Chef Robby Goco: Leading the lamb revolution as Phl’s first ‘Lambassador’

If you’re a fan of lamb and wish to cook and enjoy delicious lamb dishes, here are chef Robby Goco’s expert tips on preparing them properly.

“Avoid dry roasting,” said Goco. “Instead, place a small amount of liquid underneath and cover the entire pan with foil. After two to three hours, remove the foil cover and brown the lamb in the oven.”

Goco explained that keeping it covered, with no steam escaping, is crucial for keeping the lamb moist.

“The nice thing about lamb, unlike the tough and gamey goat, is that it’s very delicate with a nice, sweet caramel taste.”

The best part of the lamb, Goco shared, is always the shoulder.

“Of course, for upscale fine dining, it has to be the loin or loin chop that’s typically grilled or roasted. However, personally, I love the shoulder. Being a working muscle, the shoulder is more flavorful. As for the leg, it’s often braised due to its leanness. But, when it comes to home cooking, the shoulder should be the best part -- it offers a more pronounced flavor,” Goco said.

He added: “For shoulder, if it’s nice and thin, you can grill it. It’s really soft. But if you want it super soft, you can simply braise or roast it whole with just salt and pepper and some herbs.

The best herb to use for lamb is “Oregano,” Goco shared. “Rosemary covers the flavor of the lamb. Mint is also good.”

And the best wine to pair lamb with?

“Pinot Noir,” exclaimed Goco. “Though, it also varies depending on how the lamb is prepared. For lighter lamb dishes, consider enjoying them with a nice Riesling or white wine.”

First Filipino Lambassador

Just recently, Goco was appointed as the first Filipino Lambassador by Meat and Livestock Australia (MLA), thanks to his extensive knowledge in cooking lamb, promoting it as the healthiest meat and creating delicious lamb dishes at his renowned restaurants -- Cyma Greek Taverna and Souv! By Cyma.

The Lambassador program is a global project that identifies influential food professionals who are passionate about cooking with Australian lamb. The program began in Japan in 2015 and has now grown to a community of over 50 food professionals worldwide.

As part of his role, Goco will collaborate closely with MLA and Australian lamb producers and importers to highlight the premium quality and sustainability practices that define Australian lamb production.

“We are thrilled to appoint Robby Goco as the Philippines’ Lambassador, promoting Australian lamb across the Philippines,” said Spencer Whitaker, market development manager for the Asia Pacific MLA. “Chef Robby’s passion for culinary innovation and dedication to quality perfectly aligns with our commitment to delivering premium Australian lamb to consumers worldwide. We look forward to collaborating with Robby to elevate awareness and appreciation for Australian lamb within the vibrant culinary scene of the Philippines.”

Mainstream

Goco has been promoting lamb for the past 18 years since he opened his first “lamb-centric” restaurant in Boracay.

“I put lamb in mainstream restaurants because of Cyma,” Goco stated. “You could only order lamb before in high-end restaurants or five-star hotels. No one would serve lamb in casual, mainstream restaurants. No way. But you know what? If everyone is serving beef or pork, why not serve lamb? It was initially challenging because many Filipinos are used to lamb that’s not from Australia. It’s the funky, tough one. And I said, if you get the one from Australia and you cook it the way I do, it tastes like veal with burnt caramel. Good lamb tastes like veal – it’s very light and delicate.”

He added: “I know everyone is into beef or steak, cochinillo or Iberian pork, but lamb is really my passion. I can do kalderetang lamb, sisig lamb and what-have-you. The hotels did a good job by serving lamb chops, but that’s about it. They never really serve shoulder, the leg of lamb and even ribs. Some are not properly cooked; sometimes it’s super tough. It’s not from Australia.

“It’s such an honor to be chosen as Lambassador because this has always been what I’ve been preaching. I have already converted a lot of Filipinos to enjoying good quality lamb. For the Lambassador program, there are 12 chefs from 14 countries, including global chefs from the UK, Canada, the US and from all over Asia. Together, we are sharing experiences, recipes and friendships through lamb. We had an eight-day event in Melbourne where we were exposed to this product. I now know more about lamb than before. It’s one of the healthiest meats.”

To celebrate his appointment as a Lambassador, Goco, together with representatives from MLA, the Victorian Government, and some Australian lamb producers, recently presented special dishes at Souv! By Cyma highlighting the goodness of Australian lamb.

Goco prepared four lamb dishes, each employing a different cooking technique: grilled, fried, roasted and braised.

He started with the 8-Hour Roast Lamb Shoulder, Goco’s signature slow-roasted lamb served with Greek fries, lemon and oregano. Next came the Paidaka Lamb Ribs Verjus, which is prepared sous-vide for tenderness, then charcoal-grilled and coated in a verjus glaze. The glaze, made from grapes and apples, is reduced to create a sweet and sour taste.

The Greek stifado-style Low and Slow Lamb Stew is cooked with grape molasses, carrots, whole shallots and fresh parsley.

“We went to a Middle Eastern restaurant in Melbourne,” said Goco. “They served us this braised lamb with pomegranate molasses, sumac onions and coriander. It’s lamb stew on another level, and what makes it different is the braising of grape molasses.”

Finally, the Country-style Fried Lamb is a tender, breaded lamb loin chops with lemon. “We marinated the lamb in yogurt then breaded it like your favorite breaded fried chicken,” Goco said

Dessert came in Frozen Yogurt drizzled with extra virgin olive oil and flaky sea salt.

“All these dishes will be part of our menu in Souv! by Cyma so people can truly enjoy the goodness of lamb,” Goco said.

Souv by Cyma is located at the G/L Net Park Building, 5th Avenue, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City.