There’s a Burgoo Festival That’s Not in Owensboro…OR Kentucky

In the neighborhood I grew up in, we had a neighbor two doors down who would periodically make an enormous kettle of burgoo in the backyard, and we were all invited to have some.

What an extraordinary fringe benefit of living in Owensboro KY, where our finest chefs crank out the best barbecue in the country. (Yes, that's a subjective opinion, but Owensboro is the Barbecue Capitol of the World, so I can go there.) And honestly, more than the good barbecue itself, I love me some burgoo. All those tender vegetables, that amazing broth, and lots of mutton. Yes, mutton.

There Really Is a Burgoo Festival That's Not Even in Kentucky

If you search for a burgoo recipe nine times out of ten, you will not find one that includes mutton. But, as far as I'm concerned, that is the only way to make it authentically. However, "authentic" is relative, and folks in other areas of the United States have their own way of making burgoo. And ONE of those areas is LaSalle County IL which hosts a Burgoo Festival annually. And this isn't something they're merely "trying." In LaSalle County, burgoo is serious business.

Okay, let me explain. In MY opinion, traditional burgoo contains mutton, which is sheep. Most people I've met throughout my lifetime find it revolting, and that includes those who have tried it. Even the top recipe I found for "traditional Kentucky burgoo" does not include mutton; pork, beef, and chicken are the main ingredients. And in LaSalle County, it's just beef.

You know, I'm sure it's delicious, but I guarantee you it would be "missing something" if I tried it.

The LaSalle County Burgoo Festival is scheduled for October 12th and 13th in North Utica IL.