Chivo en Coco – Venezuelan Coconut Goat

You’ve been traveling through Falcón in western Venezuela, where dry hills, cactus, and scrubland stretch toward the Caribbean and goats are a familiar sight along the roadside. You’re staying in a small town for a few days, and one afternoon your Airbnb host asks if you’d like to help prepare dinner for a family gathering later that evening.

In the kitchen, your host starts with a large pot and a colorful pile of chopped onion, garlic, scallions, tomatoes, bell pepper, and ají dulce. The vegetables are slowly sautéed into a fragrant sofrito before pieces of bone-in goat are added. Cumin, black pepper, salt, and a little oregano are sprinkled over the meat, and everything cooks together for a few minutes before rich coconut milk is poured into the pot.

The lid goes on, and the goat is left to simmer slowly in the coconut milk until it becomes tender. Later, the lid comes off and the sauce is allowed to reduce, concentrating the coconut, tomato, peppers, and goat juices into a thick sauce that clings to the meat.

This is chivo en coco, one of the traditional goat dishes of western Venezuela. By the time the family begins arriving, the whole house smells of coconut, sofrito, and slowly cooked goat, and a large pot of white rice is waiting nearby to soak up the sauce.

Chivo en Coco

Venezuelan Coconut Goat

Serves 5–6

Ingredients

• 3 pounds bone-in goat meat, cut into serving-size pieces

• 2 tablespoons neutral cooking oil

• 1 large onion, finely chopped

• 4 scallions, chopped

• 5 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 red bell pepper, finely chopped

• 3–4 ají dulce peppers, finely chopped

• 2 medium tomatoes, chopped

• 1 teaspoon ground cumin

• 1 teaspoon black pepper

• ½ teaspoon dried oregano

• 1½–2 teaspoons salt, to taste

• 3 cups full-fat unsweetened coconut milk

• ½ teaspoon ground achiote or annatto, optional

• 1 small hot chile, optional

About Ají Dulce

Ají dulce is a small, aromatic Venezuelan sweet pepper. It has a fruity fragrance somewhat reminiscent of a habanero or Scotch bonnet but usually has very little heat.

If you cannot find ají dulce, substitute a small sweet pepper or use additional red bell pepper.

Make the Sofrito

Heat the oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat.

Add the onion, scallions, bell pepper, and ají dulce. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften.

Add the garlic and tomatoes. If using achiote, add it now.

Continue cooking for another 5–8 minutes, until the tomatoes begin to break down and the vegetables form a soft, fragrant sofrito.

Add the Goat

Add the goat pieces directly to the sofrito.

Season with cumin, black pepper, oregano, and salt.

Stir well so the goat becomes coated with the vegetables and seasonings. Cook for about 5–10 minutes, turning the pieces occasionally so the meat begins releasing its juices and absorbing the flavor of the sofrito.

The goat does not need to be deeply browned.

Add the Coconut Milk

Pour the coconut milk over the goat.

The liquid should come most of the way up the meat but does not need to completely submerge it. Add a small splash of water only if necessary.

If you want some heat, add a whole small chile at this point.

Bring the coconut milk to a gentle simmer.

Slow-Cook the Goat

Cover the pot and reduce the heat to low.

Simmer gently for about 2½–3 hours, or until the goat is very tender and pulls easily away from the bone.

Check occasionally and stir gently to make sure nothing is sticking to the bottom.

Cooking time will depend on the age of the goat. Young goat may become tender sooner, while meat from an older animal may require additional time.

Reduce the Coconut Sauce

Once the goat is tender, remove the lid.

Continue simmering gently for about 20–30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the coconut milk reduces into a rich, thick sauce that coats the meat.

The finished dish should not be soupy. The coconut milk, softened vegetables, and goat juices should cook down into a concentrated sauce.

Taste and adjust the salt, black pepper, or cumin if needed.

Remove the whole chile before serving if you used one.

Slow Cooker Option

Prepare the sofrito in a skillet first, then transfer it to the slow cooker.

Add the goat and seasonings and mix well. Pour the coconut milk over the meat.

Cook on low for about 7–9 hours, or until the goat is very tender.

Because a slow cooker retains moisture, the sauce will probably be thinner. Transfer the goat and sauce to a wide pot at the end and simmer uncovered until the coconut sauce reduces and thickens.

To Serve

Serve chivo en coco with steamed white rice to soak up the coconut sauce.

Other good accompaniments include:

• boiled yuca

• fried green plantains or tostones

• roasted plantain

• a simple tomato or cabbage salad