Honoring Mary Magdalene

While Bologna served up like burgers might seem an odd selection for the Feast of Mary Magdalene. It’s not as odd as it sounds. Barbecued or Slow Roasted Bologna is popular in Oklahoma. And Oklahoma is home to America’s longest running Passion Play.

The Wichita Mountain Wildlife Refuge just outside Lawton, Oklahoma is the site of the Holy City of Wichitas. It is a public park within the refuge with an outdoor theater. The 66-acre park replicates ancient Jerusalem during Biblical times. While the park is open year round, since 1926 it has put on the Easter Pageant, “The Prince of Peace”. This underetaking is massive, run by a non-profit organization made up of a board and countless vounteers.

For the record, this organization is in no way associated with the Catholic Church. It’s just something that I personally admire. Anytime we can put our faith into action that is the Holy Spirit at work. Praise be!

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Slow Roasted Bologna Burgers
1/2 medium Yellow Onion
2 tablespoons Butter
1 cup Tomato Sauce
1/4 cup Beef Stock
1 tablespoon dried Parsley Flakes
1/2 teaspoon Roasted Garlic Pepper
1 (1 lb) tube Bologna
Barbecue Sauce as desired
Sliced Pepper Jack Cheese as desired
4 large Hamburger Buns

Peel and mince onion. Set aside. Melt butter in a cast-iron skillet over medium-low heat. Sauté onion in the butter until translucent and just slightly charred. Add tomato sauce, beef stock, parsley flakes and roasted garlic powder. Lower heat; continue to cook for 5 minutes.

Score bologna tube to a depth of 1/8-inch all over. Place tube on a rimmed baking sheet. Pour sauce over the bologna and press in to allow the sauce to seep inside. Let the bologna sit on the counter for 25 minutes.

Heat oven to 290-degrees. Place the sauce covered bologna tube into the oven, and slow roast for 45 minutes. Turn pan, continue to roast another 45 minutes, until the sauce has nearly caramelized over the bologna tube.

Remove from oven, slice into four rounds to create the bologna burgers. Brush with barbecue sauce and place under the broiler for about 3 minutes, until the sauce has caramelized on top. Turn bologna burgers over, brush with more sauce, return to the broiler for a few minutes more. Top with Pepper Jack Cheese, broil until the cheese has bubbled.

Spread barbecue sauce inside the buns, top with bologna burgers. Great with fries and an ice cold soda.

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O God, You are my God whom I seek;
for You my flesh pines and my soul thirsts
like the earth, parched, lifeless and without water.