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Combine the thyme, scallions, garlic, ginger, chile, salt, oil, and 1 tablespoon of the curry powder in a food processor. Puree to a loose paste. Rinse the goat and pat dry, then smear the paste all over it. Cover and refrigerate for 8 to 24 hours.

Remove the goat from the refrigerator and scrape the marinade off the goat into a small saucepan. For a mop sauce, stir the vinegar, water, and ½ cup of the barbecue sauce into the pan. Bring to a boil over high heat and boil for 5 minutes. Remove and let both the mop sauce and goat stand at room temperature for about 1 hour.

Light a grill for indirect medium-low heat, about 300°F, with smoke. Drain about 1 cup of the wood chips and add to the grill. When you see smoke, brush the grill grate and coat with oil. Put the goat on the grill away from the heat over a drip pan filled with ¼ inch of water. Cover the grill and cook for 1 hour. Drizzle the goat generously with the mop sauce. Cover the grill and continue cooking until the goat is tender (155°F on an instant-read thermometer), about 1½ hours more, mopping the goat every 20 minutes and replenishing the wood chips as necessary to maintain smoke in the grill. If using charcoal, you will need to replenish the coals about halfway through cooking.

Remove the goat to a platter and let stand for 20 minutes. Slice or shred the meat and serve with the remaining barbecue sauce.

GOAT LOIN

Cocoa-Crusted Goat Loin Flecked with Orange and Rosemary

MAKES 4 TO 6 SERVINGS

Goat meat tastes somewhat strong and earthy, with the aromas of a trampled barnyard in autumn. The bitterness of cocoa tames those powerful flavors, and a combination of orange zest and rosemary bring out the best of the meat’s bouquet. The rub here features a very special ingredient, cocoa nibs—roasted cocoa beans broken into bits. They embody everything we love about chocolate: dark, toasty bitterness and sensually rich cocoa butter. As a crust on goat loin, cocoa nibs are positively orgasmic. The loin is the lower back of the animal and, with the bone, includes a section of spine. When cut crosswise, the loin creates T-bone steaks, which from a goat are much smaller than beef T-bones. If the goat was very young, the T-bones may be smaller than a cell phone, like tiny triangular meat snacks. Even if they’re larger, it’s a treat to bite and lick the meat from the tiny bones as the aromas of chocolate, orange, and rosemary blossom in your nostrils.

INGREDIENTS:

2 tablespoons cocoa nibs

1 teaspoon black peppercorns

½ teaspoon coriander seeds

½ teaspoon allspice berries

1 ½ tablespoons coarse salt

1 tablespoon dark brown sugar

Zest of 1 orange, chopped

1 ½ tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary, plus 1 rosemary sprig

2 bone-in goat loins (about 1 pound each)

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 ½ cups ruby port

¼ cup balsamic vinegar

¼ cup chicken stock

2 tablespoons minced shallots

Pinch of cayenne pepper

½ cup dried tart cherries

2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces

Pinch of coarse sea salt

Freshly coarsely ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS:

Grind the cocoa nibs, peppercorns, coriander seeds, and allspice berries in a coffee grinder or with a mortar and pestle until coarsely cracked. Combine with the salt and brown sugar. Add the orange zest, and 1 tablespoon of the chopped rosemary. Rinse the goat, pat dry, coat with the oil, and sprinkle all over with the rub. Cover and refrigerate for 8 to 16 hours.

Remove the goat from the refrigerator and let stand at room temperature for 1 hour.

Light a grill for bilevel medium-high/medium-low heat, about 425/325°F.

As the grill heats, combine the port, vinegar, stock, shallots, and cayenne in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat. Add the cherries, return to a boil, and then reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer until the cherries are plumped and the liquid has reduced to about ½ cup, 25 to 30 minutes. Keep warm.

Brush the grill grate and coat with oil. Grill the goat directly over medium-high