Friends Food Family

A Wonderful Southern Staple - Brunswick Stew

When I came home on Thursday night, Jeff had beaten me home and had already stopped at the supermarket. "What's for dinner?", I asked. He handed me a copy of a recipe from Tasting Table called Brunswick Stew. As I read the ingredients, I thought...WOW, this looks delicious...bacon, chicken, corn, green beans, barbecue sauce. Yes, extremely delicious. It had been 10 degrees all week (in New England) and comfort food is the best way to end a bone-chilling day. 

Jeff has belonged to Tasting Table for the past few years and gets recipes once a day. If the recipe looks interesting, he prints it and brings it home. This recipe comes from Chef Suzanne Vizethann of Buttermilk Kitchen, located in Atlanta, GA. Brunswick Stew is a southern staple and I can completely understand why. This recipe is hearty and it has heat, but sweet heat with a real smokiness.

I was saying to Jeff that it reminded me of a "chili" style of stew. The density of the vegetables reminded me of beans. The bacon and barbecue sauce brought depth to the dish and the heat finished that "chili" feeling.

My friend, Lucille, stopped by the following day for lunch and enjoyed a bowl of Brunswick Stew with me. It's so funny how you start talking about how good it is and how members of your family would enjoy this dish. Lucille was saying, "My son would love this..." and I was repeating with, "If my sons, Brian and Michael were home, they'd be enjoying seconds." I'm not sure if it's the mother in us wanting to feed our families delicious dishes or the foodie in us that wants others to enjoy these dishes with us. I guess it's really about breaking bread with friends and family.

The Super Bowl is next weekend and if you are looking for a hearty dish to serve to your football fans, put this Brunswick Stew on your list, there won't be a disappointed fan in the room.

Ingredients for Brunswick Stew (Adapted from Suzanne Vizethann, Buttermilk Kitchen)

1 pound of thick-cut bacon, we used applewood smoked, cut into ½-inch pieces
1/2 cup of butter
1 medium sweet onion (Vidalia), chopped into 1/4 pieces
4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
2 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon of kosher salt
1 tablespoon of freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
3/4 cup of barbecue sauce, we used Jack Daniels, Original #7
3/4 pound of rotisserie cooked chicken, shredded
1/2 cup of crushed canned tomatoes
3 cups of fresh or frozen corn kernels
2 cups of frozen butter beans or lima beans, we used lima beans
3 cups of chicken broth

Preparation

1. In a large skillet set over medium heat, cook bacon until crispy, 15 to 20 minutes.
2. Pour off the fat from the pan and transfer the bacon to a bowl.
3. Add the butter to the skillet; once melted, add the onion and garlic.
4. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft, about 15 minutes.
5. Stir in the Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper and cayenne pepper and simmer for 5 minutes, until the onions are glossy and the spoon leaves a trail when run across the bottom of the pan.
6. Add the barbecue sauce, the reserved bacon and the cooked chicken and stir to combine.
7. Stir in the tomatoes, corn and butter beans. Pour in the broth and bring to a simmer.
8. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook the stew for 20 minutes. Season to taste.

Divide into bowls and serve. Enjoy with a big piece of corn bread. This recipe serves 8. 

Written by Tricia White

 

Looking for a Hearty Beef Stew Recipe with Red Wine and Vegetables?

 

Once the holidays have passed and things aren't as CRAZY, Jeff and I love to spend Sundays making stews and dishes we can use during the rest of the week. When the ability to make a quick meal is difficult, coming home and re-heating a hearty meal is stress-less.

Last year, we found a Cabernet Beef Stew from Harmony Cellars, which was delicious. We have decided that this year we are trying to adapt more recipes and put our spin on the dish. After having lookedup numerous beef stew recipes we decided to use this as a base and add additional vegetables, herbs, pancetta and beef stock. It will take you about an hour for prep and stove top cooking before you place the stew in the oven to finish. It's well worth the hour because the rest of the time you can enjoyed entertaining or just relaxing.

We enjoyed the beef stew with crusty sourdough bread which was amazing. The broth has big favor with the wine and the beef broth, adding the pancetta definitely kicked up the meaty flavor. The vegetable were just right and the parsnips were delicious. We fed seven people that night and proceeded to send a few servings to Jeff's dad as well as supplement numerous lunches during the week. The response from those who took it for lunch, "It tastes even better re-heated." More time to let the flavors come together.

With the first weekend of football play-offs beginning, this is a great meal to serve, especially if everyone is snacking on chips, salsa and chicken wings during the day. Great for a football party or larger gathering. Hearty and delicious, it's a guaranteed crowd pleaser!

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons of olive oil

4 cloves of garlic

4 medium sized onions, sliced into 1/4 inch strips

3 pounds of baby yukon potatoes cut in quarters

5 stalks of celery sliced into 1/2 inch pieces

5 carrots sliced into 1/2 inch pieces ( or use about 20 small carrots)

4-5 parsnips sliced into 1/2 inch pieces

8 ounces of whole, baby bella mushrooms cut into quarters

4 ounces of chopped pancetta

2 cups of red wine (we use

6-7 cups of beef broth

4 pounds of stew beef cut into 2 inch cubes, dredge in flour (with salt and pepper)

3 bay leaves

2 teaspoons of dry marjoram

2 teaspoons of dry thyme

1 teaspoon of dry tarragon

1 teaspoon of dry rosemary

3-4 tablespoons of fresh basil

4 tablespoons of corn starch

1-2 cups of addition beef stock

salt and pepper, to taste

 

Preparation:

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.

Heat a large dutch oven (12+ cups) on medium high. Once the pot is hot, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Place beef (in small batches) into the pot and brown on each side. Don't over cook, they should be browned on the outside, still raw on the inside. Remove and place in a bowl. It will take about 4-5 minutes. I worked this in 4 small batches. Add the second 2 tablespoons of oil after the second batch.

Once all the beef has been browned, add the pancetta to the pot with the onions and garlic. Cook until the pancetta begins to brown and the onions are translucent. Add the beef back to the pan and add one cup of red wine. Scrap all the brown residue from the bottom of the pot. Allow it to come to a boil and then add the second cup of wine. Add the 6 cups of beef broth and then add all the vegetables (carrots, celery, potatoes, parsnips, and mushrooms). Once everything is incorporated, add the herbs and bay leaves (basil, tarragon, marjoram, thyme, rosemary).

Most of the ingredients should be submerged in the broth. If not, add another cup of broth to the pot. Cover with a lid and place in the oven. The stew will cook for about 2 to 2 1/2 hours. The stew is finished when the carrots have a slight bite and the beef is soft.

Move the pot from the oven to the stove and heat the pot on medium. Mix 2 tablespoons of cornstarch with 1/2 to 1 cup of beef broth. Add this to the stew to increase the thickness of the broth. Allow the mixture to boil slightly. If the stew is still runny, add the other 2 tablespoons of cornstarch and broth.

Once you have the stew consistency you like, add salt and pepper to taste. This recipe will feed 12-16 people.