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TWO DAY BURGOO

Cider Beans, Wild Greens & Dandelion Jelly
by Joan E. Aller

Burgoo is a savory stew made from a variety of ingredients and traces its roots to the early Irish settlers in the mountains. Burgoo traditionally included whatever meats and vegetables were available, usually venison, squirrel, opossum, or game birds. Modern burgoo recipes use pork, chicken, beef, or mutton. There are as many different ways to make burgoo as there are people who make it. It's often cooked in large iron kettles outdoors over an open fire. Cooking can take as long as thirty hours, and the flavor improves with age.
Makes 1 gallon

INGREDIENTS

FOR DAY ONE
• 4 quarts water
• 1 (5-pound) roasting chicken
• 1 pound beef stew meat
• 1 pound veal stew meat
• 4 large beef bones
• 1 chopped scallion
• 2 green bell peppers, seeded and finely chopped
• 1 medium turnip, diced

FOR DAY TWO
• 2 cups fresh butter beans, shelled
• 10 medium tomatoes, peeled and chopped
• 2 cups thinly sliced celery
• 2 cups finely chopped green cabbage
• 1 (10-ounce) can tomato puree
• 6 ears fresh corn on the cob
• 2 cups thinly sliced carrots
• 2 cups chopped yellow or white onions
• 2 cups thinly sliced fresh okra
• 1 cup chopped fresh parsley, plus more far garnish
• 1/2 lemon, seeded
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 dried red pepper pod
• 1/4 cup salt
• 1½ teaspoons coarsely ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

DIRECTIONS

ON DAY ONE, in a roasting pan, combine the water, chicken, beef stew meat, veal stew meat, beef bones, scallion, bell pepper, and turnip. Bring to a boil, and then turn the heat down to simmer. Cover and simmer for 4 hours. Let cool, and then strain and reserve the broth. Remove the skin and bones from the chicken and finely chop the chicken and stew meat. Remove and discard the beef bones. Return the chopped meat to the cooled stock and refrigerate it overnight.

ON DAY TWO, lift off half of the tat from the top of the stock and return the stock and the meat to the stove over medium low heat. Add the butter beans, tomatoes, celery, cabbage, and tomato puree and cook for 1 hour, until thick.

PREHEAT the oven to 300°F.

IN A BOWL, scrape the corncobs to remove the kernels. Add the corn to the pot, along with the carrots, onions, okra, parsley, lemon, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, sugar, red pepper pod, salt, cayenne pepper, and black pepper. Stir to blend, and cook, uncovered, in the oven for 2 hours, or until the burgoo is the consistency of a thick stew. Serve hot