Ingredients
Method
- In a large, heavy stockpot, bring chicken, mutton, beef, pork, and water to cover to a rolling boil over high heat.
- Reduce heat to maintain an active boil, stirring so that water can circulate around the meats, and begin to skim away any foam that rises to the top. (Within 10 to 15 minutes, most of the foam will have risen to the top.) Reduce heat to maintain a gentle but lively simmer, and cook until meat is very tender, about 2 hours. (You should be able to pull the various meats apart easily, using two forks.)
- Remove stockpot from heat. Place meat in a large, deep bowl or baking pan, leaving broth in stockpot. Let meat cool. When cool enough to handle, remove and discard bones and cartilage. Pull meat apart into small pieces, using forks or your hands, or chop coarsely. Return meat to stock¬pot, and place pot on stove.
- Over very low heat, bring meat back to a simmer. Meanwhile, add tomatoes, potatoes, onions, cabbage, corn, butter beans, carrots, okra, bell pepper, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes, stirring together.
- Increase heat to medium-high, and bring stew back to a rolling boil, stirring well. Reduce heat to a lively simmer. Cook, stirring often, until vegetables are tender, meat has turned to shreds, and burgoo has thickened into a chunky, rusty-red stew, about 2 hours. Remove from heat, and sprinkle with parsley. Serve hot or warm.
Notes
Note: There is little active cooking for this recipe, but since it needs a lively simmer to cook down, sticking and burning are possible. Adding water early on is fine, but toward the end, it could dilute the flavors. Your watchwords are “low and slow,” but remember it needs to be visibly, actively cook¬ing. Consider a two-day burgoo-cooking plan: Cook the meats and make the broth on day one, and let cool overnight. Begin boning and shredding on day two. Add vegetables and cook down into burgoo.
*For testing purposes, our test kitchen halved the recipe from the book, which serves 25 to 30. The total yield shown here is 3 quarts, or about 10 to 12 servings.
*For testing purposes, our test kitchen halved the recipe from the book, which serves 25 to 30. The total yield shown here is 3 quarts, or about 10 to 12 servings.
