Moonlite Bar-B-Q Inn in Owensboro, Kentucky, is no secret to lovers of burgoo and barbecue mutton, so it was just another day when NBC Sports called wanting the restaurant to cook burgoo with chef Bobby Flay for a Kentucky Derby special.
The Bosley Family, owner of Moonlite, has been cooking up Kentucky's traditional soup, burgoo, at the Moonlite Bar-B-Q Inn for four generations.
The burgoo recipe became a discussion between Moonlite and Flay when he wished to put lima beans into the soup. While Flay added it to his version, Moonlite still contends that most cooks would never put lima beans in Burgoo; as pit master Benny Bosley claims, "You can put whatever you want in it, I just might not call it burgoo."
Burgoo is a hearty soup made from mutton, chicken, and a variety of vegetables. No two cooks prepare it the same way and most keep their recipes a closely guarded secret. Burgoo is a staple at both the Moonlite and the International Bar-B-Q Festival.
Moonlite Bar-B-Q Inn prepares about 50 gallons of burgoo a day.
