Virginia Brunswick stew with pics

  • Some of the links on this forum allow SMF, at no cost to you, to earn a small commission when you click through and make a purchase. Let me know if you have any questions about this.
SmokingMeatForums.com is reader supported and as an Amazon Associate, we may earn commissions from qualifying purchases.

fxsales1959

Master of the Pit
Original poster
OTBS Member
SMF Premier Member
★ Lifetime Premier ★
Dec 17, 2019
2,032
3,083
Ft Lauderdale.
I think I piqued some interest of those previously unfamiliar with Virginia Brunswick stew. I was raised (pre-teen years) in tobacco country Virginia. Spent most of my summers on a small tobacco farm in Central Virginia.
This afforded me some great culinary experiences like country ham Brunswick stew and others.
From my perspective Virginia Brunswick differs greatly from the many Brunswick stew recipes on the interweb.
Some recipes (such as Georgia )have the audacity to recommend other meats( up to roadkill) rather than Chicken.. To each their own. My Grandma, aunts, and mother made "Stew" with chicken, butter beans, corn, tomato, potato and water (we didn't have box broth back then). Many times it was made in an iron cauldron over a fire to cook all day.
Fast forward to today where our cauldron is a crock pot. I always smoke a whole chicken when Mama makes it. I was surprised my $.99/lb Perdue chicken came with packaged neck and giblets. Just like thanksgiving I put them all in a pan with 3cups of water to simmer into broth. (I think her recipe calls for 4 cups.)
I made a rub for the bird and set up the kettle for two zones with my SNS device. Cowboy briquettes and a couple chunks of hickory .My kettle runs around 275/300 that way. Probed it, put it on and went in for the race.
set alarms for 165/185 chicken correct.
Funny thing is: recipe calls for no spices other than a Tsp of salt, black pepper and sugar. I don't have her exact recipe but I've babbled enough already.
4 images. pre-smoked chicken, smoked chicken, uncooked in crock and finished.
BTW, didn't have o worry about bite-through skin because it was shredded anyway

Thanks for "watching"

chicken pre smoke.jpg

smoked chicken.jpg

crock stew .jpg

done stew.jpg
 
Last edited:
I think I piqued some interest or hose previously unfamiliar with Virginia Brunswick stew.
You did in my case . I just watched an episode of Life of Fire where he had Tuffy Stone doing Virginia ham , and he also did Brunswick stew while the hams were cooking .
He talked about some history of the stew . Good episode .

Anyway . This looks great . I'll me making it at some point .
 
I'm sure I've posted about this before, and wIill search my posts tomorrow, but oh boy do I know a guy from that part of Virginia. Chicken muddle is what he brought me but Brunswick stew was always a hot topic. All said, enjoy your supper!
 
Born and lived in VA all my life but until 24 years ago when we moved to central VA it was up north before it became a concrete jungle.

I had never had Brunswick stew until we went to Graves Mountain Lodge where they do a festival, where the stew and apple butter are featured. I never understood the hoopla over either. Probably because the lack of seasoning in the stew and I never cared for the consistency of apple butter for some reason. Brunswick stew is a celebration in Virginia right along with apple season this time of year.

I thought the original Brunswick stew lore has it that squirrel was usually the protein back in the day. I love all the ingredients though. Maybe I'll make a batch this fall but seasoned my way. Not sure I've ever made any soup or stew with Lima beans, so that will be different! I Love Lima beans with just butter salt and pepper as a side dish.
 
  • Like
Reactions: fxsales1959
Looks amazing!! I’ll have to give it a whirl soon
 
I just watched an episode of Life of Fire where he had Tuffy Stone doing Virginia ham , and he also did Brunswick stew while the hams were cooking .
I've watched that episode...
I thought the original Brunswick stew lore has it that squirrel was usually the protein back in the day.
In the episode of Life of Fire referenced above, Tuffy used squirrel in his stew and said it was traditional to do so. Got to remember that back in the day, folks cooked whatever they grew, caught, and shot...
 
  • Like
Reactions: 912smoker
SmokingMeatForums.com is reader supported and as an Amazon Associate, we may earn commissions from qualifying purchases.

Latest posts

Hot Threads

Clicky