mmmmmm-Mutton

Owensboro, KY - On our way from St. Louis to Nashville we stopped in Owensboro, KY - home of the International Bar-B-Q Festival held in May. Well, we may have missed the festival, but we did get to sample of the local favorite at Old Hickory Bar-B-Q - mutton.

We started with a serving of burgoo, a hearty stew made from mutton and chicken. Interestingly, Cyrus said that that the tangy flavors of the burgoo reminded him of abgoosht, a popular Iranian dish. I suppose Cyrus and the burgoo were destined to be to together.

Next, we moved on to the main course, a combo platter that included mutton, pork ribs (they were out of mutton ribs), and sliced pork. The sauce offered was a vinegar/tomato-based sauce with a mixture of spice and sweet. The sauce was no used in the cooking process, but offered for dipping on the side.

The star of the combo platter was definitely the mutton. It just grabbed onto that hickory flavor and tasted mmmmmm good. To say that the ribs just fell off the bone would be an understatement. There was barely any bone; they were all meat! I mention the sliced pork because it was there, but it was a little dry and needed a extra sauce, which I was happy to add.

The "must have even though I'm about explode" dish: At Old Hickory they also serve outstanding pecan pie. If you are a person who prefers the higher ratio of sugary goo:pecan, then this is the pie for you. The goo was not too heavy and solidified. Instead, it was wonderfully light and soft. The perfect note to leave Owensboro on