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Updated
January 26, 2017.
Made with a variety of meats and vegetables, Burgoo is a Kentucky tradition often cooked in large quantities and for events and barbecues. There is quite a bit of speculation as to the origin of the word burgoo, from a mispronunciation of the word barbecue to a mispronunciation of bird stew, but the origin remains a mystery.
This Kentucky burgoo is a typical version, a chicken and beef stew with cabbage, potatoes, okra, and lima beans.
Ingredients
- 1 chicken, 3 to 4 pounds
- 1 1/2 pounds beef stew meat
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 2 cups beef broth
- 2 cups water
- 1 1/2 teaspoons coarsely ground pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 can (about 29 ounces) tomato puree
- 12 small potatoes
- 2 cups chopped onion
- 1 medium head cabbage, finely chopped
- 3 cans (14.5 oz each) diced tomatoes
- 3 cans (12 to 15 oz each) whole kernel corn, drained
- 1 pound carrots, sliced
- 1 cup fresh sliced okra
- 1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen butterbeans or lima beans
- 2 green peppers, finely chopped
- 2 to 4 teaspoons salt, to taste
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1/4 to 1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce
Preparation
- Cook chicken and beef in chicken, beef broth, and water with coarsely ground pepper and cayenne pepper until chicken and meat are very tender, about 30 to 45 minutes.
- Remove bones, dice and shred chicken and meat and return to the liquid.
- Add tomato sauce, potatoes, onions, cabbage, tomatoes, carrots, corn, okra, lima beans, and green pepper. Season with a little of the salt and pepper and the Worcestershire sauce. Cook slowly for 2 to 3 hours, stirring from the bottom to keep from scorching.Taste and add salt, to taste.
- Add water, if necessary, to keep from sticking.
