Two American stews deserve mention: Brunswick stew (originating in Brunswick County, Virginia) combines squirrel, rabbit more commonly today, chicken sweet corn, lima beans, tomatoes, okra, and onions; Kentucky's burgoo is similar, adding beef and potatoes, carrots, turnips, and other vegetables.
As I was searching my mind for some connection between the Roman rite and mutton consumption, the merchant told me that the large Catholic churches in town have always staged huge picnics that feature barbecue and burgoo — burgoo, another staple of Owensboro barbecue restaurants, being a soupy stew that I, for some reason, had always associated with southern Illinois.
I might as well admit that burgoo is something I have never been able to get enough of.
Ziggy is originally from a part of Kentucky where it is traditional to accompany barbecue with a sort of stew called burgoo, and I came upon him as he was putting the finishing touches on the pot of burgoo he customarily cooks up on the Friday night of the Memphis barbecue contest.
Unfortunately, he was all out of burgoo.
"Sliced, chopped, ribs, hidden in burgoo".
The menu will be inspired by the show, with items like clam chowder, burgoo and oysters Rockefeller.
We ordered a three-meat plate ($14.50) of sliced and chopped mutton and mutton ribs, with sides of mac'n'cheese, green beans and Kentucky burgoo (a rich, tomato-based barbecued meat stew, $3).
The Kentucky Derby is run the first Saturday in May, and in addition to bourbon-heavy mint juleps, hot browns, burgoo and other Kentuckified foods, Derby wouldn't be complete without Derby pie.
Because the squirrel was once so important to the diets of North Carolina and east Tennessee, Mr. Nabhan included it on his list, along with a recipe for the thick vegetable stew called Kentucky burgoo.
