Calabria — the goat and mint combination is most strongly associated with the Aspromonte and Sila uplands, where goat farming is traditional and fresh mint grows wild in profusion along streams and mountain paths. The preparation is documented across the Calabrian interior.
Petto di capra con menta is one of the defining goat preparations of Calabria — pieces of young goat (capretto or capra, depending on age) braised slowly in white wine with onion, tomato, and large quantities of fresh mint added at the end of cooking. The mint is not a garnish but a primary flavour — 20-30 large fresh mint leaves stirred through at the end transform the braise from a standard tomato-wine goat into something specifically Calabrian and specific to the mint-and-goat tradition of the southern Mediterranean. The mint's menthol cools the slightly gamey richness of the goat; the combination is one of those apparently counter-intuitive pairings that reveals its logic on tasting.
Petto di capra con menta in the pot smells simultaneously of rich braised meat and fresh garden mint — the combination is unexpected and then entirely right. The goat, long braised to tenderness, has shed its gamey edge; the tomato and wine have reduced to a deep, slightly sweet sauce; and through it all, the fresh mint provides coolness and brightness. With Calabrian bread to mop the sauce, it is one of the most vivid preparations in the Calabrian kitchen.
Cut young goat into pieces on the bone (8-10cm). Brown well in olive oil on all sides; remove. In the same pan, cook sliced onion until golden. Deglaze with dry white wine; reduce. Return goat; add crushed tomatoes, peperoncino, salt, and water to almost cover. Braise covered over low heat 1.5-2 hours until completely tender. Check seasoning. Add 25-30 large fresh mint leaves torn by hand; stir through; cover and rest 5 minutes off heat. Serve with the mint wilted into the braising juices.
Young goat (capretto, up to 4 months) is more delicate and less gamey than older goat; either can be used with this preparation but the older goat benefits from a longer braise. Spearmint (menta verde) rather than peppermint is the correct variety for this preparation — peppermint's menthol is too strong. The mint added off heat wilts to a dark green and releases its volatile oils into the braise without cooking to bitterness.
Adding mint during cooking rather than at the end — cooked mint turns bitter and brown; it must be added off heat in the last minutes. Using dried mint — dried mint produces a medicinal rather than fresh character; fresh mint only. Under-braising the goat — goat is tougher than lamb and requires full 1.5-2 hours to become tender.
Slow Food Editore, Calabria in Cucina; Patience Gray, Honey from a Weed