Brunswick Stew is a sassy one pot dish full of flavor. It is however a dish with a questionable heritage. There are three schools of thought on the origin of Brunswick Stew.  The first is from Queen Victoria’s adoration of the dish coming from the original Brunswick: Braunschweig, Germany. Next Brunswick, Virginia and the nearby coastal communities in North Carolina claim the dish started there. Finally, Brunswick, Georgia and St. Simons Island, Georgia also say the dish originated there. The two US versions vary slightly. In Virginia the protein is usually chicken. In Georgia it is a mixed plate of smoked chicken, pork and sometimes beef. What is similar in the two recipes is a tomato base with a variety of vegetables. The Georgia version is sassier… more vinegar and more smoke and that is what I am presenting here with a Charleston twist, okra and fresh tomatoes.  One more thing, the original versions were made in hunting camps and often contained opossum, squirrel or rabbit, I am NOT going there, but feel free to add them if you wish.

The secret is in the sassy sauce! Yield one gallon. Freezes well or serves a crowd!

The Sassy Sauce

Ingredients:

• ¼ cup of butter
• 1 ½ cups ketchup
• ¼ cup prepared yellow mustard
• ½ cup apple cider vinegar
• 3 tablespoons chopped garlic
• 2 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper
• ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/8 cup of liquid smoke
• 1/8 cup of hot sauce (I like Texas Pete for this)
• ½ cup brown sugar or cane syrup if you can find it

Method:

• In a 2 quart sauce pan, melt the butter
• Add ketchup, mustard & vinegar and stir to blend
• Add garlic, peppers, liquid smoke, hot sauce and brown sugar and stir to blend.
• Simmer for approximately 10 minutes, do not allow to boil. Reserve for the stew.

The Stew

Ingredients:

• ½ cup of butter
• 1 cup of diced onion
• 3 cups of small diced potatoes (Yukon or red potatoes are best)
• 3 cups of chicken stock
• 2 14.5 ounce cans of crushed tomatoes
• 2 14.5 ounce cans of fire roasted diced tomatoes
• 1 pound each: smoked turkey or chicken, pulled pork and ham
• 2 cups each: frozen lima beans, frozen or fresh corn, frozen peas, fresh cut okra & fresh cut tomatoes (any fresh veggies can be added)
• ¼ cup liquid smoke

Method:

• In a large stock pot, melt the butter and cook the onions and potatoes over medium heat for a few minutes
• Add chicken stock, tomatoes and the meats and bring to a rolling boil for 5 minutes
• Add the veggies, reserved sauce and place on a very low simmer for 1 hour

Serve with cornbread or hush puppies