FOOD NEWS
15 Unique Kentucky Foods You Need To Eat
BY CRAWFORD SMITH
Barbecue Mutton
Mutton, or mature sheep meat, is beloved in Kentucky, but not many places still serve it. Owensboro, once a hotspot for wool production, is the place to get mutton BBQ.
Owensboro-style barbecue mutton is usually made with hickory-smoked shoulder meat, basted with a spicy vinegar-based sauce that often contains Worcestershire.
Transparent Pie
Transparent pie is delicious despite the odd name. Filled with a custard that includes eggs and white sugar, this dessert is somewhat similar to pecan pie, but contains no nuts.
The filling is thickened with white flour instead of cornstarch or cornmeal and often contains heavy whipping cream. The pie filling is flavored simply with butter and vanilla.
Burgoo
Barbecue mutton may also be found in a hearty stew called burgoo. However, this stew doesn't have any standard ingredients and can be made with a huge variety of meat and veggies.
The meat and vegetables (like corn, okra, and potatoes) in burgoo are simmered together for hours in a broth seasoned with barbecue sauce, until the vegetables disintegrate.
Monroe County-Style Pork Chops
Monroe-style barbecue starts with a pork butt that's frozen to firm it up. It's then cut into thin chops with an electric bandsaw and cooked over hickory coals.
Other than smoke, the main flavoring component of this style of barbecue is a marinade or sauce made with vinegar, lard, butter, cayenne, and black pepper.
Hot Brown
Legend holds that the Hot Brown was a late-night product from the Brown Hotel's chef in the 1920s, Fred Schmidt. The open-faced sandwich starts with a base of Texas toast.
The toast is topped with bacon and roast turkey, garnished with sliced tomato, and topped with Mornay sauce. This whole mess is then broiled and topped with paprika and parsley.