Burgoo
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (July 2015) |
 Kentucky burgoo served with mashed potatoes | |
| Alternative names | Roadkill soup |
|---|---|
| Type | Stew |
| Place of origin | United States |
| Region or state | Kentucky, Illinois, Indiana |
| Main ingredients | Meat (pork, chicken, or mutton) |
Burgoo is a spicy stew, similar to Irish or Mulligan stew, often served with cornbread or corn muffins. It is often prepared communally as a social gathering. It is popular as the basis for civic fund-raisers in the American Midwest and South.
Etymology
The term is of uncertain origin, possibly from Welsh.[1] Traditionally, burgoo referred to an oatmeal porridge eaten by sailors. [2] In the British Army, burgoo referred to a stew made from the standard field ration of hard tack biscuits and canned corned beef.[3]
Preparation
Traditional burgoo was made using whatever meats and vegetables were available—typically including venison, squirrel, opossum, raccoon, or game birds—and was often associated with autumn and the harvest season. Today, local barbecue restaurants use a specific meat in their recipes, usually pork, chicken, or mutton, which, along with the spices used, creates a flavor unique to each restaurant.
A typical burgoo is a combination of meats and vegetables: Common meats are pork, chicken, mutton or beef, often hickory-smoked, but other meats are seen occasionally. Common vegetables are lima beans, corn, okra, tomatoes, cabbage and potatoes. Typically, since burgoo is a slow-cooked dish, the starch from the added vegetables results in thickening of the stew. However, a thickening agent, such as cornmeal, ground beans, whole wheat, or potato starch can be used when cooked in a non-traditional way. In addition, soup bones can be added for taste and thickening.
The ingredients are combined in order of cooking time required, with meat first, vegetables next, and thickening agents as necessary. It is said that a spoon can stand up in a good burgoo. Cider vinegar, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, or chili powder are common condiments.
Regional popularity
Cooking burgoo in Kentucky often serves as a communal effort and social event in which each attendee brings one or more ingredients. In Kentucky and surrounding states such as Indiana, burgoo is often used for school fund-raising. This has been claimed as an invention of the family of Ollie Beard, a former Major League Baseball player.[4]
Many places hold great pride in their Burgoo, and it is a common feature in local events. The village of Arenzville, Illinois asserts itself as the home of the world's best burgoo[citation needed] and holds a yearly burgoo festival,[5] as does Chandlerville, Illinois,[6] both in Cass County. Several cities claim to be the burgoo capital of the world, including Lawrenceburg, Kentucky,[7] Owensboro, Kentucky,[8] and Franklin, Illinois.[9] In Brighton, Illinois, a local traditional burgoo is prepared and served annually at the village's summer festival, the Betsey Ann Picnic.[10]
See also
- Booyah, a social stew popular in parts of Minnesota and Wisconsin
- Brunswick stew
- Fish fry, often an event and social group fund raiser
- List of regional dishes of the United States
- List of stews
- List of meat dishes
- Southern Illinois chowder, another kind of social stew
References
- ^ "burgoo - Wiktionary". en.wiktionary.org. Retrieved 2019-03-30.
- ^ "What Is Burgoo?". culinarylore.com. 2016-08-06. Retrieved 2020-06-16.
- ^ Fennell, Jonathan (2011). Combat and Morale in the North African Campaign: The Eighth Army and the Path to El Alamein. Cambridge University Press. p. 134. ISBN 978-0-521-19270-5.
{{cite book}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help) - ^ Nemec, Davis (1994). The Beer And Whiskey League: The Illustrated History of the American Association--Baseball's Renegade Major League. Lyons and Burford. p. 178. ISBN 1-59228-188-5.
- ^ "Arenzville, IL - Home of the World's Best Burgoo". burgoo.org. Retrieved 8 July 2015.
- ^ "Chandlerville Burgoo, Illinois". Facebook. Retrieved 8 July 2015.
- ^ Canning Homemade. "Kentucky Burgoo - Canning a Crazy Soup!". sbcanning.com. Retrieved 8 July 2015.
- ^ "Burgoo: A Kentucky Specialty". One Sixty K. Retrieved 8 July 2015.
- ^ "Franklin, Illinois - Franklin History Book - Burgoo". franklinillinois.net. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 8 July 2015.
- ^ "Betsey Ann Picnic". Village of Brighton Illinois. 2019-10-07. Retrieved 2020-06-16.
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