Qorkz Kitchen - Leg of Goat

Greek Style Roasted Leg of Goat

Recipe by Chef Jayne Reichert

Serves 6

• 1 leg of goat*, bone-in I use Rossotti Ranch Goat 
• Salt
• Pepper
• 1 whole onion
• 1-quart Greek style yogurt
• 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped
• 1 tablespoon fresh oregano, chopped
• 1 tablespoon Summer Savory
• 5 – 7  garlic cloves
• Juice and zest from 2 lemons

Begin this recipe a day in advance. Make the marinade by combining the rosemary, yogurt, lemon zest and juice in a mixing bowl.  Peel the onion and carefully grate it on a box grater.  Peel and finely mince the garlic.  Add both the garlic and the onion, along with any accumulated onion water to the yogurt mixture.  Allow the marinade to sit for 30 to 45 minutes so that the flavors might mingle.  While the marinade is resting, remove any excess fat from the goat, but don’t throw it away.  Make slits in the leg of goat in random spots and slide the reserved fat pieces into those slits, you may also include slivers of garlic if you like.

Place the goat in a sealable bag and pour the yogurt marinade over the goat, making sure all sides are covered.  Place the goat in the refrigerator and allow to marinate overnight.  You’ll want to flip the bag in the refrigerator a few times during the 24-hour marinade.

Heat the oven to 450 degrees.

When you are ready to roast the leg, remove it from the refrigerator at least one hour in advance so the meat may come up to temperature.  This ensures a much more even roasting.  Remove the goat from the marinade and place it on a rack in a roasting pan or alternatively create a rack out of onions, and carrots or rosemary branches. Roast the leg for 15 to 20 minutes until nicely browned, turn the oven down to 350 degrees and continue cooking the goat until it reaches the desired doneness. 

Alternatively, you may opt to grill the leg of goat.  Set your grill up for indirect heat, with one side very hot and the other side without any flame.  Roast the goat over the flame until it is nicely browned, turning it every then move the goat to the side without the flame.  I like to lay down some large rosemary branches that were soak in water and then place the leg on top of that.  Close the grill lid and roast until the internal temperature of 130, approximately 18 minutes per pound.  Be sure to check the roast and flip it from time to time.   Once the goat is cooked do not cut into right away, the leg needs to rest a good 10 – 15 minutes to allow the juices to stabilize and redistribute.

Pair with our wine of the month, Calstar 2014 Alta Zin.

* Goat leg can be purchased at Rossotti Ranch in the Bay Area.  Can also be found in ethnic markets throughout the country.

What's Cooking in the Qorkz Kitchen - Bavette Edition

Once again, Chef Jayn Reichert is in the Qorkz Kitchen cooking up something good!

Cumin and Coriander Rubbed Bavette

Recipe by Chef Jayne Reichert
Serves 6

• 1 tablespoon cumin
• 2 teaspoons coriander
• 1 teaspoon black pepper corns 
• 2 pounds bavette* (serves 6 people 5 ounce portions)

Toast spices in dry skillet until fragrant. Pound together in a mortar and pestle; add salt to taste.  Rub both sides of the steak with  the spice mixture; let rest 30 to 45 minutes

Grill directly over high heat a well-oiled grill or seasoned grill pan.   Steak should take 3 to 5 minutes per side for medium rare; depending on the thickness. Note if you want traditional cross-hatched grill marks; turn the steak ¼ of a turn to the right; be sure you move it a bit so it lands on a hot grate; same for turning the steak over, do not just flip it over into the same spot, you need to be sure to turn it over onto a hot part of the grill.  

Allow steak to rest for 5 -7 minutes before slicing, so juices may redistribute.  If you want you may melt butter in a hot pan and place the steak in the hot melted butter for holding.  IMPORTANT, slice this steak on a diagonal; thin and across the grain. 

*Note: Bavette is a similar to flank steak but a slightly different cut.  Enjoy either in this delicious dish.

Chef Jayne in Qorkz Kitchen - Rack of Lamb & Horseradish Tarragon Sauce

Rack of Lamb

Recipe by Chef Jayne Reichert

Serves 4

• 1 6 to 8 rib rack of lamb
• Coriander seeds
• Fennel seeds
• Black Peppercorns
• Salt
• Olive oil

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Take the racks out of the refrigerator 30 minutes to 1 hour before cooking to bring them up to room temperature. Lightly toast coriander, fennel, and black pepper in a dry skillet over medium heat until fragrant.   Using a mortar and pestle pound the spices into a coarse grind then add a bit of salt to create your seasoning rub. Generously coat the racks in oil, and season with the spice rub.

Heat a heavy bottom skillet over medium-high heat, add oil to coat bottom of the pan.  Sear the racks on all sides, allowing a nice crust to form. Place the racks in the oven and allow them to continue cooking for another 15 to 20  minutes or until the desired degree of doneness. Note they really like to be served medium rare. Remove the racks from the oven and allow them to rest for 5 to 8 minutes before slicing them into portions.     

Remember they will continue to cook during the resting period. 

Serve the racks drizzled with a bit of the tarragon horseradish sauce.

Horseradish Tarragon Sauce

Recipe by Chef Jayne Reichert 

Makes 2/3 cup

• 1 bunch fresh tarragon, chopped
• 2 tablespoons freshly grated horseradish **grated on the large hole of a box grater
• ½ bunch parsley, chopped
• Grated zest of 1 lemon
• 1 garlic clove, chopped very fine or pounded into a purée
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 to 1 cup olive oil

Mix all the ingredients together and taste for salt. Let the sauce sit for a while to develop the flavors.

Remember when you are chopping fresh herbs, use the leaves only.  Do not smash or bruise them, but cut cleanly through them so that they do not discolor.  A nice coarse chop is preferable to “finely” mincing or chopping.

If you like, just a splash of. Lemon juice or vinegar makes the sauce zestier, but add them just before serving, as the acid will cause the herbs to discolor. (You can macerate a little chopped shallot in the vinegar or lemon before adding if you wish.)

Introducing the Qorkz Kitchen Guest Chef Jayne Reichart

You are going to love Chef Jayne!  We certainly do!  She can make even the simplest meals elegant with flavors popping!  We are proud to feature her recipes paired with Qorkz Wine.  Keep watching this space for yummy options!

Being raised on a farm meant fresh eggs came from the neighbor’s chicken coop, our meat was raised on my grandfather’s farm and vegetables were grown and hand-picked from our garden.  This, combined with a Mother and Grandmothers who made absolutely everything from scratch formed my deep appreciation of good food, locally sourced, and my love of the kitchen. 

Although at the age of 5 I could whip up some mean scrambled eggs, My passion for cooking really took hold at the age of 12., (although at the age of 5 I could whip up some mean scrambled eggs) anyway at 12,I was absolutely obsessed with a Mexican cookbook , a gift from my Great Aunt., I convinced my godfather to take me to the local "Mercado" to buy fresh dried peppers, masa  and other ingredients required to make  Chicken Enchiladas from scratch,. (still one of my favorite things to make). Luckily my initial effort was a huge success, (minus the mess in the kitchen,) and the seed for my lifelong passion was planted.  To this day Chicken Enchiladas is still one of my favorite things to make. 

Fast forward 30+ years: culinary school, multiple kitchens both restaurant and private, a cutlery store and for good measure sometime in the wine country with Chateau St. Jean, that same passion finally led me to Cavallo Point, where for the last 8 years I had the pleasure of being the Director and Executive Chef of the Cooking School at Cavallo Point. During my tenure, The Cooking School was named as one of the Top 10 Resort Cooking Schools in the World by Gayot and Best of the Bay for the Chronicle in 2016.   If someone had told me when I first stepped into a kitchen that my career would eventually evolve to actually teaching, and that that desire to share would further fuel my passion both for cooking and my commitment to local sustainable foods, I would’ve said “no-way”.  Funny how life turns out. 

In my kitchen, guests describe me as “ as a consummate hostess with a dash of Chicago bravado, a penchant for sharing good food and a firm belief that cooking should be fun and accessible for the home chef.  When you visit and cook with Jayne you feel as though you are sitting in the kitchen of a friend or relative, made complete by her desire to send everyone away with what she describes as ‘warm fuzzies’”.  “Her food is described as fresh, eclectic, and approachable.” 

Today, after spending some time up north taming the flames of a wood-burning oven for Chateau St. Jean, I'm thrilled to be doing my own thing.  You can find me creating recipes and pairing foods for the Qorkz Kitchen, down south consulting with a hotel group, or taking guests to the local farmer’s market for a market tour and then heading back to my kitchen for a cooking class. You can find me on Instagram @chefjayne or check out the Air BnB experience at:

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