Mike's Brunswick Stew

A favorite cold weather meal. We would buy a gallon of Brunswick Stew from Gibson's BBQ and it would be gone in a few days. I modified this recipe from one I found online to approximate the stew we used to get - it comes pretty close. I use smoked pulled pork but you can also use smoked pulled chicken, turkey, beef brisket, or a combination. This is a great way to use leftover smoked meat. This recipe will make about 6 quarts and takes about 3 hours to prepare. A half recipe works well also.

Ingredients

4 oz. (1 stick) of salted butter

3 cups (20 oz.) diced onions

2 Tablespoons minced garlic

3 cups (20 oz.) diced potatoes

1/4 teaspoon cayenne (red) pepper

1 Tablespoon ground black pepper

1 Tablespoon salt

1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce

1/3 cup sweet bbq sauce (recommend: Bulls-Eye® Sweet Hickory)

1/3 cup vinegar bbq sauce (recommend: Stubb’s® Original)

1/3 cup apple cider vinegar

2 pounds smoked pulled pork

1 28 oz. can of crushed tomatoes

2 11 oz. cans of sweet corn kernels (yellow or white), drained

1 quart (32 oz.) quality chicken stock or broth

Directions

• Melt the butter in an 8 quart cooking pot over medium heat. Add the diced onions and garlic and sauté for a minute. 
• Add the diced potatoes and continue to sauté for about 5 minutes. 
• Stir in the cayenne pepper, black pepper, salt, and Worcestershire sauce.  Sauté for 5 more  minutes then stir in the bbq sauces and apple cider vinegar. Cover and allow to simmer on low heat for another 20-25 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. 
• Stir in the pulled pork and add the chicken stock, crushed tomatoes, and corn to the slow cooker and stir. Turn the heat up to medium until mixture is bubbling.  Cover and allow the stew to simmer on low heat for 1 hour.
• Ladle some stew into a bowl and serve hot with cornbread, hushpuppies, or saltine crackers, if desired.