Asun (Peppered Goat Meat)
Overview
Asun is smoked or roasted goat meat tossed through a fierce pepper and onion mix, and it is one of the fixtures of the Nigerian owambe, the large Yoruba party that runs on food and music. It arrives as part of the small chops circuit, alongside puff puff and peppered snails, and it disappears fast. Goat is the whole point. Yoruba speakers call it ogunfe, and it carries a stronger, more mineral flavour than beef that stands up to the quantity of scotch bonnet involved. The meat is simmered until tender before it ever meets fire, then roasted or grilled to dry the surface and pick up smoke, and only then does it go into the pepper mix. Skipping the first stage is the most common way it goes wrong, since goat that has not been softened stays tough no matter how long it spends in the pan. Sliced onions and bell peppers go in for sweetness against the heat rather than for bulk. Whether asun is a starter or something else is a matter people disagree about: the source archive files it under both appetizer and dessert, and Nigerians treat it as a small chop, a side to jollof rice, or a main course with plantain, depending entirely on the occasion.
AFN Heritage Note
Asun is associated with Yoruba party cooking in southwestern Nigeria, where it is served as part of the small chops eaten at owambe celebrations. Ogunfe is the Yoruba word for goat meat.
Ingredients
Dietary tags are provided by contributors as a guide, not verified by AFN, and they depend on the products you buy. If you have a serious allergy, check every ingredient yourself. Cooking, allergies and your own judgement
Directions
- 1
Wash the goat meat thoroughly and cut it into small pieces.
- 2
Put the meat in a pot with the chopped onion and a teaspoon of bouillon powder, and add enough water to cover.
- 3
Cook over medium heat until the meat is tender, about 40 to 50 minutes depending on the cut.
- 4
Once tender, spread the meat on a tray and roast or grill it for about 30 minutes, until the surface has dried and coloured.
- 5
Heat the vegetable oil in a separate pan over medium heat.
- 6
Add the garlic and ginger and stir for about a minute, until fragrant.
- 7
Add the sliced onions, bell peppers and chopped habaneros and stir fry for a few minutes, until the vegetables have softened slightly.
- 8
Add the roasted goat meat and stir fry everything together.
- 9
Season with the bouillon powder, paprika, black pepper and salt, and mix thoroughly.
- 10
Cook on low to medium heat for another 5 to 7 minutes so the spices take to the meat.
- 11
Garnish with red pepper flakes and serve.
Africook’s Notes
Personal notes from Deborah Olayiwola- Do not skip the simmering. Goat put straight onto heat stays tough, and no amount of time in the pepper mix will fix it.
- Roast until the surface dries out. That drying is what gives asun its texture against the soft peppers, and it is where the smoke comes from.
- A pressure cooker cuts the tenderising stage down considerably and is what many Nigerian cooks use.
- Keep the bell peppers slightly firm. They are there for sweetness and bite against the heat, and overcooked they collapse into sauce.
- Two habaneros is a starting point. Asun is meant to be genuinely hot, and at parties it is usually hotter than this.
Reviews
2 reviews
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i tried roasting the goat meat in my oven broiler for 25 mins instead of the grill since weather in columbus is cold now. came out super chewy and smoky! local halal butcher on morse rd cut the goat a bit too big though so boiling took almost an hour. my naija friends approved but ghana peppered goat still hits different chale oo
Herh, 2 habaneros is too small paa if you really want proper asun spice! I used 4 scotch bonnets from the market on 161st in the Bronx. The trick is definitely that step of grilling the boiled meat before tossing in the sliced bell peppers, gives it that authentic street food texture. Reminds me of party food back home.