Master ‘griller’ Joe Doria, from Bolner’s Meat Market, gave me this recipe to celebrate Fiesta. No one does Cabrito like Bolner’s. Tender and flavorful, this guisada is so good on tortillas with fresh veggies and your favorite salsa. Scroll down for some great grilling tips from Joe.
Season cabrito with salt, pepper and granulated garlic. Arrange cabrito over medium to hot coals and brown heavily for about 15 minutes. Browning time may vary according to size of cuts. Once golden brown color has been obtained, move the meat to the side or to indirect heat, and let it continue to cook for up to 1 ½ hrs, depending on the size of the cut. Once grilling is complete, pull meat from bones and set aside. Saute oil, garlic and tomatoes. Add chicken broth, Comino and pulled cabrito. Simmer 30-40 minutes, adding chicken broth to keep mixture moist.
As I said, Joe Doria is a ‘Master Griller’. He is the ‘go-to’ guy for anything you want to put on the grill. Below are some tips from Joe on grilling Cabrito.
Choosing the right Cabrito for grilling
Select a small cabrito weighing 10-12 pounds dressed weight, as fat as possible. At Bolner’s Meat Market, the butchers are trained to cut it for your cooking occasion. A variety of cabrito cuts are available at Bolner’s: whole, butterflied, quartered, halved, and a six-way cut. A smaller 3×3 cut may be desired for the oven.
All cabritos should be USDA or state-inspected and will have an inspection label on the box they come in or on the carcass itself. Cabrito has about a 3-4 day shelf life when purchased fresh. When choosing a cabrito, a fleshy pink color of the meat should be desired, as well as plenty of kidney fat on the inside of the carcass. Don’t be concerned if your cabrito weighs a little more than 10-12 pounds because of fat content. Remember: the fatter the cabrito, the better the cabrito.
Cooking Tips
Cabrito may be grilled “al pastor”, baked “al horno”, cooked in a ranchero sauce “en salsa” or shredded and made into a guisada. Keep it simple when cooking the cabrito. Salt, pepper, and garlic will be your base spices. No marinade is necessary.
Whether cooking in the oven or on the grill, all cuts should be salted and peppered with a dash of granulated garlic (please, no garlic salt or garlic powder). Cooking over oak, mesquite, or pecan wood is recommended for your wood burning grill. Remember, you are not smoking, you are grilling! Place all cuts bone-side down over a medium-hot bed of coals. Brown the cabrito heavily for about 15 minutes per side. Browning time may vary according to size of cuts. A golden brown color is what you will be looking for. Once golden brown color has been obtained, move the meat to the side or to indirect heat, and let it continue to cook for up to 1 ½ hrs, depending on the size of the cut.
Cabrito should be served warm at all times, and holds together well in a steamer. Cabrito is traditionally served with rice, beans, corn or flour tortillas, and your favorite fresh salsa.
All ingredients are available at Bolner’s Meat Market.
Ingredients
- 1 Cabrito 6-10 pounds
- 2 Tablespoons Oil
- 1 teaspoon ground Comino
- 1 small Onion, diced
- 1 small Tomato, diced
- 3 garlic Cloves, minced
- ½ -1cup Chicken broth
- Corn Tortillas
- Fresh Salsa
- Cilantro to garnish
- Salt and Pepper
- Granulated Garlic
