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Richard Matthew s Burgoo
Ingredients:
3 quarts water or stock
3/4 pound lean inch-diced stewing beef
3/4 pound inch-diced pork shoulder
3-1/2 pounds chicken -- disjointed
water to cover
2-1/2 cups ripe tomatoes, quartered -- peeled and seeded
1 cup fresh lima beans
1/2 red pepper -- diced
4 green peppers -- diced
3/4 cup onion -- diced
1 cup carrots -- diced
2 cups potatoes -- diced
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 cups corn freshly cut from the cob
Instructions:
Mulligan stew is said to have originated in hobo camps during the
early 1900s, mulligan stew is a sort of catch-all dish of whatever
is available. It usually contains meat, potatoes and vegetables in
just about any combination. The name indicates that its origins might
come from IRISH STEW, but it's also often compared to Kentucky BURGOO.
The cook at a hobo camp responsible for putting this tasty concoction
together was called a "mulligan-mixer." If you are like most people
you have never heard of much less eaten burgoo. This is one of those
times its definitely best to be in the minority. Burgoo is a savory
stew made from a varying array of ingredients. If 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,
rabbit, squirrel You will also find some combination of these vegetables:
potatoes, corn, lima beans, tomatoes, okra or green beans. 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.
It is believed that the word "burgoo" originated in the 17th century
on the high seas. These sailors used to subsist on an oatmeal-like
porridge made from the Middle-Eastern grain, bulgur (or bulghur) wheat.
The term first appears in the 1650 book "Adventures by Sea" by Edward
Coxere. Put in a heavy lidded kettle with: 3 qts. water or stock 3/4
lb. lean inch-diced stewing beef 3/4 lb. inch-diced pork shoulder
Bring pot one slowly to a boil. Reduce heat at once and slowly simmer
about 2 1/2 hours. In another heavy kettle put: 1. One disjointed
3 1/2 lb. chicken with just enough water to cover. 2. Bring these
ingredients to a boil. 3. Reduce the heat at once and simmer about
1 hour or until the meat can easily be removed from the bones. 4.Put
the chicken meat and the water in which it was cooked into the first
kettle with the other meat after it has simmered the 2 1/2 hours as
directed. At this time also add: 2 1/2 cups quartered ripe, peeled
and seeded tomatoes 1 cup fresh lima beans 1/2 red diced pepper 4
diced green peppers 3/4 cup diced onion 1 cup diced carrots 2 cups
diced potatoes 1 bay leaf 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce Simmer
this whole mixture 1/2 hour or more before adding 2 cups corn (freshly
cut from cob) Cook about 15 minutes more or until all the vegetables
are soft Correct the seasoning. Some think Burgoo is not Burgoo without
squirrel, but then maybe that was Hunter's Stew, which was made in
an old iron wash pot, out doors over a fire. To be eaten at night
while listening to mountain music--hounds running a coon up and down
ridges and hollers. |
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