The Terminal Brewhouse serves a bison dish called the "Buffaloaf," which is topped with a white balsamic glaze.Meat-goat industry in United States growingGoat meat is the most popular red meat in the world, but not so much in America.Why?Dr. David Gilliam, co-owner of Gilliam Boer Goat Farms in Walland, Tenn. (located in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains), says it's a societal issue. However, it's an industry that's changing in America."I see the meat goat industry as a rapidly growing part of the U.S. agricultural industry," says Gilliam. "As a country, we import 70 percent of the goat meat consumed in the U.S., but most of the imported meat is inferior to the U.S. domestic product. Goat meat produced in the U.S. is far superior in quality to that imported from foreign countries. Our business is to provide breeding stock that yields high market weights and tasty table fare for the commercial producers. To achieve that goal we select for high weaning weights and desirable meat qualities in our herd."Q. Why are Americans reluctant to dine on goat?A. The reason that goat meat fell out of favor is an enigma. I believe it has more to do with societal issues than anything else. Our country grew in prosperity and largesse. The fattened cow and the hog became a symbol of wealth. That economic prosperity led to eating meat that is far more damaging to our coronary arteries and health than goat meat. The thrifty goat choked on the dust of our country's economic success. To eat goat implied a lack of wealth. It is still a common saying that 'a goat is a poor man's cow.'The tide is beginning to turn. Wise farmers now see that a herd of goats is far more economical per acre than cattle. The breeding cycle, number of offspring and stocking rate gives an advantage to the goat over the cow. It may surprise many that goats fetch more per pound than cattle at livestock auctions. It is the new growth industry in livestock.Q. What is it about goat that tastes good?A. Just like much of everything else, food had become homogenized. It is very much plain vanilla; nothing special, nothing distinctive and nothing memorable. Goat meat when well-prepared has a pure quality that is full of flavor with a depth that is lacking in beef and pork. The flavor is not in the fat, since there is little, but it is in the meat. A young goat slow cooked is nothing less than a true gastronomic feast.Q. Is there a particular type of goat that's best for consumption?A. There are many goats in our region, but true meat goats are not common. It was revealing how many people I have met that have had a goat or two in their lifetime, but the goats were primarily dairy stock. True meat goats, with the South African Boer Goat being the prime example, are an entirely different being. A meat goat produces meat that is lean, tender at a young age and is flavorful. Goat is not 'gamey' as one might describe deer. The best thing about goat meat is that it is an honest, full-flavored meat that stands up well to spicy sauces but yet yields itself to delicate presentations.- By staff writer Karen Nazor Hill
WHERE TO BUYGoat and bison are available in some local restaurants, grocery stores and markets. Here are a few.Grocery stores• Pruett's Market, 1210 Taft Highway, Signal Mountain, 423-886-2044 (bison)• Whole Foods Market, 301 Manufacturers Road, 423-702-7300 (bison)• Carniceria Loa, 1500 Broad St., 423-634-0565 (goat)• The Fresh Market, 2288 Gunbarrel Road, 423-499-4223 (bison)• Publix, 400 N. Market St., 423-755-7901, 5928 Hixson Pike, Hixson, 847-8461 (bison)Restaurants• 212 Market Restaurant, 212 Market St., 423-265-1212 (bison)• Terminal Brew-house, 6 E. 14th St. 423-752-8090 (bison)• India Mahal Restaurant, 5970 Brainerd Road, 423-510-9651 (goat)• La Altena, 314 W. Main St., 423-266-7595 (goat)• Sitar, 200 Market, St., 423-894-9696 (goat)Markets• Chattanooga Market, 1829 Carter St., 423-648-2496 (goat and/or bison)• Ooltewah Farmers Market, 5829 Main St., Ooltewah, 423-238-9775 (goat and/or bison)• Brainerd Farmers Market, 20 Belvoir Ave., 423-243-3250 (goat and/or bison)• Battlefield Farmers Market, 10052 N. Highway 27, Rock Spring, Ga., 706-638-7366 (goat and/or bison)
What's for dinner tonight? Beef? Chicken? Pork? Bison? Goat?
Bison? Goat?
Bison is nutritious, lower in fat than beef, lower in cholesterol than chicken and available in several local restaurants and grocery stores. Goat, meanwhile, is the most popular red meat in the world, eaten by more than 70 percent of the world's population and found locally in Latin American and Indian restaurants and also at various farmer's markets.
Alan Wilkes, manager of the Terminal Brewhouse in downtown Chattanooga, says bison (technically, that's the proper name for the North American animal, although buffalo is pretty much interchangeable) is a popular item on his menu.
"We have had a bison burger on the menu since we opened," he says. "On occasion, we have bison chili and we have had bison meatballs as a special."
Still, for many American carnivores, bison is about as far off the meat grid as they're willing to go. But around the world, meats such as goat, rabbit, ostrich, llama and even horse are part of the diet. In the Chattanooga area, you can find bison, goat, rabbit, pheasant and several other unusual meats in groceries, restaurants and food trucks.
In the United States, such meats often elicit statements of "Yuck!" or "Gross!" but that's simply food bias, says Dianne Adams-Koehler who, along with husband Mel, owns Mahada Farms in Chickamauga, Ga.
"Look at the true background and history of the U.S. and you will see learned predjudices against many food types," she says. "Even lamb has had little exposure in the southern U.S. but is most popular in the northern regions."
On their farm, they mostly raise and sell rabbit, lamb and occasionally goat. And there may be no bigger food prejudice in the States than goat. While Americans commonly eat goat cheese and sometimes drink goat milk, they often turn up their nose at the meat. But worldwide, goat predates biblical times as a food source, Adams-Koehler points out.
Renee Thomas, of Ooltewah, likes trying different meats, including goat. Her favorite is cabrito, or roasted kid goat, a favorite in Mexico.
"I would eat cabrito anytime," says Thomas, 64, a retired nurse. "I have eaten cabrito at Mexican restaurants in Mexico, Texas and at people's homes. My late husband was the supervisor of a large manufacturing facility in California. He had 300 people working for him and most of them were Mexican. We were constantly invited to christenings, birthdays, quinceaneras, etc. They served goat a lot."
She's also a fan of bison, particularly bison burger. "It's textured -- a bit like beef but firmer."
She's given emu a shot, but didn't like it. "It's too dry unless you use plenty of mayo on it," she says.
As with most meats foreign to the palate, grinding it and making it burger style, such as with goat, lamb or bison, is an easy way to experience a new taste, Adams-Koehler says.
"With the Internet, we can now surf for an incredible number of recipes and compatible herbs and spices at our fingertips, and be as basic or as festive and fancy as our heart's desire," she says.
Susan Moses, chef at 212 Market Restaurant in downtown Chattanooga, notes that goat is growing in popularity, but says her restaurant "has not done much with it yet."
Bison is another matter.
"Customers love bison, and we have served in a myriad of ways. Just don't overcook it, or it can become tough. It's lower in fat and healthier than beef, has a wonderful flavor and a shorter carbon footprint," says Moses. "We have had some customers who only eat bison when it comes to red meat."
Right now, 212 Market has a bison spring roll served with chili dipping sauce and house-made kimchee and a bison ribeye on the menu, she says.
"We change our menu daily for specials, and seasonally as well, but it is hard to take these two off the regular menu because of their popularity."
Moses, who has cooked as a guest chef at the James Beard House in New York, thinks out of the box when it comes to cooking.
"We have served emu, kangaroo, rabbit, snails, ostrich, mainly for wine dinners where we tried to pair the Aussie wine with Aussie ingredients, for instance. The French love their rabbits and snails, etc.
We now have some local rabbit farms which we are looking into. (Rabbits) are so delicious, though some of our customers are a little squeamish still, having had a pet rabbit, possibly."
Over at the Terminal Brewhouse, they're grinding up bison and putting it into a "Buffaloaf."
"It takes its cue from meat loaf," Wilkes says. "We add peppers, onions, mushrooms and potatoes to the meat as well as spices and the white balsamic glaze (as opposed to a traditional tomato based finish or gravy). ... Right before sending it out, we hit it with a generous fresh portion of the white balsamic glaze. It has a bit of a kick to it.
"For people familiar with bison, it is a very easy sell. Most people have either had it or are aware of it. It's very filling and heavy," he says.
Ann Jackson of Soddy-Daisy says her family's menu isn't limited to chicken, beef and pork.
"I was raised on rabbit, goat, squirrel, deer and turtle," she says. "Poor man's food is trendy now. We also had frog legs and quail, which I still eat because I get these at restaurants.
"We had bear meat a few years ago when they opened black bear season again. My uncle smoked it with squirrel and deer meat," she recalls.
"They would also fry the eggs from fish when they did a fish fry, calling it caviar," she says, noting that her grandmother was also fond of cooking turtle soup.
"It tastes like beef."
For her own tastes, 212 Market's Moses says she's a fan of most meats.
"My grandfather always had a squirrel in his refrigerator and we'd eat squirrel growing up," she says. "We have not served squirrel here at 212 yet."
Contact Karen Nazor Hill at khill@timesfree press.com or 423-757-6396.