I’m not sure if this is purely Southern, or if we just claim it, or if we just claim to do it best, but this is one of the things I go for when it gets cold. Brunswick stew was a dish I didn’t like as a kid, but my taste buds have grown up and now we even take it on winter picnics to the mountains, complete with cornbread. This is a rich, rib-sticking, spicy, filling stew.
SERVES 20
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 medium onions, diced
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 pound shredded cooked pork
1 pound shredded cooked chicken or turkey
1 (12-ounce) bag frozen corn
3 medium russet (baking) potatoes, peeled and diced
1 (28-ounce) can diced or stewed tomatoes
1½ cups ketchup
½ cup barbecue sauce , homemade or store-bought
5 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1 tablespoon red pepper flakes
2 bay leaves
½ teaspoon dry mustard
1. In a Dutch oven over medium heat, heat the olive oil and butter. Add the onions and garlic and cook until the onions soften and are almost translucent, about 4 minutes.
2. Stovetop version: Stir in the remaining ingredients and cook, stirring often, over medium heat for 1 hour. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until the stew is thick and the meat is very tender, 3 to 4 hours.
Slow-cooker version: Transfer the onion mixture to a slow cooker and add the remaining ingredients. Set the slow cooker to high for 1 hour. Reduce to low and cook until the stew is thick and the meat is very tender, 4 to 6 hours.
3. Discard the bay leaves before serving.