Cabrito Transmontano

Cabrito Transmontano is the IGP-protected suckling kid goat of Trás-os-Montes in far northeastern Portugal. Like its cousins in Minho and Beira, the meat comes from kids of the Serrana and Bravia breeds (and crosses) raised exclusively on maternal milk and slaughtered between 30 and 90 days, but Trás-os-Montes has its own designation because the climate and vegetation of the Douro Superior, the Serra de Montesinho, and the Planalto Mirandês give the meat a distinctive character.

The kids graze in olive groves, almond orchards, and scrubby holm-oak woodland where wild herbs — rosemary, thyme, savory, oregano — flavor both the milk and the meat. The traditional preparation is assado no forno (wood-oven roasted), often with chestnuts or potatoes and a glaze of smoky lard and paprika. Castanhas (chestnuts) and cabrito transmontano are a defining autumn combination in the region.

Eat Cabrito Transmontano at restaurants in Bragança, Mirandela, Macedo de Cavaleiros, Mogadouro, and Vinhais; at the Feira dos Santos in Bragança (November); and at romarias and Christmas markets throughout the province. In Porto, try the cabrito at restaurants in the Cedofeita and Foz districts; in Lisbon, look for it at Adega Transmontana and Casa de Trás-os-Montes.