I've never had either. I've had lamb (rack of lamb) but never mutton or goat.
I'm being taken to a restaurant and there seems to be a lot of mutton and goat dishes on the menu. A couple of chicken offerings but mostly mutton and goat.
I assuming both are generally safe to eat. Am I going to dislike this? Or are these meats generally palatable despite not being very popular or available? Should I prefer one over the other if I'm ordering a dish for myself?
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March 10, 2026, 07:25 PM
r0gue
I had goat in Monterrey Mexico years ago. It was a little dry, and heavily spiced with knockout chilis. But I'm sure it's fine to eat.
March 10, 2026, 07:25 PM
arfmel
Barbecued cabrito is goat meat and it can be mighty good.
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March 10, 2026, 07:28 PM
rduckwor
BBQ goat is good.
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March 10, 2026, 07:29 PM
Black92LX
Mutton is delicious! We had one BBQ that served it in town but they closed up shop years ago.
Miss that place very much.
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March 10, 2026, 07:29 PM
Gustofer
Lamb (cooked right) is a delicacy.
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March 10, 2026, 07:44 PM
Aglifter
Lamb should be excellent.
Mutton is not lamb.
Not a fan of mutton, at all - but I’ve only had it in unprofessional conditions.
Goat can be greasy, if not cooked properly.
March 10, 2026, 07:57 PM
konata88
So, goat can be pretty good. Mutton is more hit or miss? I do like lamb but I hear mutton is not the same. Not a fan of gamey meat.
I guess I'll opt for goat... Unless opinions swing in favor of mutton.
"Wrong does not cease to be wrong because the majority share in it." L.Tolstoy "A government is just a body of people, usually, notably, ungoverned." Shepherd Book
March 10, 2026, 08:03 PM
tatortodd
I really like lamb, but have not yet had mutton that I enjoyed. Lamb and mutton both come from sheep but there are differences:
Lamb is meat from a sheep under one year old (typically 6-8 months), offering a tender texture and mild, delicate flavor best suited for grilling or roasting. Retail cuts of meat cost approx. 3x more.
Mutton comes from mature sheep (2–3 years), is darker red, fattier, tougher, and has a stronger, gamey flavor, making it ideal for slow-cooked, stewed dishes.
From what I hear, hair sheep make better lamb than wool sheep as they have less lanolin to affect the flavor. Wool sheep more likely to taste "gamey."
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March 10, 2026, 08:11 PM
Lineman101
I have had goat Birria burritos in Los Angeles that was better than shredded roast beef.
March 10, 2026, 08:31 PM
NOCkid
Never tried mutton, have had BBQ goat and enjoyed it. It reminded me a bit of lamb.
March 10, 2026, 08:35 PM
lastmanstanding
I'd get one of the chicken offerings.
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March 10, 2026, 08:37 PM
snwghst
find an old North African immigrant grandma who makes curried goat/mutton/ oxtails with rice and peas. traditional style. It's a culinary home cooking life changing experience. The root origins of what became Caribbean "soul food"
mutton is often attributed more in the Middle East, Mediterranean, Turkish, India, Lebanonese area
some of my favorite foods
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March 10, 2026, 09:20 PM
PASig
I’ve had curry goat cooked by Jamaicans and it was pretty damn good. Both goat and mutton are much more gamey/stronger flavor than a lot of Americans are used to.
March 10, 2026, 10:09 PM
911Boss
I had goat in Kenya, wasn’t a fan.
It probably could have been a lot better if it had been “properly” butchered instead of just chopped randomly into ping pong ball sized hunks bone and all and then not overcooked to the point of zero moisture.
Hard to enjoy a food when every chew has to be done cautiously looking for and spitting out bone fragments.
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March 10, 2026, 10:46 PM
Rey HRH
Are you going to an Indian restaurant? Not that it matters.
Here’s what I think: I’m assuming you like beef or steaks like I do. When we smell a steak especially when it’s seared, we salivate. We look forward to tasting it. It’s the same for those who like mutton. I am not fond of the taste of lamb or goat because I’m not used to it.
When I eat lamb, I prefer not to taste the lamb. But when I eat steak, you bet I want to savor the flavor.
It’s not like you have to gag, you can just eat it and not really ever have a craving for it.
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March 11, 2026, 12:41 AM
konata88
Apparently it is an Indian / Indo-Chinese restaurant. Indian food with Chinese influences?
"Wrong does not cease to be wrong because the majority share in it." L.Tolstoy "A government is just a body of people, usually, notably, ungoverned." Shepherd Book
March 11, 2026, 01:22 AM
reflex/deflex 64
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March 11, 2026, 09:29 AM
SpinZone
I had goat cooked a couple different ways at a restaurant in Dubai many years ago. It was pretty good but I don’t recall it being anything very distinctive.
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March 11, 2026, 09:35 AM
fischtown7
quote:
Originally posted by 911Boss: I had goat in Kenya, wasn’t a fan.
It probably could have been a lot better if it had been “properly” butchered instead of just chopped randomly into ping pong ball sized hunks bone and all and then not overcooked to the point of zero moisture.
Hard to enjoy a food when every chew has to be done cautiously looking for and spitting out bone fragments.
I guy I knew from Ghana invited me to try some boiled goat, same style and still had fur on it. Barely made it home before I threw it up. I love lamb, goat and mutton but that crap was gross boiled. He and his family seemed to love it though.
