Since the dawn of Christianity, goats — those cute, prancing Capra aegagrus hircu we love to pet at the Puyallup Fair — have walked this earth as known associates of the Devil. In the Middle Ages, goats whispered lewd innuendos into the ears of innocent Saints. Thor stabled them to drive his Chariots. Fauns and Satyrs commandeered their bodies. And Satan stole their looks for his own illustrating their horns and beards in everything from the Black Mass to the pentagram.



Goats continued into modern times to show up despairingly in our lingo and idioms. If you allow people to walk over you, you’re a goat. Be silly — you’re acting the goat. Reside in Scotland and herd goats — well, where do you think the term “horny” comes from, huh?

Then something changed. In recent years, goat’s gained back, or maybe for the first time, received some respect. Although enjoyed for centuries in other places, diners in the United States enthusiastically embraced goat cheese. Sprinkled over arugula, baked in a tomato, mashed in potatoes — white, creamy goat cheese exploded on the restaurant scene, challenging all of us to maybe give the lowly goat its due. And now, are local diners ready to take the next step and separate the sheep from the goats? Or, in other words, eat the goats?

They should.

As goat as it gets

Cave art dating back 20,000 years shows goats’ importance. Considered the first domesticated animal, it goes without saying people have dined on goats for a long time. Estimates suggest goats represent 63 percent of worldwide red meat consumption. With rising immigration, farmers continue to branch into raising the animals to sell here in the United States. Muslims, Hispanics, Caribbean peoples — goat delicacies figure squarely in their cultural fabric. Since 1995, the number of goats slaughtered in the U.S. increased an average six percent per year, according to the USDA. In 2006, 581,743 head of goat received the ax, up 51 percent in 10 years. The United States also imports the most goat meat in the world.



So, wouldn’t you think you’d have tried it by now?



Goat tastes like lamb or beef depending on the cut and the fat content. Or, if prepared wrong, tastes like chewy old lamb. Hate lamb? Stop reading.



Curried goat offers a good launch point. A strong sauce hides any traces of wild meat flavor enough to wet your feet. Luckily, Tacoma continues to support Steffie’s Caribbean Restaurant behind the Hooters off Interstate 5 (6812 Tacoma Mall Blvd.). Open for a few years, Steffie’s serves curried goat that tastes both easygoing and meaty. Labeled as “tender goat stewed in a mild curry sauce,” the dish arrives heavy on chunks of meat with a sauce sweet and thin. Steffie’s also features a curried goat rolled in a roti — an East Indian flat bread import popular throughout the Caribbean. Order the side of beans and rice and feel the sway of the leeward breeze.



Or go Greek. Opa Greek (6104 Sixth Ave., Tacoma) honors the mighty Capricorn with a classic recipe — braised goat with turnips and shallots in a tomato sauce. A nice change of pace from curry, this plate tastes of cinnamon and nutmeg. Cut from the shoulder, the meat tastes incredibly mild and tender — barely a hint of wild taste. This goat may scare your wallet a bit — ringing in at over $18 a plate, however, it comes with soup as well as a side of rice and vegetables — both well prepared in their own rights.



Finally, try a Mexican goat. Vuelve A La Vida, Tacoma’s most authentic Mexican restaurant (5310 Pacific Ave.) serves a marinated goat taco that puts the ole in your day. The Birria (meat stew) tastes mellow and arrives in chunks on soft, corn ground tortillas with cilantro and white onions sprinkled on top.



Those worried about pungent goat flavor may wade into the meat here with little concern — only the traces of fat on the birria tastes even close to strong. Order with rice and beans and discover why the popularity of goat meat spans the globe — these tacos could be pot roast if you didn’t know the difference.

Got your goat?

Admittedly, the idea of eating goat repulses some people, mostly because white bread Americans have had little experience with the beast. But, here’s an extra incentive to try something new. According to the USDA, goat meat is low in fat. A 100-gram (3 1/2 ounces) serving of cooked, roasted meat contains: 143 calories; 27 grams protein; 3 grams fat; 3.7 milligrams iron; 86 milligrams sodium; and 75 milligrams cholesterol. Three ounces of beef tenderloin rings in at 179 calories and 8.8 grams of fat.



I can hear the commercials now: Goat — the devilishly satisfying, low calorie, other red meat.