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ST. PHILIP’S FAMOUS ANNUAL BURGOO
September 22, 2019 @ 7:00 am - 5:00 pm
ST. PHILIP’S FAMOUS ANNUAL BURGOO
3500 St. Phillips Road South, Mt. Vernon, In 47620
Sunday, September 22, 2019, drive through and carry sales begin at 7:00 a.m.
In his early 70s, Dan Horstman has helped make burgoo with the Men’s Club of St. Philip parish for decades. To describe how the St. Philip parish annual burgoo gets done, Horstman talks about the generosity of the community. “Everyone pitches in and it all adds up,” he explained. It’s not at all unusual for several generations of one family to work the annual event which just might include an overnight shift.
Horstman points out even though most burgoo in Southern Indiana is made from the same basic ingredients, they don’t all taste the same. Recipes are simple: chicken and beef, tomato juice and standard vegetables including corn, carrots, cabbage, onions and two kinds of beans. “The spices we put in are what make each burgoo taste different,” Horstman said, adding that the details of the St. Philip spice mix isn’t openly shared, even among their own crew. But following their recipe to the letter every time is what makes their burgoo distinct and consistent and keeps their customers coming back.
In earlier times, kettles were gathered from farms and many of the ingredients were donated by individual families in the parish. If a family kept chickens or raised corn, that might be what they contributed to the burgoo. Over time, St. Philip updated methods and materials – when it made good sense — like switching from iron to aluminum kettles and investing in a 750 gallon gas fired cooker.
Horstman admits the burgoo is a big job, but the community wins and everyone is well-compensated in great food and fun. “When everyone comes together like that, it’s a proud thing to be part of,” he said.
