Chicken, pork and beef oh my! It’s Kentucky Derby festival time, so let’s make some burgoo.

Here in the Louisville area, burgoo has become a traditional Kentucky staple. This dish dates back to around the time of the civil war, when it was necessary to feed lots of soldiers and families. Where modern day burgoo uses a combination of chuck roast, pork butt, and chicken thighs, the original stew contained other variations of meat, like rabbit, mutton and squirrel. Whatever vegetables that were available were added to the meat and simmered in kettles over open fires.

Burgoo is really popular to eat around the time of the Kentucky Derby, which is always the first Saturday in May. If you’re serving a crowd at your Derby party, this would be a great addition to your menu. Besides being a slow simmered stew, it uses an unusual combination of ingredients, which makes it a must try.

I like to go to my local meat market to purchase the freshest meats and ingredients. Cutting all the fresh meat into cubes before browning requires some effort, and chopping all the vegetables can be time consuming, but trust me, it is all worth it. I’ve only ever made this on a stovetop, but I’m confident this could easily be made in a crockpot.

Enjoy making this burgoo and getting a little taste of Kentucky!

Make good food with gratitude,
Becky

Kentucky Burgoo

Yield:

• 8 quarts

Prep Time:

• 30 minutes

Cook Time:

• 2 hours

Total Time:

• 2 hours and 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• 3-4 tablespoons vegetable oil

• 3 pounds pork butt (cut into cubes)

• 3 pounds chuck roast (cut into cubes)

• 4 chicken thighs (bone-in)

• 1 green pepper (chopped)

• 1 large yellow onion (chopped)

• 2 large carrots (peeled and sliced)

• 2 celery ribs (chopped)

• 5 garlic cloves (peeled and sliced)

• 1 quart chicken stock

• 1 quart beef stock

• 28 ounce canned, crushed tomatoes

• 2 Russet potatoes (large, peeled and cubed)

• 1 pound frozen sweet corn

• 1 pound frozen Lima beans

• 4-8 tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce

• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Place the vegetable oil into an 8 quart stock pot or Dutch Oven.

Season the meat generously with salt on all sides. Brown meat on all sides, one protein type at a time. Do not crowd the meat, because it will steam and not brown. When browned, remove to a bowl and brown the rest of the meat, removing from the pan.

Next, place the vegetables, except the potatoes, in the pot and sauté them until tender, adding the garlic last. When the garlic is fragrant, probably 1 minute or less, add the meat back to the pot. Pour the chicken broth and beef broth into the pot. Add the crushed tomatoes. Stir to combine. Bring to a simmer and cover.

Simmer for approximately 2 hours, until the the meat is tender. Stir frequently. Strip the meat from any bones, and remove any skin from chicken. Break the meat into smaller pieces. Add the potatoes and cook until almost tender.

Now add the frozen corn and Lima beans. Cook until heated through.

Add the Worcestershire sauce, and salt and pepper to taste.

Serve hot sauce on the side, if desired.

Serving with crusty bread or cornbread is suggested. My recipe for Spoon Bread, which is featured on this blog, would be a great accompaniment, as well.

In other words, you simply can’t go wrong when serving this dish!

Tips and Tricks:

Follow the recipe, and make sure to stir it often.

Although this recipe calls for 4-8 tablespoons of Worcestershire Sauce, I only used 4 tablespoons, and that amount was perfect for my taste. You decide!

This recipe can easily be cut in half, if you don’t need to make such a large amount.