Burgoo Stew

Burgoo is Kentucky’s answer to the question: what happens when you throw every good thing into one massive pot?

A whole chicken and beef shank cross-cuts simmer together until fall-apart tender, then the meat gets pulled, cubed, and returned to the rich broth along with tomatoes, potatoes, carrots, celery, corn scraped fresh off the cob, lima beans, okra, and crispy bacon.

Cloves, bay leaf, and a touch of brown sugar give the broth a subtle warmth that ties the whole thing together.

This is the kind of stew that fills a 10-quart pot and feeds a crowd. Serve it with hot baking powder biscuits and you’ve got yourself a proper Southern feast.

Pro Tips

• Use beef shank cross-cuts, not stew meat. The marrow and connective tissue melt into the broth and give it a body that cubed chuck just can’t match.
• Scrape the corn kernels off the cob with a knife, then run the back of the knife down the cob again to squeeze out the milky starch. That’s your natural thickener.
• Stir often during the second hour. With this many ingredients, the bottom can scorch if you walk away.
• The bacon dripping and flour mixture at the end is your roux. Stir it in gradually and let it simmer until the stew coats a spoon.
• This stew gets better overnight. Make it a day ahead if you can.