Speaking at the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen, Andrew Zimmern (host of the Travel Channel's hit series Bizarre Foods) opened his Goat Is Great session by saying, "Goat is like soccer. It plays well everywhere else in the world except here."

He spent the next 45 minutes trying to convince a room full of mostly American attendees why they, too, should embrace goat meat as a regular part of their diet.

Among his list of reasons:

1. Goat is the most popular meat in the United States because of its support by ethnic populations.

2. Goat meat  is a healthy, more sustainable source of protein than beef, and buying it is great way to support local farmers. (Check here for a list of Colorado goat farms.)

3. Goat makes an excellent substitute in dishes calling for lamb because the meat is milder and less gamey.

4. For fans of tartare, goat is less fatty than beef, which allows the flavors of the accompanying herbs to come through the dish.

In addition to extolling the virtues of goat, Zimmern prepared three dishes using the meat: A four-minute goat tartare (with peppercorn, fenugreek, and celery leaf);  skewered goat shishkabobs with roasted onion, bits of goat fat, liver, and poblano peppers; and a boneless leg roast prepared in a classic French style with red wine, carrots, potatoes, and leeks. Zimmern promised the eager crowd that all recipes would be posted on his website in the next week.