"Who, excepting Kentuckians and their favored southern friends and kinsmen, has ever really known the bliss of genuine burgoo?"  -  Washington Post, June 6, 1906

Who indeed? Even the folks in Washington understood the heaven that is this legendary concoction. But they'd still probably call it Brunswick stew. And, they'd be right. But, they'd also be wrong.

They'd be right because there is a dish called Brunswick stew. I've actually had Brunswick stew. It was good. It reminded me of burgoo. But it was NOT burgoo. Wanna know why? No mutton.

And that's where they'd be wrong. And this part is purely subjective. They'd be wrong because if you're going to go ahead and make this delicious soup--and I even hate calling it soup--then you just gotta go for broke and make it with mutton. And call it burgoo. And enjoy the H-E-Double Hockey Sticks out of it.

Brunswick stew looks exactly like burgoo, but it's just made with chicken or pork or beef. And the reason it's not made with mutton is because when you go too far outside of Daviess County, people look at you like you're a cannibal when you tell them what mutton is and that you actually eat it.

So, naturally they're not putting it in their Brunswick stew. What they don't know, right?

The Barbeque Festival is upon us. Soon we will be surrounded on all sides by large pots full of the magical elixir called burgoo.

Pardon me while I go get my really big spoon.

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