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BURGOO
Burgoo is as Kentucky as horse racing and politics. As a matter of
fact, the thick southern concoction is often called, "Kentucky
burgoo." Brunswick stew is a distant second cousin found "up
north." Burgoo can also be the name of an event where the old-time
favorite is served, as in "going to a burgoo."
Burgoo 'roots' can be traced to the 17th century and a
porridge-type food made from bulgur (or bulghur) wheat. Sailors
survived on it and brought it to the "New World."
In
the early days of frontier settlement, folks journeyed to 'town' to
celebrate their harvest and fall's arrival. These community events
were often built around a huge burgoo pot. Artists' renderings
illustrate giant kettles tied to trees or poles for stability while
men on ladders stirred tirelessly. And people contributed what they
had -- meat or produce -- to the community burgoo pot. Of course,
where people gathered in numbers it was not unusual for local
politicians to take to stump for some serious speechifying. And
another great Kentucky tradition was born.
Burgoo is also associated with Lexington KY's Keeneland Race
Cource, as well as Churchill Downs and the Kentucky Derby. Aside
from the hottest summer months, wherever you find a large number of
Kentuckians gathered to have a good time, a simmering burgoo pot
nearby should come as no surprise.
FAQs
include: "What is it?" and "What's in it."
Even
burgoo afficienados have a difficult time describing what it is.
Some liken it to a Mulligan stew or hobo hash, or to a
thick-n-hearty soup. "Thick" is a key word; we cook ours down to a
point where our stirring paddle will stand vertically in the big
50-gal pot.
It
can truly be said that no two burgoo recipes are exactly alike. Our
ingredients include a variety of meats (beef, pork, chicken,
sometimes wild game) and a whole host of vegetables including
tomatoes, potatoes, onions, cabbage, celery, corn, and beans. Peas,
green beans, and okra also are included in some recipes.
Our
"Skanky Hollow" recipe has its own history. And everytime we cook
burgoo our goal is to make it "even better than last time." There's
always some tweeking going on -- that's part of the fun.
Can we do a burgoo for
you?
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