Goat with Cretan sour trahana in the wood fired oven

Goat with Cretan sour trahana (xinochodros). We received a fine piece of goat shoulder that came all the way from Kefalonia, Greece, where goat farming has a long tradition. A friend of ours -who is also our customer- sent it to us to make something special in the traditional wood-fired oven. My first thought was to use sour Trahana (Xinochodros) because of its distinctive flavor. Many years ago, I tried it for the first time in a tavern in Crete. My friends recommended trying that thin soup made with mutton broth. I had two servings! Since then, every year and mainly during winter I make “chodro” (sour trahana soup) with Xinochodros Trahana. I think that it will pair well with the goat meat. Let’s make this goat shoulder stew, which we will cook slowly for a long time in the traditional wood-fired oven. Sour trahana will give the broth flavor a boost and the use of a clay cooking pot will make a big difference.

INGREDIENTS

2.5-3kg (5.5-6.6lb) goat shoulder
2 tbsp sea salt
300g onion (cut into quarters)
3lt water
300g Cretan Sour Trahana (Xinochodros)

PREPARATION

We need to cut the goat shoulder into large chunks. Place the pieces of meat in the clay cooking pot and add water to cover them. The liquid level should be 5cm (2 in) above the meat. Add the onions that you’ve cut into quarters. Put the lid on the pot and you’re ready to cook in the traditional wood-fired oven.

COOKED ON Traditional wood-fired oven

COOKING

Before preparing the ingredients, preheat the traditional wood-fired oven. Place kindling along with thin pieces of dry hardwood in the oven’s chamber and add thicker pieces of dry wood on top. Prefer oak wood or beechwood and use dry hardwood to have a strong flame.

Until the fire is established, leave the oven’s door open for a while. When you have established the fire, place the door in the external position of the chamber and leave the chimney inside the oven. When the pieces of wood have turned into embers and the oven’s dome is white, the oven is ready for cooking. Remove the embers from the chamber. If you wish, you can transfer the embers to your charcoal grill to prepare your appetizers. Close the oven’s door tight leaving the chimney outside the chamber. Check the temperature. At this stage, the temperature is usually over 270⁰C (518⁰F). Wait until it’s down to 220⁰C-230⁰C (428⁰F-446⁰F) and then place the clay cooking pot with the goat deep into the oven’s chamber. Close the door tight to prevent heat loss and slowly cook the meat until the next morning. In the morning, the temperature of a well-made traditional wood-fired oven should be approximately 100⁰C (212⁰F). At this point, add sour trahana to the pot and place it inside the oven again for 1.5-2 hours, depending on the oven’s temperature.

When the cooking time is over, remove the pot from the oven and wait for half an hour at least, until the stew cools down. Then, it’s time to enjoy your goat stew. It tastes incredibly good thanks to the slow-cooking process, and the goat meat is so tender that it melts in your mouth.

A dish with a unique flavor, such as this one, is the best excuse to gather your friends.

Happy cooking everyone!