Tired of the same-old familiar meats at the dinner table? If you’re looking for something a little out of the ordinary—at least, for most North Americans—think beyond beef, chicken, pork, and seafood. There’s delicious and succulent lamb, of course, but how about goat? Goat may be a rarity in most North American households, but in other parts of the world—West Africa and the Caribbean, in particular—it’s far more popular. In fact, according to the Michigan State University Extension, goat is the world’s most popular meat, consumed by 75% of the global population. And considering its nutrient profile, it might be worth adding goat to your culinary repertoire.

The increasing popularity of goat milk and artisan goat cheese (including among those with sensitivities to cow dairy, but who find they tolerate goat well) means that there’s a surplus of male goats, who are not needed for dairying, as well as females who exceed a farmer’s milking capacity. Expanding the domestic market for goat meat is a way to help farmers realize value from their products. Much goat meat in North America is imported, but domestic production has increased by 350% in the last twenty years.

Goat is also a nice alternative for people looking to buy more of their food from small scale local farmers and “opt out” of the concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) that produce much of the beef, pork, and chicken in the U.S. Since goat doesn’t share the popularity of these other meats, it’s unlikely that you’ll come across “mass produced” goat. Chances are better that a farmer not too far away lets his or her goats wander through grassy pastures and perhaps supplements with grain-based rations.

Goat is pretty impressive, nutritionally speaking. Its nutrient composition is similar to that of grassfed beef, but it’s very lean. It’s packed with vitamins and minerals and has a good fatty acid profile. Goat is high in thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, and B12, and it’s a good source of iron, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, copper, and selenium. Not bad for an animal known more for its milk and the cheese made from it. Goat fat is predominantly monounsaturated, with saturated a close second, and small amounts of polyunsaturated fats. (Just as in pork, the predominant individual fatty acid in goat is oleic acid, the one believed to underlie olive oil’s celebrated health benefits.) As for the omega-6 to omega-3 ratio, the fatty acid composition of any animal fat will depend on the animal’s diet. In general, though, goat is low in total polyunsaturated fat.  Goat has more than six times as much n-6 as n-3, but considering the low total amount, this is not a cause for concern. (Plus, vegetable and seed oils contain far more n-6 than just about any animal fat.) 

Goat may be too gamey for some people’s palates, but others might enjoy its earthy and unique flavor. Many recipes mask the flavor via hot peppers and other spices that highlight the cooking of the aforementioned regions where goat is popular. (For example, this curry goat dish calls for scotch bonnet pepper, allspice and curry powder.) Coconut milk is another common paring with goat, such as in this curry. Because goat is so lean, it can be tough when cooked using certain methods so it lends itself to stews and other slow-cooked dishes. Goat can be substituted in many recipes that call for lamb, including those that use the chops, a whole leg, or a shoulder. Still, stew meat is probably the most popular and features in many recipes that showcase spices and aromatics.

If you’re up for trying this underappreciated meat, look for it at a local farm or visit an Asian, Caribbean, Middle Eastern or African market in your area. These stores are more likely than the big supermarkets to carry goat.