Schatenhoffer, Fresno and the potential of matured goat meat

The Canarian Institute of Agrarian Research (ICIA) recently presented the book 'The magic of matured goat meat. Results of pioneering scientific research and its recipe book, in which the researcher Marichu Fresno and the chef Diego Schatenhoffer present the conclusions of their revaluation project aimed at improving the profitability of the goat livestock herd.

This job, promoted from the Animal Production Unit, Pastures and Forages in Arid and Subtropical Zones of the ICIA as a strategic project CAIA (approved by the Agricultural Research Advisory Council) financed with own funds, is proposed seek new market niches for goat meat from the islands with the main objective of supporting the livestock sector. To do this, it explores the possibilities of providing added value to adult animals that have ended their productive life. through the combination of scientific knowledge and culinary techniques.

As highlighted by the president of the ICIA, Janira Gutierrez, It is “a pioneering study that shows the commitment to the Canarian product and a determined desire to disseminate its quality through science and gastronomy”.

For your part, the general director of Livestock, Andrés Díaz Matoso, He pointed out that this initiative is added to the measures implemented by the Canary Islands Executive, “like the improvements incorporated in the POSEI or the REA, among many other actions”, to continue advancing in the development of our primary sector through knowledge, “one of the best tools to value wealth, attributes and uniqueness of native livestock breeds”.

In this sense, the person responsible for the research and co-author of the book, Marichu Fresno, He highlighted that “the maturation of goat meat is an unprecedented process worldwide that we do not find in scientific literature.”, where this technique applied to cattle and other types of livestock is collected, because the consumption of meat of goat origin is not common in other parts of Spain or other European countries., except for the Canary Islands”.

Diego Schattenhofer's recipes

For your part, the chef Diego Schattenhofer, author of the 13 recipes created especially for this publication and specialist in maturation processes from the restaurant's chambers Taste 1973 from Hotel Villa Cortés (recognized with Michelin star) points out that “the important thing is that instead of cooking duck confit or another outside element, you start thinking about preparing recipes with goat meat.”, a product that after the maturation process acquires a softer and juicier texture, in addition to unique nuances in the smell, aroma and flavor, which multiplies its culinary possibilities”.

The text is endorsed by the presidents of the associations of goat breeders of the Canary Islands, whose contributions are collected in the prologue, as well as the contribution of the area advisor, Narvay Quintero. The food journalist Francisco Belin was in charge of making the introduction and, besides, The book features original illustrations by multidisciplinary artist Arón Morales, while the images and editing of the work correspond to the journalist and writer Yuri Millares.

The document begins with a first chapter signed by the former president of the International Goat Association (IGA) and former director of the Animal Production Unit, ICIA Pastures and Forages, Juan Capote, where the origin of this livestock as a source of sustenance for the aborigines is addressed, as well as the characteristics of the three Canary goat breeds: majorera, palm tree and Tenerife (north and south), all of them with dairy aptitude and destined mainly for the production of Canarian cheeses, whose elaboration process is explored in the second chapter.

From the third to the sixth chapter, in which ICIA researchers Alexandr Torres and Sergio Álvarez collaborate, The conditions that affect the process of transformation of muscle into meat are explained in depth., through a procedure also known as tenderization, that produces the desired tenderization of the meat and increases its juiciness.

Next, the characteristics of meat are addressed from the point of view of health quality, nutritional and sensory, with special attention to this last aspect based on the conclusions drawn from the study on ripening in terms of properties such as flavor, the texture, the color and the smell. In this sense, besides, Fresno and Schattenhofer share their proposals for preparing goat and kid meat, with different uses depending on the characteristics of the piece to be cooked.

In the strictly gastronomic field, The historian Camir Gómez-Pablos takes a tour of different works and primary sources where culinary techniques for preparing this production are described, spanning from Aboriginal times to the 19th century.. In line with this tradition, chef Diego Schttenhofer picks up the baton to culminate this work with a collection of 13 innovative recipes, among which are proposals such as the goat 'steak tartare', the baifo soup, the goat tomahawk, the goat shoulder, the goat sirloin 'wellington', the stewed baifo leg with smoked sweet potato puree and points of begonia flower or the 'tataki' of goat loin with goat cheese flavor.