Burgoo recipes and a little history of it

[WildcatRick]

What is burgoo?

If you are like most people you have never heard of, much less eaten burgoo. This is one of those times it's definately best to be in the minority. Burgoo is a savory stew made from a varying array of ingredients. It is often cooked in enormous iron kettles outdoors over an open flame. Cooking can take as long as 30 hours and flavor improves as it ages. It has been said that burgoo is more of a concept than a recipe. This is because there are as many different ways to prepare burgoo as there are people who prepare it. The meats could include any or all of the following meats: mutton (sheep/lamb), beef, pork, chicken, veal or opossum. You will also find some combination of these vegetables: potatoes, corn, lima beans, tomatoes, or okra. Of course there are also many spices to choose from as well. As you might imagine there are many people who keep their recipes a closely guarded secret.

Burgoo is a spicy stew that has its roots in the Irish or mulligan stew. Traditionally, the idea was to make a stew using whatever meats and vegetables were available and in good supply. That meant venison, squirrel, opossum (though not in modern recipes) or game birds; essentially whatever the hunt brought back. The local Kentucky barbecue restaurants use specific meats—usually pork, chicken or mutton—in their recipes which creates (along with spice choices) a distinct flavor unique to each restaurant. Cornbread or corn muffins are served on the side.

Kentucky burgoo recipes are somewhat like chili recipes, in that there are many different recipes each calling for different sets of ingredients. Burgoo making often serves as a common ground for social gathering among Kentuckians and their friends. Typically each person brings one or more ingredients and all the ingredients will be cooked in a big pot. Locally in Kentucky burgoo is often used for fund-raising in schools. This form of Burgoo has been claimed to have been invented by the family of former Major League Baseball player, Ollie Beard.

No standardized recipe exists, but it is a combination of at least three things. Today, the meat is usually pork or mutton, often hickory-smoked, but not limited to these more popular meats. A combination of beef, pork, chicken and mutton are frequently used, both hickory-smoked and non-smoked. Historically, however, it could have been any game animal during lean times, like during the Civil War. Today, for example, the Hilltop Inn of Evansville, Indiana (as featured on Alton Brown's Feasting on Asphalt television series)[2] serves a variety made with squirrel meat. Vegetables such as lima beans, corn, okra and potatoes have always been popular. A thickening agent of cornmeal, ground beans, whole wheat or potato starch is all that most cookbook recipes use today, but it is traditional to add soup bones for taste and thickening.

The ingredients are combined in order of cooking time required, with meat usually going in first, vegetables second, and if necessary, thickening agents last. A good burgoo is said to be able to have a spoon stand up in it. Cinnamon, nutmeg, and other savory spices can be added. Some varieties use cider vinegar, hot sauce, worcestershire sauce or dry chili powder. These condiments are often made available for people to spice up their own bowl as well.

It is widely served in Owensboro, the burgoo capital of the world. There are many different recipes for burgoo, with considerable disagreement over ingredients and method of preparation.

As far back as I can remember I always saw burgoo served alongside BBQ, the two are synonymous to me. I remember my Dad making a huge iron kettle full of burgoo over an open fire for his pig roasts every September. Some of the best eating of my life. He cooked his pig in the ground and it was incredible. His homemade BBQ sauce is the best I have ever had, and its not even close. I have never asked for the recipe, not really sure why. He smokes venison that is just short of heaven once his sauce is added.

Here are 3 burgoo recipes, one from the famous Moonlite, one from the equally famous Beaumont Inn, and mine. Mine is actually "ours", perfected by Mike Dickens, Dennis Hornback and Jim Wade, three great friends, and myself.
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Moonlite BBQ Inn's Burgoo
Recipe from the Moonlite Bar-B-Q Inn at Owensboro, Kentucky (serves a very generous buffet -- worth a stop if you're traveling through!)

4 pounds mutton
1 3-pound chicken
Water
3/4 pound cabbage, ground or chopped fine
3/4 pound onion, ground or chopped fine
5 pounds potatoes, peeled and diced
2 17-ounce cans corn or 2 cups fresh corn
3/4 cup ketchup
3 10 3/4-ounce cans tomato puree
Juice of 1 lemon
3/4 cup distilled vinegar
1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce
2 1/2 tablespoons salt, or to taste
2 tablespoons black pepper
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (more if you like)

Some area cooks add dried beans or lima beans, tomatoes and a little boiled shredded beef or wild game
Boil mutton in enough water to cover. Cook until tender, 2 to 3 hours. Discard broth and bones. Chop meat fine. Set aside. Boil chicken in 2 gallons of water in a large kettle until tender. Remove chicken. Add cabbage, onion, potatoes, corn, ketchup and 1 gallon water to chicken broth. (If you are following the area cooks' recipe, add those ingredients now.) Bring to a boil.
Meanwhile, chop chicken meat. Discard bones and skin. When potatoes are tender, add chopped chicken, mutton, tomato puree, lemon juice, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, salt, black pepper and cayenne pepper. Simmer for 2 hours or longer, stirring occasionally as it thickens.
Makes 3 gallons.

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Beaumont Inn Burgoo recipe from Harrodsburg, Kentucky's famous Beaumont Inn (highly recommended place for an overnight stay! Their corn pudding is wonderful, as are the breakfast corn cakes!)
Many regional versions of this soup are thick enough to stand your spoon in. The cook at the Beaumont Inn developed this recipe to be a lighter first course soup. Its history dates back to before the civil war and is a favorite at Kentucky Derby time.

1 pound mixed cooked meats (beef, lamb, pork, chicken, game, etc.)
1/2 gallon chicken stock
1/2 gallon beef stock
1 ounce Worcestershire sauce
1 cup tomatoes, diced
1 large onion, diced
1 stalk celery, diced
1 small green bell pepper, diced
1 large potato, diced
2 large carrots, diced
1/4 cup peas
1/2 cup okra
1/4 cup lima beans
1/2 cup yellow corn
2 teaspoons garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 2 hours, skimming the top as needed.

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WCN Burgoo
Recipe for the burgoo cooked at our tailgate parties.

· 3 lbs mutton or lamb (smoked)
· 3 lbs chicken meat (smoked)
· 3 lbs smoked pork (pulled or chopped)
· 1 lb cabbage, chopped fine
· 3 gallons broth (half chicken, half beef)
· 1 gallon water
· 1 lb onion, chopped fine
· 5-6 pounds potatoes, diced
· 3 (17 oz) cans corn or 3 cups fresh corn
· 4 cans lima beans
· 1 cup ketchup
· 3 (10 3/4 oz) cans tomato puree
· Juice of 1 lemon
· 2 tablespoons garlic, minced
· 1 cup distilled vinegar (or apple cider vinegar)
· 3/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
· 3 tbl salt, or to taste
· 3 tbl black pepper
· 2 tsp cayenne pepper (to taste)
· Few dashes of Texas Pete Hot Sauce

Optional ingredients – 2 cups okra/4 stalks diced celery/1 cup diced bell pepper/3 large carrots diced/1 cup peas/1 tablespoon smoked paprika

Add cabbage, onion, potatoes, corn, ketchup, water and broth. Bring to a boil and lower heat slightly.

Meanwhile, chop meat. When potatoes are tender, add chopped meat, lima beans, garlic, tomato puree, lemon juice, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper and hot sauce. Any of the optional ingredients go in now as well.

Simmer for 2 hours or longer, stirring occasionally.

[classicrockgriller]

W R, I appreciate you taking the time to post this.

Is alot there to absorb for a slow country boy like me.

If you had to choose one (1) to work on first, what is

your recommendation.

This sounds like something that might go over real good

at the Deer Camp.

I will try it a couple times before then.

Thanks again.

[KevinG]

Wow, my eyes are tired from moving back and forth. Nice post.

[WildcatRick]

W R, I appreciate you taking the time to post this.

Is alot there to absorb for a slow country boy like me.

If you had to choose one (1) to work on first, what is

your recommendation.

This sounds like something that might go over real good

at the Deer Camp.

I will try it a couple times before then.

Thanks again.

You cant go wrong with either the first or third one. I personally have never made the second, but there are folks that swear by it. It was given to me by a friend and is closer to a soup than a stew. The third one(mine) is scaled to feed a bunch of folks, but you could always halve or third it. Not to mention you can add any of the options that you prefer. I cant stand okra, so I never have it in mine, but most people love it.

Remember this though, Moonlite is Moonlite, I am just a tailgater. Theirs has been served to countless people over the years and I swear I have never heard a single person that didn't love it. One problem I have with their recipe is the omission of pulled pork. I just think it is a must in burgoo. Anything I can do to help, feel free to ask.

Sorry the original post turned out so long, that history part was longer than I thought after reading it.

[KyNola]

Nice work Rick.

Hey CRG, throw some pulled pork in the Moonlite recipe and it becomes CRG's burgoo recipe!

[classicrockgriller]

The History is as much fun to read as the recipes.

I'm kinda liking #2.

I'm cajun so you know I love okra.

Thanks again!

[TestRocket]

Wow Rick jump on in with both feet!  8) Thanks for the recipes and lesson.

[hal4uk]

Dangit, Rick!  I just met ya.. already love ya like a brother ---
But, now I gotta go and correct you...
Have you taken leave of your senses?

How could talk about authentic burgoo, and not mention SQUIRREL?   ;D ;D ;D

[classicrockgriller]

Dangit, Rick!  I just met ya.. already love ya like a brother ---
But, now I gotta go and correct you...
Have you taken leave of your senses?

How could talk about authentic burgoo, and not mention SQUIRREL?   ;D ;D ;D

He did in his Intro and I went ahead and harvested two today for the burgeaux!

[hal4uk]

I went ahead and harvested two today for the burgeaux!

Ahhh HA!!!!
I knew you had one of them West Texas Squirrel Bushes out back...

[classicrockgriller]

I went ahead and harvested two today for the burgeaux!

Ahhh HA!!!!
I knew you had one of them West Texas Squirrel Bushes out back...

West Texas? .......... Not me!

[ArnieM]

Thanks for the post Rick.  It looks really interesting.  I'll get right on it.

Here kitty, kitty.   ;D

[classicrockgriller]

Dangit, Rick!  I just met ya.. already love ya like a brother ---
But, now I gotta go and correct you...
Have you taken leave of your senses?

How could talk about authentic burgoo, and not mention SQUIRREL?   ;D ;D ;D

He did in his Intro and I went ahead and harvested two today for the burgeaux!

I think ronbreau, KyNola, MrsKyNola, Ka Hona and myself could turn this into a cajun thing.

Cajun Burgeaux!

[classicrockgriller]

Rick, take a listen at this.

http://forum.bradleysmoker.com/index.php?topic=12441.0

[ExpatCanadian]

Great post...  I had just been reading about "burgoo" in Smoke & Spice.... I wonder if I could use GOPHER  :P...  got lots of those where I'm from!!!  Damn...  as a kid I was like the Idi Amin of the gopher population with my little .22  :D!