Book Review: Burgoo, Barbecue & Bourbon: A Kentucky Culinary Trinity By Albert W. Schmid

If you ask people around the globe to name a dish most associated with Kentucky, chances are you’re going to get “fried chicken” or perhaps “benedictine (spread)” if you’re lucky. While those two finger-lickin’ treats do have origins in the state, chef, author, and instructor Albert W. Schmid believes burgoo is Kentucky’s top culinary treasure, and he proves his point in his latest history-meets-recipe book Burgoo, Barbecue & Bourbon: A Kentucky Culinary Trinity originally published in 2017 and now available in paperback ($19.95, University Press of Kentucky).

Schmid, who now teaches at Keiser University in Florida, spent nearly 18 years in Kentucky as a professor and director of Hospitality Management at Sullivan University in Louisville. It was during this time he developed a healthy devotion to the region’s delicacies, including Kentucky bourbon, penning books like “The Old Fashioned,” “The Manhattan Cocktail,” and the award-winning “Kentucky Bourbon Cookbook,” which is required reading for anyone looking to host a Derby party near or far.

Albert W A Schmid

In “Burgoo, Barbecue & Bourbon,” Schmid gets a little nerdy on us with a deep dive of historical local and regional cookbooks — 2,400 cookbooks to be exact — that were gifted to Western Kentucky University’s special collections library. Schmid probably spent more time in that library than he cares to admit, scouring all the minor details and evolving recipes he could find.

The book mixes fascinating facts with primitive and contemporary recipes for those who like both the “how” and the “why.” It’s truly a well-balanced, piping-hot masterpiece prepared by a chef who wants to share his passion for the bluegrass state with the world. “Kentuckians are very proud of the food and the hospitality that they provide their guests,” Schmid writes in the book’s Preface. “This is a cookbook to help preserve Kentucky cuisine.”

The six succinct chapters — burgoo, barbecue, sides, bread, bourbon, and desserts — cover all the fixins for a backyard meal for two or 222. Each category starts out with a brief history of the dish, along with sourced examples of its origin and fun facts about its traditions. More than a dozen old and new recipes then follow.

Burgoo

Schmid begins with burgoo and dives into the rich history of the savory stew-soup hybrid that is native to Kentucky and Illinois specifically. He traces the dish’s origins back to a time when communities would share in the preparation of large meals.“Local women would have a ‘peeling party’ for all of the vegetables that would go into burgoo,” he writes. “Later that day, local men would tend to the burgoo pots all night while the mixture finished cooking.”

And this brings us to the ever-changing ingredients of burgoo. Of course local vegetables like potatoes, okra, corn and lima beans were used, but oftentimes the meat included any and all that was nearby, mostly “from wild things in the woods.” This could range from squirrels to birds to rabbits to groundhogs and so on. Nowadays, most recipes call for chicken, pork and/or beef — likely bought at the grocery store and not plucked from the forest. And if you’re wondering if any of the recipes for burgoo include bourbon? One of them does indeed!

Bourbon

A highlight of the book is the bourbon chapter, which features 21 cocktail recipes that have stood the test of time. One of my favorite drinks to make for a party is included here: the Bourbon Ball by famed Louisville bartender Joy Perrine. Although Perrine is no longer with us, her delicious concoction lives on, and I was thrilled to see it listed here among the classics like the Old Fashioned, Mint Julep, and the Kentucky Toddy.

If you’re a recipe collector, a history buff or a little bit of both, this book would make a great read — even if you’re not from Kentucky. With recipes that are approachable and historical tidbits that are engrossing, “Burgoo, Barbecue & Bourbon” is the perfect weekend book to curl up with while the chili — or, hey, let’s make it burgoo — simmers on the stove.

As we head into chillier weather, a hot bourbon spiked apple cider might be just the thing to serve guests at Halloween or Thanksgiving.

Bourbon-Spiked Apple Cider

20 servings

2 64-ounce bottles apple cider
2 tablespoons packed dark brown sugar                                                                                    4 whole cloves
1⁄2 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1⁄4 teaspoon ground all-spice
4 cinnamon sticks, broken in half
11⁄2 cups bourbon

Mix all the ingredients except the bourbon in a large pot. Bring to a boil over high heat. reduce the heat to medium and simmer until the mixture is reduced by one quarter (or about 12 cups), about 30 minutes. using a slotted spoon, remove the cinnamon and cloves. add the bourbon. Ladle into cups.

Recipe reprinted with permission from Burgoo, Barbecue & Bourbon: A Kentucky Culinary Trinity University Press of Kentucky