Brunswick Stew

Brunswick stew, a tomato based stew with vegetables and meat, is a traditional dish popular in the American South. It's also surrounded by controversy.

Brunswick Stew is a tomato based stew with vegetables (usually at least lima beans, corn, and okra) and at least one type of meat. However, there's quite a bit of controversy surrounding its origins and the proper ingredients. Some claim it's from Brunswick County, VA, others, Brunswick, GA, and yet others, Braunschweig, Germany. And then there's the Eastern NC style - thicker, with potatoes and a smoky flavor. Contrasting with Eastern VA, which is thinner, without potatoes, more tomato flavored, and less smoky. AND on top of all that - there's controversy over the proper meats. GA style usually uses beef and/or pork with squirrel, whereas VA uses chicken with rabbit, and NC uses chicken and pulled pork. Wow! That's a lot of controversy!

Despite all this controversy, Brunswick Stew is one of those things I've been thinking about making for probably years. But, for one reason or another, I just never got around to it. (Maybe I was busy contemplating all the controversy!) So when I found this recipe on Mrs. Happy Homemaker, I knew I had to make it one of my Five Friday Finds. This stew doesn't take long at all! Just throw everything into a slow cooker, and let it do all the work. (Of course, you can still take all the credit when serving. :) ) If you've got a lot of turkey leftover, try this Brunswick stew with turkey! It'll be gone in no time. :)

What do you put in your Brunswick Stew?

Brunswick Stew

by CJ Huang

Brunswick stew, a tomato based stew with vegetables and meat, is a traditional dish popular in the American South. It's also surrounded by controversy.

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 1 hour
Total time: 1 hour, 10 minutes
Yield: 16 servings

Materials:

Mass	Weight	Volume	Number	Material	Notes
	2 pounds			chicken, cooked and then chopped or shredded
		3 cups		onion, chopped
			1	bell pepper, chopped
	29 ounces		1 large can or 2 small cans	tomatoes, diced
		1/4 cup		brown sugar
		4 tablespoons		white vinegar
		6 tablespoons		Worcestershire sauce
	1 pound			potatoes, cubed
	16 ounces (dry weight)			beans, cooked
		2 teaspoons		chili powder
		1 teaspoon		pepper
	16 ounces			corn, kernels
	16 ounces			vegetables, chopped	I used lima beans, carrots, green beans, peas, and I'm not sure what else.
		2 ounces		BBQ sauce

Methods:

1. Gather all materials.
2. Throw all materials into slow cooker.
3. Set for at least 1 hour.
4. Serve and enjoy!