Name: Pepitoria de Chivo
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 1 h 35 min
Total time: 2 h 15 min
Cuisine: Colombian
Ingredients: 1 cleaned, split goat head, about 1.5 kg bone-in, prepared by a licensed butcher; 750 g inspected goat variety meats, such as liver, kidneys and heart; 4 L water for simmering the head and offal; 500 g small macaroni (macarroncitos / forminantes); 4 L water for boiling the pasta; 2 medium ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped, about 240 g; 2 medium yellow onions, peeled and chopped, about 300 g; 2 scallion stalks, chopped, about 80 g; 2 garlic cloves, chopped, about 8 g; 2 g dried marjoram, about 1/2 tablespoon leaves; 1 g dried oregano, about 1/4 tablespoon leaves; 15 g fine salt, divided or to taste; 2 g ground black pepper; 600 g long-grain white rice, rinsed; 1.2 L water

A wide bowl of goat head meat and macaroni pepitoria

Region Cúcuta, Norte de Santander, Colombia

Category Main dish / goat offal preparation

Yield 8 servings

Prep time 40 minutes

Marinating time None

Ingredients ↓

Overview

Pepitoria de Chivo

In Cúcuta, Norte de Santander, pepitoria de chivo is recorded as a dish made with goat offal and head, herbs, seasonings and a guiso. The Ministry of Culture cookbook gives a specific local version: it simmers the head and asaduras until tender, chops the edible meat, and combines it with small macaroni and chopped aromatics. The result is a moist, savory dish with soft pasta and finely cut pieces of meat.

The word pepitoria is used for more than one Colombian preparation. This recipe follows the Cúcuta version documented in the regional cookbook, which uses small macaroni in the dish and suggests white rice and roasted goat at the table. Other versions with the same name may use different ingredients and methods. Keeping the local variation clear makes this recipe both more useful and more faithful to its source.

Goat head and offal require planning and a good butcher. Ask for a cleaned, split head and inspected edible organs such as liver, kidneys and heart. The head is simmered first so the meat releases from the bones; the offal cooks in the same pot. Use separate equipment for raw and cooked meat, and check the organ pieces with a thermometer. Once chopped, the meat and pasta simmer together with tomato, onion, scallion, garlic, marjoram and oregano until the flavors come together.

Ingredients

Goat and pasta

1 cleaned, split goat head, about 1.5 kg bone-in, prepared by a licensed butcher
750 g inspected goat variety meats, such as liver, kidneys and heart
4 L water for simmering the head and offal
500 g small macaroni (macarroncitos / forminantes)
4 L water for boiling the pasta

Guiso

2 medium ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped, about 240 g
2 medium yellow onions, peeled and chopped, about 300 g
2 scallion stalks, chopped, about 80 g
2 garlic cloves, chopped, about 8 g
2 g dried marjoram, about 1/2 tablespoon leaves
1 g dried oregano, about 1/4 tablespoon leaves
15 g fine salt, divided or to taste
2 g ground black pepper

Optional white rice

600 g long-grain white rice, rinsed
1.2 L water

Method

Prepare the goat safely Buy a cleaned, split head and inspected edible offal from a licensed butcher. Keep them refrigerated at or below 4°C until cooking. Keep raw offal on a separate board and away from ready-to-eat food. Do not wash raw meat; wash hands, tools and the work surface after handling it.
Simmer the head and offal Place the goat head and variety meats in a large 8 L pot and add 4 L water. Bring to a boil, skim if needed, then partly cover and simmer gently for about 60 minutes, until the head meat is tender and releases from the bones. Check the thickest pieces of heart, kidney and liver with a clean food thermometer; each must reach at least 71.1°C. If a piece has not reached that temperature, continue cooking and check again. Remove the meat with clean tongs, discard the cooking liquid, and let the pieces cool just enough to handle.
Chop the meat and boil the pasta Pull the edible meat from the head and discard all bones. Finely chop the head meat and offal into small, even pieces, keeping raw-meat tools away from the cooked meat. In a separate pot, bring 4 L fresh water to a boil. Add the small macaroni and cook for about 12 minutes, or until tender but still holding its shape. Drain well.
Combine and stew the pepitoria Return the chopped goat meat and drained pasta to the pot. Add the tomatoes, yellow onions, scallions, garlic, marjoram, oregano, pepper and 10 g salt. Stir thoroughly, cover and cook over low heat for 20 minutes, stirring often so the pasta does not catch. The mixture should stay moist from the vegetables; if it begins to stick before the onions and tomatoes soften, add a small splash of hot water. Taste and add the remaining 5 g salt gradually if needed. Keep the finished mixture steaming hot throughout.
Cook optional rice and serve If serving rice, combine the rinsed rice and 1.2 L water in a separate pot and bring to a boil. Cover and cook on low until the water is absorbed and the grains are tender, about 15–18 minutes. Rest covered off the heat for 10 minutes, then fluff. Serve the pepitoria hot in shallow bowls, with rice alongside if desired.

Practical guidance

Practical

Nutrition per serving

These are high-uncertainty ingredient estimates for eight portions. The calculation uses the listed pasta and vegetables plus the estimated edible yield of a 1.5 kg bone-in head and 750 g mixed offal. Goat head yield and the liver, kidney and heart proportions vary considerably, so actual calories, fat and protein may differ by about 30% or more. Optional rice and roasted goat are not included.

Pepitoria de Chivo Recipe

A Cúcuta-style goat head and offal stew with small macaroni, tomato, onion and herbs. The local cookbook version uses goat head and variety meats, then serves the mixture with white rice and roasted goat. This adaptation keeps that Norte de Santander identity while using a butcher-prepared head and a food thermometer for safe cooking.

Practical guidance

Ask the butcher for the right preparation: The goat head should arrive split and cleaned, with no home slaughter or cleaning needed. The offal should be sold for human consumption and kept cold. The source names liver, kidneys and heart as examples; the butcher may provide a different inspected mix. Any change in organ mix can alter flavor and cooking time. Trim carefully after simmering: Work over a clean tray and remove every bone and hard piece from the head before chopping. Keep the chopped meat small and similar in size so it distributes evenly through the pasta. Do not return any piece that touched raw offal to the finished pot unless it is cooked thoroughly again. Keep the mixture moist: The covered, low-heat finish lets the tomato and onion soften around the pasta and meat. Stir with a broad spoon, scraping the bottom gently. If the pan gets dry, add hot water a spoonful at a time rather than turning up the heat; the pasta should remain moist but not soupy. Plan the serving: The Cúcuta cookbook suggests white rice and roasted goat alongside the pepitoria. Rice is optional here and is excluded from the nutrition estimate. If adding roasted goat, prepare it separately and use a safe cooking temperature for the cut; it is not included in the ingredient list or nutrition values. Store leftovers promptly: Divide cooked pepitoria and optional rice into separate shallow containers and refrigerate within 2 hours. Keep at or below 4°C and use within 3–4 days. Reheat leftovers to 74°C throughout, adding a splash of water if the pasta has absorbed the sauce. Do not leave cooked offal or pasta at room temperature for extended periods.

Allergens and food safety

The small macaroni contains wheat and gluten. Check packaging for additional allergens and shared-equipment cross-contact. Buy inspected head and offal, keep raw variety meats refrigerated and separate, and cook the heart, kidneys and liver to at least 71.1°C, verified with a food thermometer. Refrigerate cooked food within 2 hours in shallow containers and reheat leftovers to 74°C.

Final notes

Key point 1: Use butcher-prepared goat head and inspected offal, then verify the organ pieces reach 71.1°C. Key point 2: The Cúcuta version folds small macaroni into the chopped meat and guiso; rice is an optional side.

Nutrition per serving

Serving basis: 1/8 of the pepitoria mixture; optional rice and roasted goat excluded
Calories: 590 kcal
Carbohydrate: 50 g
Protein: 38 g
Fat: 23 g
Fibre: 4 g
Sodium: 750 mg

Pepitoria de Chivo

Ingredients

Goat and pasta

Guiso

Optional white rice

Method

Practical

Nutrition per serving

Pepitoria de Chivo Recipe

Practical guidance

Allergens and food safety

Final notes

Nutrition per serving

Colombian National Dishes

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Arroz Tapado from Boyacá

Arroz con Chipi-Chipi