and Halal Meat is my Baltimore spot for fresh goat meat, cheap but quality spices, coconut oil, and other random goodies. The staff is super friendly, it's really close to my apartment, and its dirt cheap. I'd become used to Whole Foods' outrageous prices and was pleasantly surprised. It's an East Asian market and they have a wide range of interesting things--I love browsing the shelves. The goat meat is the freshest I've come across in a while--it's really impressive and very reasonably priced. The spices and herbs are also priced incredibly well. They restock on Mondays, so I try to hit them up on Tuesday. Baltimore has secrets and I'm uncovering them :)

Recipes below. Curry Goat, like many other stews, tastes best a day or two after its prepared. Also like other stews, this needs to simmer for a couple of hours. Total cooking time is about 3 hours. These recipes fed 7; 3 guys, 3 girls, and a 4 year old.

Curry Goat

Ingredients
1/4 cup Vegetable Oil
8-10 Tbsp Curry Powder
1 Tbsp Allspice (Forego if you're using Jamaican Curry Powder)
3 pounds goat (Use lamb or beef if you can't find goat...I feel bad for you though)
2 Onions, chopped
2 Habanero or Scotch bonnet peppers, seeded and chopped (use 1 if you're heat sensitive)
2-inch piece of Ginger, peeled and minced
1 head of Garlic, peeled and chopped
2 cans Coconut Milk
1 15-ounce Crushed Tomatoes
1 Tbsp dried Thyme
3 cups water
5 Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks

Salt, to taste

Method
Make the curry powder. If you can find Jamaican curry powder, use it. If not, use regular Curry Powder and add the Allspice (I used a 6:1 ratio). I had to use this method because the East Asian market I frequent only had regular curry powder. You will need at least 6 tablespoons of spices for this stew, you can kick it up to 8-9 depending on how spicy you like things.

Cut the meat into large chunks, roughly 2-3 inches across. I got rid of the bones because I like things a bit neater. Salt everything well and set aside to come to room temperature, for about 30 minutes.

Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Mix in 2 tablespoons of curry powder and heat until fragrant. You've just made your own curry oil! So simple.

Pat the meat dry and brown well in the curried oil. Do this in batches and don’t overcrowd the pot. It will take a while, maybe 30 minutes or so. Set the browned meat aside in a bowl

Add the onions and habanero to the pot and sauté, stirring from time to time, until the onions just start to brown, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle a bit of salt over them as they cook. Add the ginger and garlic, mix well and sauté for another 1-2 minutes.

Put the meat back into the pot, along with any juices left in the bowl. Mix well. Pour in the coconut milk, tomatoes, and 6 tablespoons of curry powder. Stir to combine. Add the water and thyme. Bring to a simmer and let cook until the meat is falling-apart tender, at least 2 hours. Longer if you have a mature goat.

Once the meat is close to being done – tender but not falling apart yet – add the potatoes. The stew is done when the potatoes are. Taste for salt.

You may need to skim off the layer of fat at the top of the curry before serving. Do this with a large, shallow spoon, gently skimming the surface. Also, be sure to remove any bones before you serve the curry.

Serve with Jamaican Rice and Peas. That recipe below.

Jamaican Rice and Peas

Ingredients
2 Tbsp Vegetable Oil
1/2 Yellow Onion, chopped
4 Garlic Cloves, chopped
2 Cups Long-Grain, Brown Rice
1 teaspoon Salt
1 teaspoon fresh grated Ginger
1 Cup Water
1 Cup Chicken Broth (Vegetable Broth for vegetarian option)
2 Cups Coconut Milk
1 15-ounce can Pigeon Peas or Kidney Beans, rinsed and drained
2 teaspoons dried Thyme
1 whole Scotch Bonnet pepper (can substitute a whole habanero)
1 Lime, juiced (optional)

Method
Heat the oil in a medium pot over medium-high heat. Add the onions and sauté for 4-5 minutes, until they begin to brown on the edges. Add the garlic and rice, stir well and cook for another 2-3 minutes, stirring often.

Add the grated ginger, salt, water, stock and coconut milk and stir well. Add the kidney beans and sprinkle the thyme over everything. Add the whole Scotch Bonnet chile (or habanero); it will season the rice much like a bay leaf would. It won't make the rice spicy, but will provide a nice flavor. Bring to a simmer, then turn the heat to low and cover.

The rice should be done in about 20-25 minutes, depending on the type of rice you are using. Check the rice's package for cooking time and try not to remove the lid until you're sure its finished. Once done, remove from heat, cover, and let cool for 10 minutes. To serve, fluff with a fork. Sprinkle with a little lime juice. 

Greens

Ingredients

2 lbs fresh Callaloo, Collard Greens, Kale, or Mustard Greens
1/4 c. Water
1-1/2 tablespoons Olive Oil
1 cup Onion, finely chopped
1 small Jalapeno Pepper, stemmed, seeded, and finely chopped
1/8 teaspoon ground Allspice
1/4 teaspoon Salt
2 teaspoons Lime Juice
freshly ground Black Pepper, to taste

Method
Wash the greens well in several changes of water. Remove the thick rib from the center of the leaves; chop coarsely.

Put the greens with 1/4 cup water into a large pot. Place over medium heat, cover and cook until wilted, about 10 minutes. Stir often. Drain.

Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and jalapeno; sauté 5 minutes. Stir in the greens, allspice, salt and pepper; sauté 5 minutes.

Stir in lime juice and serve.

Cornbread

Ingredients

2 1/2 C Flour
1 C Corn Meal
1 C Sugar
6 tsp. Baking Powder
2/3 tsp Salt
2 sticks unsalted Butter, melted
2 Eggs
2 C Condensed Milk

Method
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

Mix dry ingredients. Beat eggs and add milk & melted butter. Add to dry ingredients. Beat until well blended.

Fill 24 standard muffin cups, each cup should be a bit over half-full. Be sure to use cupcake liners for easy removal! Cook for about 25 minutes.

The cornbread peaks should be a nice golden brown. Remove from oven and glaze with butter, an optional but yummy step! Cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Plantains

Ingredients 
4 ripe plantains
2 tsp salt
1 tsp garlic powder 

1 tsp ground, black pepper
1 tsp cumin
1 paprika
1 tsp cinnamon
2 tbsp coconut oil

Method
Peel plantains and slice them the long way, on an angle, into ¼ to ½ inch slices.

Mix dry seasonings in a small bowl and sprinkle over plantain slices.

Heat the coconut oil in a saute pan over medium heat. Place single layer of plantains slices into oil and let cook for 2 minutes or until lightly browned. Flip plantains slices over and let brown for an additional 2 minutes.

Remove slices from heat and cool on a plate lined with paper-towels for a few minutes. Serve immediately, while warm.