| Owensboro’s burgoo is a hearty soup made from mutton, chicken, and a variety of vegetables. No two cooks prepare it the same way and most keep their recipes a closely guarded secret. One
tradition says that burgoo came to this country from
Wales. It found it’s way to the Kentucky frontier
through Virginia, but Daviess Countians have long
claimed that the Welsh-Virginian dish was a low quality
soup, not burgoo.
The
evolution of burgoo, and its contents in its early days,
seem markedly similar to those of Brunswick Stew. Burgoo
developed in the early 1800’s as a squirrel stew with
vegetables and it was first served to crowds at
political rallies and later at church picnics.
Burgoo
experts disagree about what meats actually go into
burgoo. Each area of Kentucky, and even individual
burgoo cooks use different types of meat in their
burgoo. At the Moonlite Bar-B-Q Inn we prefer to use
mutton, beef, and chicken. Mutton gives burgoo a wild
game like flavor that holds its own against the red
pepper and vegetables in our burgoo. Mutton gives the
burgoo the same oomph that squirrel and other wild game
formerly provided.
About
the only point on which burgoo experts agree is the
consistency of the soup. A good burgoo should be thick,
but still soupy. This is the reason for the long, slow
cooking time. It gives the burgoo time to thicken naturally.
The Burgoo Recipe
4 lb. Mutton
1-3 lb. Chicken
3/4 lb. Cabbage Ground or Chopped Fine
3/4 lb. Onion Ground or Chopped Fine
5 lb. Potatoes Peeled and Diced
2-17 oz. Can Corn (we like Shoe Peg)
or 2 Cups Fresh Corn
3/4 Cup Tomato Catsup
3-10 3/4 oz Can Tomato Puree
Juice of One Lemon
3/4 Cup Distilled Vinegar
1/2 Cup Worcestershire Sauce
2 1/2 Tablespoons Salt (or more to taste)
2 Tablespoons Black Pepper
1 Teaspoon Cayenne (more if you like)
Water
Boil mutton in enough water
to cover. Cook until tender about 2-3 hours. Throw out
the broth and bones. Chop meat fine. Set aside. Boil
chicken in 2 gallons of water in large kettle until
tender. Remove chicken, add potatoes, cabbage, onion,
corn, catsup and one gallon of water to chicken broth.
Bring to a boil. Meanwhile, chop chicken meat, discarding
bones and skin. When potatoes are tender add chicken,
mutton, lemon, salt, pepper, Worcestershire sauce, vinegar
and puree. Let this simmer for two hours or longer,
stirring often from the bottom as it thickens.
Yield: 3 Gallons Burgoo
is often served with bread, but crackers or corn bread
are also good with burgoo.
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