Tandy Elliss Burgoo Recipes

BURGOO

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large stockpot (8-quart) over medium-high heat. Season the chicken and beef with a few pinches of salt and several grinds of black pepper. Add the chicken to the hot oil skin-side down and cook until the skin is golden brown and crisp, 6 to 8 minutes. Flip the chicken and continue to cook until golden, about 2 minutes more. Carefully remove to a plate. Working in batches, cook the beef in a single layer spaced about an inch apart, turning a few times, until browned on at least three sides, 6 to 8 minutes per batch. As the beef finishes browning, transfer to a large plate.
• Add the sausage to the pot and cook, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon into small bite-size pieces, until cooked through and browned in spots, about 5 minutes. Add the carrots, celery, onion, bell pepper, 1/4 teaspoon salt and several grinds of black pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally and scraping any browned bits from the bottom of the pot, until the vegetables are crisp tender, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and bay leaves, and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, about 1 minute more.
• Return the chicken and beef to the pot, along with any juices that may have accumulated on the plates. Add the chicken broth, tomatoes, 1/4 teaspoon salt and several grinds of black pepper, then give everything a good stir. Bring to a boil, cover with a tight-fitting lid, then reduce the heat to low. Simmer until the chicken and beef are very tender, about 2 hours.
• Keep the burgoo over low heat. Remove the chicken from the pot and let cool slightly; remove and discard the skin and bones, then shred the chicken and return it to the pot. Skim the fat from the surface of the stew, discarding all but 1 tablespoon. Stir the 1 tablespoon of skimmed fat with the flour in a small bowl until a thick paste forms, then stir the paste into the stew. Add the potatoes, butter beans, corn and Worcestershire sauce. Increase the heat to medium-low, then continue to simmer uncovered until the potatoes are cooked through and the stew has thickened slightly, about 15 minutes. Discard the bay leaves and stir in the vinegar, if using. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper. Ladle into bowls and serve warm.

TRADITIONAL KENTUCKY BURGOO

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in an 8-quart pot over medium heat; brown pork and beef cubes in the hot oil, working in batches if necessary.
• Stir in chicken broth, chicken pieces, potatoes, and carrots. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer stew for 1 hour.
• Stir in stewed tomatoes, barbeque sauce, green beans, okra, corn, onion, green bell pepper, celery, apple cider vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, bay leaves, salt, black pepper, and hot pepper sauce.
• Bring stew back to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer 1 more hour.
• Discard bay leaves before serving stew in bowls.

KENTUCKY BURGOO

Steps:

• 1. Place the chicken breast, thigh, and liver, the pork, and the cold water in a heavy, nonreactive 4-gallon kettle; set over moderately high heat and bring to a boil. Adjust the heat so the water bubbles gently, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove and refrigerate all pieces of chicken. Cover the kettle again and simmer the pork about 1 1/2 hours longer or until very tender.
• 2. Remove the skin and bones from the chicken, cut the meat into 1-inch chunks, then pulse quickly in a food processor until the texture of coarsely ground meat (in the old days, the chicken was fed through a meat grinder). When the pork is tender, cut into 1-inch chunks, then pulse just as you did the chicken. Also pulse the chicken liver.
• 3. Return the chicken, liver, and pork to the kettle, add the beans and their soaking water, the onions, tomatoes and their liquid, the corn, and peas. Cover and simmer for 1 hour.
• 4. Add the salt, pepper, and butter, reduce the heat to its lowest point, and simmer the burgoo uncovered for 3 1/2 to 4 hours, stirring occasionally, or until as thick as chili. Note: If at any time the burgoo threatens to stick to the bottom of the kettle, slide a heat diffuser underneath.
• 5. Taste the burgoo for salt and pepper, adjust as needed, then ladle into heated soup bowls.

BURGOO

Steps:

• Place the beef, lamb, and chicken in a large Dutch oven. Add the salt and water. Bring to a boil, skimming off any foam that rises to the surface. Reduce the heat, partially cover, and simmer until the beef and lamb are fork tender, about 1 1/2 hours. Remove the beef, lamb, and chicken pieces to a plate and let cool. Strain and measure the broth; it should be about 6 cups. With a paper towel, wipe the inside edges of the Dutch oven to remove any residue clinging to the pot. Pour the broth back into the Dutch oven. Stir in the onion, garlic, mixed vegetables, okra, butter beans, tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, sorghum or molasses, ketchup, vinegar, cloves, and red pepper flakes. Bring to a simmer and cook for about 1 1/2 hours. Meanwhile, remove the chicken, beef, and lamb from the bones and cut into small pieces. Add the chopped meat to the vegetables and cook for about 1/2 hour to thicken the broth. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in the parsley.

TANDY ELLIS'S BURGOO

Steps:

• Put the beef, lamb, and dismembered chicken in a soup kettle with water, salt, black and red pepper. An old-fashioned iron kettle was specified by Mr. Ellis, but any heavy aluminum or metal kettle with a tight-fitting lid will do. Let this come to a hard boil, reduce the heat, and simmer about 2 hours with the lid on. Add potatoes, onions, and at intervals of 10 minutes, the butterbeans, carrots, green peppers. Then add corn and simmer for 2 hours or until mixture seems very thick. Watch carefully so that it does not stick. Add more water from time to time if necessary, but use as little as possible. Add okra and tomatoes and the garlic and let simmer another 1 1/2 hours, or until these vegetables too are done and blended with the others. Mr. Ellis insisted that the stew should cook for 7 hours, but 4 to 5 hours should be quite sufficient. As soon as soup is taken from stove, stir the parsley into it. This soup improves by standing and can be kept for a long time in the refrigerator. It is delicious when reheated. Serve with corn pones and follow it with a piece of pie-a most satisfactory repast, Kentucky style.