Brunswick Stew: What's In The Can?

Brunswick stew is a Southern dish that features beans, vegetables, and meat in a tomato base. Early recipes often included squirrel, rabbit, and even opossum meat, but today, it's more common to use pork, chicken, and beef. The dish also includes corn, lima beans or butter beans, and a few spices to add a touch of heat.

Brunswick stew in a can is a convenient option for those who don't want to cook it from scratch. It can be found in grocery stores, particularly in the Southern US, and is also available online.

Characteristics	Values
Main ingredients	Chicken, potatoes, tomatoes, corn, lima beans, onions, carrots, parsley, barbecue sauce, beef, pork, cayenne pepper, baby lima beans, brown sugar, butter beans, celery, okra, chicken broth, diced tomatoes, chicken thighs, pulled pork, chicken stock, diced potatoes, baby lima beans, frozen corn kernels, canned diced tomatoes, cooked chicken, cooked pork, cream-style corn, sweet corn, tomato sauce, bacon drippings, hickory smoke-flavoured barbecue sauce, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, black pepper, cooked diced chicken breast, shredded cooked pork, cooked beef, cooked chicken, white corn kernels, onion, hickory-flavoured barbecue sauce, vinegar, salt, pepper
Additional ingredients	Sugar, salt, dehydrated onion, black pepper, garlic, tomato paste, chicken broth, barbecue sauce, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, ground black pepper, crushed red pepper, cayenne pepper, smoked pork, smoked chicken, ground beef, ground pork, rabbit meat, squirrel meat, opossum meat, butter beans, celery, okra, chicken stock, barbecue sauce, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper, chicken thighs, pulled pork, butter, onion, garlic, potatoes, baby lima beans, corn kernels, diced tomatoes, chicken, tomato sauce, bacon drippings, barbecue sauce, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, black pepper, chicken broth, cooked chicken breast, cooked pork, cooked beef, onion, barbecue sauce, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, black pepper
Add-ons	Cornbread, biscuits, rice, coleslaw, fried okra, hushpuppies, sautéed spinach, pickles, salad, cornbread, biscuits, potato skins, pasta, grains, rice, eggs
Origin	Brunswick City, Georgia, or Brunswick County, Virginia
Preparation	Slow cook, smoke, Dutch oven, heavy stock pot, crock pot, can
Storage	Refrigerator, freezer
Nutritional information	Carbohydrates, protein, fat, saturated fat, polyunsaturated fat, monounsaturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, sodium, potassium, fibre, sugar, vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium, iron

Meat

Brunswick stew is a Southern dish that features meat, vegetables, and beans in a tomato base. The meats used in Brunswick stew vary, with early recipes often including squirrel, rabbit, and even opossum. Today, the most common meats used are chicken, pork, and beef.

Brunswick stew is typically made with cooked and shredded or pulled pork, along with cooked and shredded or chopped chicken. Some recipes also include beef, either ground or shredded. The meat is usually cooked before being added to the stew, and leftover meat can be used.

When preparing the meat for Brunswick stew, it is important to ensure that it is cooked thoroughly and shredded or chopped into small pieces. This allows the meat to absorb the flavours of the other ingredients and creates a cohesive texture within the stew.

Some recipes call for smoked or barbecued meat, adding a unique flavour to the dish. The type of meat used can vary depending on availability and personal preference, with some people opting for game meats like squirrel or rabbit.

In addition to meat, Brunswick stew also typically includes a variety of vegetables such as potatoes, corn, lima beans, and onions. The tomato base gives the stew a rich, tangy flavour, and barbecue sauce is often added for additional flavour.

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Vegetables

Brunswick stew is a Southern dish that features vegetables, beans, and meat in a tomato base. The vegetables used in Brunswick stew vary, but typically include corn, lima beans or butter beans, potatoes, carrots, and onions. Some recipes also include celery, okra, and baby lima beans. The stew is usually served with cornbread or biscuits and is often accompanied by coleslaw, pickles, or a salad.

The origin of Brunswick stew can be traced back to either Brunswick City, Georgia, or Brunswick County, Virginia, and it was traditionally made with squirrel meat, rabbit meat, and other wild game. Today, it is more common to find pork, chicken, and beef in this hearty dish.

One popular canned version of Brunswick stew, Mrs. Fearnow's, includes vegetables such as potatoes, tomatoes, lima beans, onions, corn, and carrots, in addition to chicken. This particular brand can be found in the canned meat section of grocery stores and is known for its bright yellow can.

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Spices

Brunswick stew is a thick and hearty dish, and while there are many variations, it typically includes a blend of spices and seasonings to enhance its flavour.

The spices used in Brunswick stew can vary depending on the recipe and the region, but some common spices found in this dish include black pepper, cayenne pepper, and crushed red pepper. These spices add a subtle touch of heat and a bold, Southern flair to the stew.

In addition to these peppers, other spices such as garlic, thyme, and parsley are also used to enhance the flavour of the stew. Garlic, with its pungent aroma and savoury flavour, is often cooked until tender and used as a base flavour for the stew. Thyme, a woody herb with a slightly minty and earthy flavour, adds depth to the dish. Parsley, a bright and fresh herb, brings a burst of colour and a subtle, fresh flavour to the stew.

Some recipes also call for barbecue sauce, hot sauce, and Worcestershire sauce, which can be considered condiments or spices depending on the context. These sauces add a tangy, savoury, and slightly spicy kick to the stew, rounding out the flavour profile.

The beauty of Brunswick stew is that it can be customised to one's taste preferences and spice tolerance. Some recipes suggest adjusting the amount of barbecue sauce or hot sauce to make it milder or spicier. Additionally, salt and pepper are typically used for seasoning, and their quantities can be adjusted to suit personal preferences.

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History

The exact origin of Brunswick stew is disputed, with both the US states of Georgia and Virginia claiming it as their own. The city of Brunswick in Georgia and Brunswick County in Virginia are both named after the German Duchy of Brunswick-Lüneburg, and both claim to have created the stew.

The people of Brunswick, Georgia, point to a 25-gallon iron pot in the town, which has a plaque claiming that the first Brunswick stew was made in it on 2 July 1898. However, this date is disputed, as there are written accounts of a dish called Brunswick stew being cooked in Virginia before the Civil War. A report in the Alexandria Gazette in 1849 described Brunswick stew as "a genuine South-side dish, composed of squirrels, chicken, a little bacon, and corn and tomatoes." In 1855, the Petersburg Intelligencer explained the stew's origin, noting that in Brunswick County, it was popular to shoot squirrels and stew them with tomatoes, corn, butter beans, potatoes, and spices.

In 1988, the Virginia General Assembly issued a decree naming Brunswick County the home of Brunswick stew, claiming they could trace their stew back to 1828. This claim is supported by a competing story that a Virginia state legislator's chef invented the recipe in 1828 on a hunting trip.

The rivalry between the two states over the stew's origin has been described as "good-natured" and "one of those battles that will never be settled."

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Serving suggestions

Brunswick stew is a hearty dish that can be served in a variety of ways. It is traditionally served as a side dish at barbecues, alongside other dishes such as chicken or pork, baked beans, coleslaw, potato salad, and cornbread or corn muffins. It can also be served as a main course with cornbread or biscuits, coleslaw, pickles, or a salad on the side. For a lighter option, it can be served with a salad or roasted vegetables.

Leftover Brunswick stew is also very versatile. It can be used to stuff potato skins, tossed with pasta, grains, or rice, or served over eggs. It can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days and frozen for up to 3 months.