Name: Goat meat pepper soup
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 10 min
Ingredients: 500 g goat meat; 1/2 medium onions ((chopped)); 2 seasoning cubes; salt; scotch bonnet; 1 Ehuru seed ((calabash nutmeg (1/2 teaspoon ground))); 1 teaspoon Uziza seed ((1 1/2 ground uziza)); 1 piece Uda; 1 tablespoon ground crayfish; 3-5 Utazi leaf; 1 teaspoon Palm oil

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Goat meat pepper soup is Goat meat in spicy, herby broth. It is the most common meat pepper soup in a lot of Nigerian households. It is also a staple at weddings and ceremonies, in restaurants, it is almost always on the starter menu along with fresh fish pepper soup. In pubs/beer parlours, goat meat pepper soup is a staple and patrons drink copious quantities along with their drinks to the joy of the beer parlour madam. She makes sure to add enough hot pepper in it so that the more pepper soup you drink, the more drinks you will need to calm the pepper down and the pepper soup tastes so good. Anyway, this is my opinion.

In Nigeria, a goat is normally slaughtered for Christmas or for whatever celebration, the goat offals are reserved for a special pepper soup called ngwo ngwo in Igboland, Eastern Nigeria. This recipe I have here is for the flesh of the goat. Goat meat called chevon is gamey, flavourful and rich-tasting meat. It is a healthy source of protein and surprisingly is lower in cholesterol and fat than beef, pork, lamb and chicken. See my post on 20 interesting facts about goat meat.

About the meat

When buying goat meat, make sure it is goat meat and not sheep (mutton) that is being sold to you (both can be used for pepper soup). They look very similar but goat meat is leaner with no fat distributed within the muscles, rather fat lines the internal cavity. Sheep, on the other hand, has fat distributed within their muscles, this is called marbling. When you smell goat meat, it has a stronger gamey aroma than sheep. Goat meat is also darker red than sheep meat called mutton. In the absence of goat meat, you can use sheep or even lamb.

Then there is the uncastrated male, this is a goat that was not neutered (castrated) before the musk glands developed. The taste and smell are very strong, in fact, it is called high scent in local parlance. If used in soup, stew etc. the flavour will overpower any other thing in the pot. You can use it for pepper soup if you like the strong taste and smell.

Goat meat can be tough, and in Nigeria, it is the mature goat that is sold in the market and it has the best flavour. Use a pressure pot or slow cooker to cook it. If you don’t have one, just add a few bean seeds to your cooking water to help tenderise it.

To prepare Goat meat pepper soup

500g goat meat 
1/2 medium onions, chopped
2 seasoning cubes
salt
scotch bonnet
1 Ehuru seed, calabash nutmeg (1/2 teaspoon ground)*
1 teaspoon Uziza seed, (1 1/2 ground uziza)*
1 piece Uda*
1 tablespoon ground crayfish
3-5 Utazi leaf
1 teaspoon Palm oil

*In place of these spices, you can use 1-2 teaspoons store bought Peppersoup spice mix.

Wash goat meat cut into bite-size and place in a pot over medium-low heat.

Add onions, seasoning cubes, salt and pepper, stir and cover.

Cook till it has released its juices.

Add about 3 cups of water (enough to cover the meat) and seal the pressure pot.

Cook for 8-10 minutes until meat is tender.

If there is no pressure pot, cook until meat is tender, topping up water as needed.

Grind ehuru and uziza, hit uda to crack it open, grind crayfish, wash and shred utazi.

Add all into the pot of goat meat.

Add palm oil stir and cook for 5 minutes, taste and correct seasoning.

Take off the heat.

Serve your Goat meat pepper soup with agidi (eko, cornflour jello), rice, boiled yam and plantain, boiled potatoes, bread or just drink on its own.

Note

Add a few bean seeds to help tenderise your goat meat.
When making your pepper soup, you can use store-bought pepper soup mix but some of them do not taste good at all. If you find one you like the taste of, stick to it.

If you enjoyed my Goat meat pepper soup, you will also enjoy my Nigerian Chicken Pepper soup, Catfish Pepper soup (Point and kill), Nigerian Oxtail Pepper soup and Nigerian Dry fish Pepper soup.