There is something deliciously primal about tearing into a roasted haunch of meat with one’s hands. We didn’t anticipate this adventure, but when the opportunity presented itself, we couldn’t say no. The purpose of the weekend had been to do a dry run for a camping trip the following weekend. So we gathered our tents and headed out of the city.
The girls spent the morning going farmstand-hopping, picking up a wide variety of incredible baked goods, ogling jars of vintage buttons, and sourcing quirky meat. Sariann espied the haunch of goat at a great place appropriately named “Blood Farm”, which has been run by the Blood family for 5 generations. Their bacon is terrific, and their lamb has won multiple awards. Another farmstand of note is that of John Crow Farm, where we hope to get goose and duck eggs in a few weeks. To tide us over, we got some potted herbs and some wonderful mixed tea. The then current shopkeeper, Jen, was very helpful, even offering a few tips on where we might look for lamprey and wild boar!
Needless to say, as soon as we were in possession of this large chunk of meat, the rest of the day sort of evolved around that. While it thawed on the front stoop, the girls met up with the guys for a picnic at an old ruined stone church (SO cool!), and did a spot of antiquing before returning to the house.
Gender stereotypes were out in full force at this point. The boys dug a fire pit and hacked down small trees with which they constructed a wild-looking spit for the meat. The girls, on the other hand, pitched tents, and made cozy nests of blankets and pillows, then set about preparing the meat. The goat got a rub of salt, black pepper, savory, marjoram, and cumin, and was set over the fire, getting turned once in a while for a couple of hours.
We could have brought the cooked meat indoors to properly carve and portion out. We could have, but we didn’t. Instead, we found ourselves hunched over the spit like a group of savages, gobbling bits of meat still dripping with juices. We felt like wildlings, and it was fantastic.
Between five of us, we devoured every bite of the goat, and several skewers of lamb and veg as well. Our favorite parts? The sizzle of fat dripping into the coals. The primitive spit outlined against a raging fire. An excuse to yell “HAUNCH” all night long. Needless to say, this weekend was a definite win.