Much like other southern regional dishes (gumbo, succotash, jambalaya) a burgoo is a concept stew for which there is no official recipe. Always thick and spicy; what makes a burgoo distinct is the use of a wonderful array of fresh vegetables and meats, and long slow cooking.
What is a Burgoo?
Most burgoos call for a combination of at least three meats, such as chicken, beef and mutton. Wild game meats are popular in burgoo recipes as well. This delightfully spicy burgoo recipe uses only one meat because of the space limitations of a slow cooker. To make up for this lack of variety, rich smoky turkey leg was chosen, and beef and chicken bouillon were added.
Kentucky Burgoo with Smoked Turkey Leg and Tabasco Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 large turkey leg, smoked (about 2 ½ pounds)
- 1 tablespoon beef bouillon
- 1 tablespoon chicken bouillon
- 1 large potato, scrubbed and diced
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 2 large carrots, peeled and sliced
- 2 cups fresh tomatoes, or 1 can (14 ½ ounces) diced
- 1 small yellow or orange sweet bell pepper, chopped
- 1 cup celery, finely diced
- 1 cup dried baby lima beans
- 1 cup cabbage, roughly chopped
- 1 cup okra, sliced (fresh or frozen)
- 1 cup shoe peg corn (fresh or frozen)
- 6 cups water
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 ½ tablespoons Tabasco® brand pepper sauce
Instructions
- Place turkey leg in an oblong Crockpot. If an oblong pot is unavailable, the turkey leg can be made to fit in a standard, round slow cooker by cutting it in two with a heavy cleaver.
- Add all ingredients in the order in which they are listed above. You may have to shift ingredients around a bit to make sure that the vegetables will fit around and under the turkey leg.
- Cover slow cooker and set the burgoo to cook on High for 5 to 6 hours, or on Low for 8 to 10 hours.
- When burgoo is done, carefully lift out the turkey leg and remove its skin, tough tendons and bones.
- Using two forks, shred the turkey meat and return to the Crockpot. Stir.
- Check lima beans for tenderness.
- When the baby lima beans are fully tender, additional water may be added if you find that the stew is too thick.
- Adjust salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve hot with wonderfully crusty homemade southern cornbread!
This recipe was adapted from the NASCAR Cooks with Tabasco Brand Pepper Sauce recipe by NASCAR driver Jeremy Mayfield: Jeremy Mayfield’s Kentucky Burgoo.
Source
- NASCAR Cooks with Tabasco Brand Pepper Sauce [1998]. New York, NY. HarperCollins
Maria Blanco - Writer/Editor, Certified Family Herbalist, Naturopath, Holistic Nutritional Consultant
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