Heart of the Home
Variations of thick Brunswick stew are easily prepared
N
o Virginia stew is as quintessential as Brunswick stew. It’s been part of Virginia history since it was first prepared on a hunting expedition in Brunswick County in 1828. Cooking Brunswick stew is a labor of love, and often family recipes are passed down through generations. Traditionally prepared with wild game like squirrel or rabbit, variations of the thick, tomato-based stew have evolved to include chicken or pork, accompanied by vegetables like okra, lima beans, corn and potatoes. “Everybody has their own recipe. It takes eight hours to cook ours,” said George Daniel, a stew master in Brunswick
County who cooks with Red Oak Stew Crew. Mixing 85 gallons at a time, Daniel and his team have won the World Championship Brunswick Stew Cook-off four or five times, he said. “You cook it until you put the paddle in the middle, and it stands up. That’s the thickness of the stew, and it’s considered done at that point. “You can use the same ingredients, and no two people will get theirs to taste the exact same,” he added. Daniel understandably wouldn’t reveal his team’s secret winning recipe, but we found some simple recipes that can be prepared in your kitchen—without a team of stew masters.
Brunswick Stew
seasonings, and simmer until the meat is tender. Remove the chicken from the pot, and remove the bones and skin.
INGREDIENTS 4 pounds chicken ¼ cup oil
Chicken
Return chicken to the broth, and add vegetables. Cook until the vegetables are tender. Serve hot with homemade biscuits or cornbread.
½ cup chopped onions 1 quart tomatoes 1 cup water
-Evelyn M. Kirby, Hanover County, Country Treasures from Virginia Farm Bureau Kitchens
1 tablespoon salt 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
Lima Beans
Brunswick Stew with a Twist
¼ teaspoon hot pepper sauce 2 teaspoons sugar 3 cups corn 3 cups lima beans
INGREDIENTS
1 cup cubed potatoes DIRECTIONS Flour the chicken, and in a large stock pot, sauté it in oil until light brown. Add onions, and cook until clear. Add tomatoes, water and 28
1 large onion, chopped
Potatoes
1 celery rib, chopped 1 large green pepper, chopped 1 cup frozen sliced okra, thawed
Corn
4 cups frozen cubed hash browns, thawed
VIRGINIA FARM BUREAU NEWS
¾ pound barbecue pork, chopped 1 cup chopped cooked chicken ¼ tablespoon Worcestershire sauce 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes, undrained 15-ounce can tomato sauce 15-ounce can corn with red and green peppers, drained 15.5-ounce can lima beans, drained 2 cups chicken broth ½ teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon pepper DIRECTIONS In a 5-quart slow cooker, combine all ingredients. Cover, and cook on high for 6½ hours. -Sarah Large, Buckingham County, Cooking Virginia Style with Farm Bureau Women
