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Dominican chivo guisado
Chivo guisado picante: Montecristi-style spicy goat stew, Dominican Republic
In Montecristi in the far north-west of the Dominican Republic, goats graze on wild oregano, and cooks say you can taste it in the meat; their chivo guisado is famous across the country. Bone-in goat is washed with lime, marinated overnight with oregano and garlic, browned in sugar-caramelised oil, then stewed slowly with peppers, tomato and hot chilli until it falls from the bone in a dark, spicy sauce. It is eaten with chenchén or white rice. The common mistake is rushing it: goat needs a long, gentle braise and stays chewy until it is ready. Chef's tip: caramelise a spoonful of sugar in the oil until it smokes slightly before adding the meat, the Dominican way to give the stew its deep colour.
- Total time
- 150 min
- Difficulty
- hard
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the marinade
- 3 ⅓ lb goat meat on the bonecut into 5 cm pieces
- 2 limesjuiced
- 6 cloves garliccrushed
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 2 tsp salt
For the stew
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 onionchopped
- 1 red pepperchopped
- 1 scotch bonnet chillifinely chopped, seeds out for less heat
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 tomatoeschopped
- 3 ¼ cups waterhot
- 3 tbsp fresh corianderchopped
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Rinse 3 ⅓ lb goat meat on the bone, toss with the juice of 2 limes and leave for 5 minutes, then drain. Rub with 6 cloves garlic, 2 tsp dried oregano and 2 tsp salt, cover and marinate in the fridge for at least 4 hours, ideally overnight.
Step 2: Heat 3 tbsp vegetable oil in a heavy pot over a medium-high heat. Add 1 tbsp sugar and leave it until it melts and turns dark brown and just starts to smoke, about 2 minutes.
2 minStep 3: Carefully add the goat (it will spit) and turn it for 8 minutes until deep brown all over.
8 minStep 4: Add 1 onion, 1 red pepper and 1 scotch bonnet chilli and cook for 4 minutes, then stir in 2 tbsp tomato paste and 2 tomatoes.
5 minStep 5: Pour in half of 1 ½ cups water, cover and simmer over a low heat for 1.5–2 hours, adding the rest of 1 ½ cups water as it reduces, until the meat pulls easily from the bone.
110 minStep 6: Uncover for the last 10 minutes to thicken the sauce, stir in 3 tbsp fresh coriander, taste for salt and serve with chenchén or rice.
10 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 380 kcal
- Protein
- 44 g
- Carbs
- 10 g
- Fat
- 18 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does dominican chivo guisado take?
- About 150 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 130 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Is it very spicy?
- It has some heat. Use less chilli for a milder version, or more if you like it hot.
- What can I use instead of limes?
- Lemon, same amount.
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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