Ingredients
1/4 cup vegetable or coconut oil- 6 Tbsp Jamaican curry powder (if you are not using Jamaican curry, add 1 Tbsp of allspice to the curry)
- 3-4 pounds goat (can use lamb or beef if you can’t find goat)
- Salt
- 2 onions, chopped
- 1-2 habanero or Scotch bonnet peppers, seeded and chopped (optional)
- A 2-inch piece of ginger, peeled and minced
- 1 head of garlic, peeled and chopped
- 2 cans coconut milk
- 1 15-ounce can of tomato sauce or crushed tomatoes
- 1 Tbsp dried thyme
- 3-4 cups water
- 5 Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
Cut the meat into large chunks, maybe 1-2 inches across. Leave the bones in. Salt everything well and set aside to come to room temperature – about 30 minutes.
Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Mix in 2 tablespoons of the curry powder and heat until fragrant.
Pat the meat dry and brown well in the curried oil. Do this in batches and don’t overcrowd the pot. It will take about 30 minutes or so. Set the browned meat aside in a bowl. If you have bones, add them and brown them, too.
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 some salt over them as they cook. Add the ginger and garlic, mix well and sauté for another 1-2 minutes.
Put the meat (and bones, if using) back into the pot, along with any juices left in the bowl. Mix well. Pour in the coconut milk and tomatoes and remaining curry powder. Stir to combine. Add 3 cups of water. Add the thyme. Bring to a simmer and let it cook until the meat is falling-apart tender, which will take 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 and mix in. The stew is done when the potatoes are. Taste for salt and add some if it needs it.
Depedning on how fatty the goat was, you might need to skim off the layer of fat at the top of the curry before serving. Do this with a large, shallow spoon, skimming into a bowl. Also, be sure to remove any bones before you serve the curry.
Serve with rice.
The goat curry is better the day after, or even several days after, the day you make it. Lasts up to a week in the fridge. Feeds 8 to 12 people, usually less because it’s that good.
