Asun (Spicy Roast Goat)
Asun (Spicy Roast Goat) – delectable spicy roasted goat chopped into bite-sized pieces, with big bold aromatic flavors from onions, habanero, garlic and bell peppers. Smokey, sizzling, spicy! Definitely not for the faint-hearted. Native to the Yoruba speaking Ondo people in Western Nigeria.
Goat meat isn’t that well-celebrated here in the U.S. But in most other parts of the world, especially West Africa and the Caribbean it’s always a crowd favorite during parties, special occasions and Christmas.
We just got a whole goat from a local farm here in Los Angeles, in preparation for Christmas. And guess what? I have been cooking up a storm. It’s almost Christmas and I am stuffed. No goat meat for me on Christmas. But this spicy roast goat is making an appearance on the Christmas spread for others to indulge.
You will be licking your plate and sweating all over my face. Oh yes, this dish is definitely not for the faint-hearted.
The authentic Asun (Spicy Roast Goat ) recipe calls for a whole smoked goat in an open pit with skin on, slow roasted to perfection and cut into smaller pieces and sauteed with lots of onions and peppers to spice things up.
This is an easy version for the home cook.
But if you can’t get hold of smoked goat meat, you can use skinless goat. It tastes just as good as the smoked version! Pinky swear! 😉
To tone down the heat use less peppers, and more red and green bell peppers – a little sweetness from the red bell pepper goes way further. It’s a must try!
Serve this aromatic sizzling Asun simply with this oven baked Jollof rice here or fried plantains.
You’ll be singing for joy!.
Merry Christmas!!!!
Tips and Notes:
- If you can’t get hold of a smoked goat meat (which are usually frozen for days), you can proceed with the raw one with or without the skin on.
- If you wish to grill the meat in an open fire barbecue, you need to steam it first if it’s a female goat since it tends to be tougher. No need to steam though if you have a male goat meat.
- When grilling the meat in the oven, you may lightly grease the meat or the tray.
- You can use a food processor or blender when chopping the spices into bits to save time.
- When adding the peppers onto the sauteed meat, make sure that the spices has only wilted a little to create an authentic and fresh heat.
Asun (Spicy Roast Goat)
Ingredients
Boiled Goat Meat
- 2 ½-3 pounds goat meat cut in small pieces
- ½ cup chopped onion
- 2 teaspoons or more Maggi, beef or bouillon powder Adjust to taste
- 1 cup water or more
- Salt and pepper to taste
Stir Fry
- 3-4 Tablespoons cooking oil
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon minced ginger
- 1 medium onion sliced
- 2 large tomatoes ( I used Roma tomatoes)
- 1 teaspoon white pepper
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 2 green onions , sliced
- ½ teaspoon curry powder (optional)
- 2 or more scotch bonnet pepper adjust to suit taste buds or replace with any hot pepper
- red and/or green bell pepper
- 1 tablespoon beef or chicken bouillon
Instructions
- Boil goat meat with salt, pepper, beef or chicken bouillon powder and some chopped onions in a medium pot until tender.
- Add very little water as possible, enough to cook it. I used instapot/ pressure cooker to cook mine to cut down the cooking time in half. Added 1 cup water .
- Remove goat meat with slotted spoon and placed on a lined baking tray.
- Broil on low for about 10 minutes, rotating every few minutes or until brown.
- Heat oil in large skillet , then add onions, garlic and ginger. Stir for about a minute. Then throw in tomatoes, white pepper, paprika, green onions, curry powder, scotch bonnet pepper and bouillon. Continue cooking for about 5-7 minutes.
- Finally add roast goat and bell pepper . Stir for about 3 minutes. Adjust seasonings to taste.
- Serve warm.
Nutrition Information:
Boil goat meat with salt, pepper, beef or chicken bouillon powder and some chopped onions in a medium pot until tender.
Add very little water as possible, enough to cook it. I used instapot/pressure cooker to cook mine to cut down the cooking time in half. Added 1 cup water. Remove goat meat with slotted spoon and placed on a lined baking tray.
Broil on low for about 10 minutes, rotating every few minutes or until brown. Heat oil in large skillet, then add onions, garlic, and ginger. Stir for about a minute. Then throw in tomatoes, white pepper, paprika, green onions , curry powder, scotch bonnet pepper and bouillon. Continue cooking for about 5-7 minutes.
Finally add roast goat and bell pepper. Stir for about 3 minutes. Adjust seasonings to taste. Serve warm.
this is a fire recipe. got in touch with the ancestors with this one. so simply an flavorful. second time making this
Hi Zita,
Wow, what a compliment! “Getting in touch with the ancestors” is about the highest praise a recipe can receive. It’s amazing how food can be a bridge to our roots, isn’t it?
I’m thrilled to hear that you found the recipe simple yet flavorful, and even more excited that you’ve made it a second time. That’s the ultimate testament to a recipe’s success!
Thank you for sharing your experience and for giving the recipe not just one, but two tries. Here’s to many more delicious culinary journeys ahead! ️✨
I have tried Asun for the first with my husband, he is Yoruba and I absolutely love it! I ate goat meat for the first time, (nothing compares to it or come close) I did not know that before because I was so use to sticking to traditional meats of American culture, but my husband is Nigerian so I had to become open minded to at least try it first before I move to replacing ingredients. I cannot wait to make this for my husband and surprise him. Thank you for posting the recipe. I hope to impress him greatly with it!
Hello there! Thanks for sharing! Hope you make this soon and let me know how it would turn out for you. 🙂
Can I use chicken or smail instead of goat meat
Yes you sure can.
Pepper goat is asun. If you’re using g
Snails or chicken. It’s called pepper snails and pepper chicken respectively
Oh my…the grocery just started carrying goat, lamb and rabbit! I am making this tonight…off to the store for peppers now! Thanks–my mouth is watering already.
Hello. I hope you did enjoy this. Have a wonderful day!
How much will it cost to make asun for 30 people?
Cups of oil? That can’t be right for the stir fry.
My bad. It’s 3-4 Tablespoons of oil. Thanks for bringing this to my attention.
I made Asun a few days ago but added blended onions, garlic and ginger to the goat meat to boil instead of water. The end result was delicious
Yum! Thanks for sharing, Efe! 🙂
What settings and how long did you cook the goat in the instant pot? Did you do a quick or natural release?
I cook for about 15 minutes , sometimes adding a few minutes after checking for doness – so it’s a matter of how you like your goat meat . I always do a quick release.
Hope this helps.
I would like to use lamb instead of goat so can you tell me which boullion cube would pair better with lamb…..chicken or beef? And would I prepare lamb the same as instructed for goat? Also if I can’t find stores that carry the scotch bonnet peppers could I use scotch bonnet pepper sauce instead? Sorry for so many questions 🙂
Hello Imma,
Thanks for this recipe. How many tomatoes are we supposed to use please? The number is missing from the list of ingredients.
Thanks!
Updated the recipe box. I used 2 large Roma tomatoes.
Thank-you, My husband would like to try this!
Hi, Imma, I found your recipe and I’m dying to prepare this, but I got a goat meat with heavy goat smell in it. Any tips on how to remove the smell?
Thanks.
Hello,
Try soaking in milk for a couple of hours or soaking in salt water over night . It somewhat helps.
Wondering if this works well with lamb.
I don’t see why not.
Bet that was some delicious lamb!
🙂
Thanks a lot for the recipe! Can you please tell me how many tomatoes you used for that amount of goat? Thanks in advance ☺
I used 2 large Roma tomatoes. Add more if you want more sauce .
Hi Imma. Its Yoruba, not Yaruba.
Silly typo. Will updated . Thanks!
Dear Imma, thank you for your wonderful recipes. I love goat but have only had it curried. This Asun-spiced sounds like a winner. Can’t wait to try it and share with my friends from Kenya. Will probably tone the spiciness down a bit, but expecting a wonderful dish.
Please keep sharing your incredible recipes with us.
Vergie
Aww thanks Vergie! So sweet of you to take time out to share your thoughts with us. Wishing you all the Best of 2018!!!