Booyah
Green Bay, Wisconsin, USA
A thick, communal stew cooked outdoors in massive cast-iron kettles (sometimes 50+ gallons) over wood fires, simmered for two days straight with chicken, beef, oxtails, and whatever vegetables are in season. Whole communities gather to stir the pot in shifts. The name likely derives from the French 'bouillon,' carried over by Belgian and French-Canadian settlers in northeast Wisconsin. Outside the Fox Valley and Door County, almost nobody knows what booyah is. Inside those communities, it anchors church fundraisers, fire department benefits, and fall festivals. No two batches are ever the same.
Ingredients
- 1500 gWhole chicken (cut into pieces)
- 500 gBeef chuck (cubed)
- 500 gOxtails
- 1 headGreen cabbage (chopped)
- 6 mediumPotatoes (peeled and diced)
- 4 largeCarrots (sliced)
- 4 stalksCelery stalks (chopped)
- 3 largeOnions (diced)
- 800 gCanned tomatoes (crushed)
- 2 cupsFresh corn kernels
- 3 leavesBay leaves
- 2 tbspSalt and black pepper
Directions
- 1
Place the chicken, beef chuck, and oxtails in a very large stockpot. Cover with cold water and bring to a boil, skimming the foam as it rises.
- 2
Reduce heat and simmer for 2 to 3 hours until all meats are falling apart tender.
- 3
Remove the meats, shred or chop them, and return to the pot. Discard bones and excess fat.
- 4
Add onions, celery, carrots, and crushed tomatoes. Simmer for another hour, stirring occasionally.
- 5
Add potatoes, cabbage, corn, and bay leaves. Continue simmering for 45 minutes until the vegetables are soft and the stew is thick enough that a wooden spoon stands up in it.
- 6
Season generously with salt and pepper. Remove bay leaves.
- 7
Serve in deep bowls with crusty bread. Tastes even better reheated the next day.