It was going so well, especially leaving the bacon in throughout the cooking process, and then the ever magnificent Chef John added - OKRA. It is now over-the-top, excessively delicious. You, Chef John, are the greatest. Thanks so much!
I will try this next week it’s my turn to cook for card club. As to groundhog it is actually very tasty. Our sportsman club has a wild game supper every year and groundhog is one of the meats that gets cleaned out first. It reminds me of shredded roast beef.
I had brunswick stew for the first time at an Apple harvest festival in the mountains of VA this last summer, it was so good I had to make my own batch the next week-it’s a nice twist on traditional stew
I also tried Brunswick stew for first time last summer while on vacation visiting my brother in Griffin Georgia, a big bowl full with saltine crackers a side of pulled pork a couple slices of white bread so good!
Ha ha I know. I loved "this is a cooking lesson not a philosophy course." Love you, Chef John. Even though the fat skimming hurts me too and I'm not from the US South.
@@Lucysmom26 Never skim the fat, too much flavor goes with it. Trim the meat before you cook and consume the flavored fat that remains. If there's too much fat once you have cooked, you need to trim closer next time. Fat is like salt, you can add more later.
North Carolina here. The biggest mistake you made was using a small pot. Use the biggest pot you have and multiply the recipe by 10. You can never make too much because everyone loves it! We make it in a cast iron cauldron over a wood fire in the winter. We jar up all that goodness and eat well all winter long.
@@1998wiwi Oh, Sweetiehide isn't joking. A good batch of Brunswick stew gets better as it ages. Therefor it's best to make as much as you can and put up what you don't eat immediately in mason jars. Some folks make a huge batch specifically to can for winter and the final cooking doesn't happen until it's pressure cooked in those jars. Most people these days have forgotten the lost arts of preparing food for the future. They just DoorDash everything.
@@JTguitarlessons He's a Yankee living in California cooking a southern recipe, so yeah someone who knows how the south does it should absolutely chime in.
I'm from the Hudson Valley and I have my grandfather's recipe (which is not as complicated as this one and only calls for chicken) but I originally thought that Brunswick referred to the town in New Jersey where Rutgers is because he was a graduate of the class of 1929.
Add the potatoes. As a southern that has used wild game it helps bulk up the stew and the BBQ sauce is to cover some of the game taste not needed with the white meat. And consider trying over some rice. Thank you chef!
I'm from PA mountains. Up to the 5 minute mark, that's how my mom cooked squirrel and rabbit. Kind of an Allegheny caccitore. No, we didn't eat possum or woodchuck. We're not animaks. But squirrel and rabbit, yes.
I'm sure I've heard the name Brunswick Stew before but I've never known what it was. This version looks really tasty, (and probably decidely less stringy than other meat options). I'll have to try it some time.
I'll share a family secret for Brunswick Stew: Coca-Cola. My family always made a "big ole pot" that included 1 bottle of Coca-Cola. For yours, I'd say about 1/4 of a bottle would work and leave off the vinegar. And instead of cayenne, use Tobasco.
I grew up in NC in the 60s. Sorry not even close to what we had. No opossum or raccoon.....but yes on squirrel, rabbit, pork, beef and chicken. Had it in winter so no okra. No potatoes. Cooked over open fire in big iron cauldron to feed at least 50 people. Oh...and lots of onions were in it. No Bell peppers. It did have the other veggies. They served hushpuppies with it. That was the best I ever had. Had it many times since but never as good as that. It was very thick and not so soup like. Some people used to serve it over rice too. I'd eat yours and probably love it. But I wouldn't call it Brunswick stew. Pretty sure what I had back then was considered the real deal.
I’m sure the first recipes had whatever meat could be found, but the versions I grew up with in North Georgia always had leftover bbq in them. I’m afraid “leftover BBQ” is as rare as “leftover wine” these days. I don’t recall potatoes in it, but they may have been so cooked down no one would know. We were more rice, sweet potato and cornbread people where I came from. Always love your content!
Ours is always made with leftover (actually set aside) bbq and other meat. We definitely have potatoes, we also have peas instead of lima beans, which is blasphemy to coastal Georgia stews, but we're not coastal. No Onions! Traditionally, it's made with meat from the hog's head.
I started watching this video and got as far as "Sorry, no squirrel." I stopped there and planned on watching it later and the first RUclips thumbnail I saw was, 'Squirrel shows gratitude'.
"Just dumped in a pot and boiled!" Oh, Chef, the humanity! The ability of browning meat is one of God's greatest gifts, and what separates man from animals. "And once we're happy...at least with the stew..." Oh, Chef, you are a therapeutic comedian. Thank you.
This might shock viewers......but chef John's pepper is not 'freshly' ground. It is on record that he grounds the pepper several weeks in advance...and therefore this lie is totally unacceptable.
Pretty good rendition. but a couple of things, use more Worcestershire sauce, put in earlier and let it reduce some, add some smoked paprika or smoked chiles for a little heat and a bit more smokiness, and a touch of lavender goes really well with this. BBQ is heretical and the sugar is completely optional and IMO adds too much sweetness.
Side note, no pun...it's always a side dish even though it could definitely be a meal in itself. It's always made when church's have a barbecue dinner, or pig pickings /outdoor gatherings. I'll try your version CJ because I'm sure it will be good.
@@84Tacos Pretty big, yeah. Nashville, TN. Is this more of a backwoods thang? We have plenty of southern foods here though. Soul food, fried chicken, turnip greens, biscuits & gravy, country fried steak, etc…
I've heard you've never had real Brunswick stew without squirrel, and that the flavors mix together best when that's the meat that's used...🤨🤔 If that's the case, I've never had real Brunswick stew. And most stews I've had have been fantastic!
I have lived in the south for 30+ yrs and just learned today that brunswick stew is southern and not from New Jersey 🤣😅 i realize ive had this many times, but never called it that. Thanks for teaching me something Chef John! 😁
Congratulations, Chef John. It looks just like the Brunswick stew made by my grandmother, who I don't think ever left the state of North Carolina. She made it with chicken and whatever squirrel and/or rabbit my grandfather could shoot. In my experience, squirrel is kinda stringy but tasty. I remember it would get stuck in my teeth. Yes, your stew is missing the cornbread, but that's easy to fix.
I never thought I'd be a small game person either, until a groundhog ate a bunch of our beans and tomatoes last year... Oh yeah, we shot that little thieving... *ANYWAY,* we cooked it up with a recipe online. "Buttermilk fried groundhog." I liked the flavor, somewhere between rabbit and beef, but _GEEZE_ was it tough. After a reheat in a 300 degree oven though, that went away. I'm gonna go out on a limb, guess that it was a matter of cooking longer and slower that broke it down a tad. Which makes me think, this stew would probably be a perfect use for a groundhog. You know, in case one decides the backyard garden is their buffet again this year.
@@funkylentil6966 ruclips.net/video/s15TWYFp0Ck/видео.html This is one of 100s of recipes for the same thing, I like to use scallion instead of chives though.
You learned our secret Chef John! Growing up in the mountains I always as a kid heard we made it with squirrel meat but later on it was revealed to me that we didn’t do that at all😂😂😂 We used grilled chicken and pork chops too, but we also added smoked ham hocks when we made the broth to go in it. That was basically equal parts chicken and just bone broth with one chicken bouillon cube added in. Changed the game
remember "Mad Cow" disease? it was a virus. the other vector was squirrel. happy to hear your Brunswick stew habitually lacked that. (evidenced by you able to work a computer ... and YT comment system ... and sentences ... )
Chef John I'm going to assume you don't know there's a huge argument in the south between two very different dishes that both call themselves Brunswick stew. This is the Carolina style Brunswick Stew. It definitely is NOT what what is referred to as Brunswick stew in Georgia (which is made with pulled pork and chicken and not squirrel).
The traditional Brunswick stews just had smoked "meat" meaning pretty much any meat but almost all revues I've found have pork and chicken. I prefer beef myself.
Being from NC this looks like a good version of Brunswick Stew, normally when I make mine I'll use ribs beef and pork as well as chicken. I have had true Brunswick stew made with squirrel, venison, dove and quail (as well as the pork, chicken, and beef) vinegar is a good thing to use for the gamier meats often used at hunting camps etc.
When I saw the Brunswick stew tag, I thought, “chef John of San Francisco is going to cook squirrel?!? This I gotta see!” Gotta say, I was a tiny bit disappointed that no rodents were used.
Let's see, I'm from Georgia, and grew up here, and I've never seen Brunswick stew made that way whether it was from me, friends, family or restaurant. It's mostly meat including pork and ground beef. You got to add things that bring the tang with lots of tomatoes; got the corn right. Made some homemade barbecue sauce so you would use the same ingredients that you put in barbecue sauce. Or it won't taste like Brunswick stew. That's what we call vegetable and meat stew growing up. It's like the poor man's vegetable and meat stew. And we never used raccoon, squirrel or any other wild meat; that would be a different type of stew. That is just not Brunswick stew at all.
A common recipe includes a sweet & sour tomato sauce with butter. It gives it a more robust kick. Whether light or high def version this is a great dish! It’s also delicious if you use smoked BBQ meats. Never seen it with bacon but it couldn’t hurt!
My family makes a production of at least 50 quarts when they make this for winter. Your take on this stew is way more beautiful than the long day project we make. What would you thicken your stew with? The "original" squirrel version was thickened with old bread and cooked over a fire in the woods. Our "fat hen" version thickens by reducing, broken down veggies, and time.
@@MatthewSmith-cp3hu quart plastic containers and freezes well for the winter. It feels so good to be hungry and look in the freezer to see a quart left... hot sauce and a sleeve o saltines
Thicken with a couple of tablespoons AP flour. Just springle it over and simmer in the oven or stove top. Add broth, bouillon, stock, cheap red wine, what you have. My oh my. I remember my Father talking about Brunswick stew from when he was a kid in W. TN.
I watched some old timers cooking this in a cauldron, stirring with a boat paddle, and they added bricks of butter. That was one step over the line for my tastebuds. 😮
Another NC native here. We'd brine the squirrel, possum & jack rabbits in Cheerwine (or Coca Cola) to cut the gaminess. Brunswick Stew is love in a pot.
Growing up in western NC, this bring back so many memories. My mother and grandmother definitely just tossed everything into one pot, and the meat was just whatever was leftover and/or found in the freezer. I've had it with beef, chicken, sausage, deer, and bear (and maybe other things like rabbit, who knows). I'm so glad you added the okra and corn, as those were definitely the two constants in the many variations of the stew.
Looks great! When I was in Georgia it seemed like every tiny town had it's own version of Brunswick stew. I think I tried them all and liked them all😊 I can't wait to try this recipe. THANK YOU.
'Add some lima beans...' *dumps 4 cups of lima beans in* EEW, LIMA BEANS. THEY TASTE LIKE PAPER AND GLUE EXCEPT DRIER. NO!!! Any other type of bean or any other ingredient would be better.
That looks more like Brunswick Soup. If you served that to a southerner, they would probably be confused. That’s not to say that it’s not delicious, but it’s not the same thing. But hey, I’m a big believer in make it your own way so rock on Yankee Doodle dandy 😂
As someone from north alabama I have definitely eaten squirell half a dozen times and it's not bad... the hind legs are all you can really eat. A big squirell has legs the size of a small chicken leg quarter and tastes good simmered in a stew until shreddable or pressure cooked till tender then battered and fried. It tastes like a cross between pulled pork and chicken thighs.
I got the ingredients to make this tomorrow. Doing it North Carolina style. I'm glad to see you use Liam beans instead on green peas, and I always add potatoes too. I add a couple of teaspoons of liquid smoke so it tastes like its been cooked in one of those huge cast iron pots over an open flame at a church sale. And, if it's not thick enough, I stir in unseasoned instant mashed potatoes.
First time I ever made Brunswick stew was for a church fundraiser with our youth group in NC. We used a huge vat and boat oars to stir the stew, acting like the witches from MacBeth.
I’m usually a day late and a dollar short! This recipe turned out really well and was appreciated by some friends from Georgia. Served with cornbread, a salad, sweat tea, hot sauce and a peach cobbler. Well received and complimented! Thanks! (I lived in Augusta Georgia both in the Army and at the Medical College of Georgia as a LPN and RN.) Great memories of great Southern foods. I was told that the original stew was a true poor man’s and slaves food made from leftovers and anything available or in season from meats to vegetables.
Native North Carolinian here. Brunswick Stew and Hushpuppies is what we ate together in my neck of the woods growing up. I still eat that combination to this day.
When I lived near Atlanta in the 80's, a coworker used to make Brunswick Stew by the boatload and sold it by the gallon. He used chicken, but never squirrel or other meats. It was amazing. Was just thinking about it the other day, and here it is. 🎯
Love your videos. Not surprised this came from a New Yorker however because this is not Brunswick Stew. Even as a "take" on the stew it is not really close.
This looks great! I think there's a misunderstanding about "BBQ sauce." North Carolina BBQ is not the gross, sticky, sweet junk they serve in Memphis, KC, or Texas. Our "BBQ sauce" is primarily apple cider vinegar and spices.
OMG!!!!!! Yes!! I am born and raised from Brunswick Ga. But honestly. Pulled smoked pork is ABSOLUTELY necessary. This looks alright but you def should have left out the bacon and used pulled smoked pork and some smoked paprika. And about another 1/4 cup of brown sugar for a pot that big.
I LOVE this channel, but living (and raised in) in NC I've got to say Chef John strayed too far from his wheelhouse on this recipe. I've eaten Brunswick stew from Virginia to northern Florida and west into Tennessee and Kentucky. I enjoyed many different spins on the classic version, but one thing for sure, Brunswick stew NEVER, NEVER, EVER has okra. Or bacon for that matter. And it is rarely seasoned with anything other than salt and pepper. In modern times chicken and pork are a great start, along with some diced onion for the stock. Usually this stew is served with BBQ, so the pork is usually shoulder and it's usually smoked, then some is set aside for the stew, but if you want to make your own stock go right ahead but pork shoulder is cheaper and works well. When the meat is finished simmering, remove to cool reserving liquid, then add whole or diced canned tomatoes, corn, lima beans, green beans, potatoes, and tomato paste, salt and pepper to taste. When the seasoning is right, shred the meat and add it. Now stop. You're done. I do like to add a little chicken base, but I'm usually making this from chicken breasts or tenders so they need a little boost in the flavor department. Starting with bone-in chicken might mitigate the need for the base. Also, if using canned veggies, add the can water. No sense in throwing away all the flavor. And lastly, this stew is usually very thick, with little "juice" or soupy'ness to it. (Think loose oatmeal thickness or grits if you're from the South) The shredded or chopped pork will help thicken this nicely if given time to absorb some liquid. Sorry to get excited, but I've owned restaurants where we made this stew in 200qt steam kettles every day of the year and still ran out on occasion, so I felt I needed to right this terrible wrong. OMG! Okra. Really?
Looks wonderful. But I'll he honest, if I made that, served it to my Geandma and called it "Brunswick Stew", she would've slapped the taste out of my mouth!
Looks delicious, Chef John, you should totally come to the Brunswick festival in October, it's in Lawrenceville VA, and omg the Brunswick stew contest sounds right up your alley.
Outstanding winter cold day meal. I cooked the onions peppers garlic chicken the same on the stove put transfer to a crock pot. I also use chicken stock. Please serve with biscuits or cornbread. And finally, the state of South Carolina is offended you said the recipe is from the north.
It was going so well, especially leaving the bacon in throughout the cooking process, and then the ever magnificent Chef John added - OKRA. It is now over-the-top, excessively delicious.
You, Chef John, are the greatest. Thanks so much!
I will try this next week it’s my turn to cook for card club. As to groundhog it is actually very tasty. Our sportsman club has a wild game supper every year and groundhog is one of the meats that gets cleaned out first. It reminds me of shredded roast beef.
I had brunswick stew for the first time at an Apple harvest festival in the mountains of VA this last summer, it was so good I had to make my own batch the next week-it’s a nice twist on traditional stew
I also tried Brunswick stew for first time last summer while on vacation visiting my brother in Griffin Georgia, a big bowl full with saltine crackers a side of pulled pork a couple slices of white bread so good!
Was it by chance the Albemarle Cider Festival? I go every year and bring back several pints of the Brunswick stew 😆
"...once we're happy, at least with the stew..." You have to love this guy.
Ha ha I know. I loved "this is a cooking lesson not a philosophy course." Love you, Chef John. Even though the fat skimming hurts me too and I'm not from the US South.
full stop: yes
That particular line cut to the quick.
I was literally going to write this exact comment! That’s how I know you’re cool.
@@Lucysmom26 Never skim the fat, too much flavor goes with it. Trim the meat before you cook and consume the flavored fat that remains. If there's too much fat once you have cooked, you need to trim closer next time. Fat is like salt, you can add more later.
North Carolina here. The biggest mistake you made was using a small pot. Use the biggest pot you have and multiply the recipe by 10. You can never make too much because everyone loves it!
We make it in a cast iron cauldron over a wood fire in the winter. We jar up all that goodness and eat well all winter long.
So you're saying the biggest mistake he made was that he didn't make a mistake? Makes sense.
@@notahotshot they're joking you goofball
@@1998wiwi Oh, Sweetiehide isn't joking. A good batch of Brunswick stew gets better as it ages. Therefor it's best to make as much as you can and put up what you don't eat immediately in mason jars. Some folks make a huge batch specifically to can for winter and the final cooking doesn't happen until it's pressure cooked in those jars. Most people these days have forgotten the lost arts of preparing food for the future. They just DoorDash everything.
Yeah okay, tell the professional chef how to cook.
@@JTguitarlessons He's a Yankee living in California cooking a southern recipe, so yeah someone who knows how the south does it should absolutely chime in.
This looks pretty darn good coming from a native from Savannah, Ga.
Not sure what I am texting to, but here it is.
That pork chop is beautiful.
This looks soooo good. I will try it with rice for my take-to-work lunch.
I'm from the Hudson Valley and I have my grandfather's recipe (which is not as complicated as this one and only calls for chicken) but I originally thought that Brunswick referred to the town in New Jersey where Rutgers is because he was a graduate of the class of 1929.
Add the potatoes. As a southern that has used wild game it helps bulk up the stew and the BBQ sauce is to cover some of the game taste not needed with the white meat. And consider trying over some rice. Thank you chef!
I'm from PA mountains. Up to the 5 minute mark, that's how my mom cooked squirrel and rabbit. Kind of an Allegheny caccitore. No, we didn't eat possum or woodchuck. We're not animaks. But squirrel and rabbit, yes.
I'm sure I've heard the name Brunswick Stew before but I've never known what it was. This version looks really tasty, (and probably decidely less stringy than other meat options). I'll have to try it some time.
I'll share a family secret for Brunswick Stew: Coca-Cola.
My family always made a "big ole pot" that included 1 bottle of Coca-Cola. For yours, I'd say about 1/4 of a bottle would work and leave off the vinegar.
And instead of cayenne, use Tobasco.
Thanks John
this looks so delicious greeting from indonesia stay conected❤️
NO SQUIRREL?! Dernit!
I grew up in NC in the 60s. Sorry not even close to what we had. No opossum or raccoon.....but yes on squirrel, rabbit, pork, beef and chicken. Had it in winter so no okra. No potatoes. Cooked over open fire in big iron cauldron to feed at least 50 people. Oh...and lots of onions were in it. No Bell peppers. It did have the other veggies. They served hushpuppies with it. That was the best I ever had. Had it many times since but never as good as that. It was very thick and not so soup like. Some people used to serve it over rice too. I'd eat yours and probably love it. But I wouldn't call it Brunswick stew. Pretty sure what I had back then was considered the real deal.
I’m sure the first recipes had whatever meat could be found, but the versions I grew up with in North Georgia always had leftover bbq in them. I’m afraid “leftover BBQ” is as rare as “leftover wine” these days. I don’t recall potatoes in it, but they may have been so cooked down no one would know. We were more rice, sweet potato and cornbread people where I came from. Always love your content!
Ours is always made with leftover (actually set aside) bbq and other meat. We definitely have potatoes, we also have peas instead of lima beans, which is blasphemy to coastal Georgia stews, but we're not coastal. No Onions! Traditionally, it's made with meat from the hog's head.
I started watching this video and got as far as "Sorry, no squirrel." I stopped there and planned on watching it later and the first RUclips thumbnail I saw was, 'Squirrel shows gratitude'.
My grandmother's Brunswick stew used a hog's head for the meat. No squirrel or possum.
Now you have to make corn bread biscuits!!!!!
"Down South" we call it Lea & Perrins!
"Just dumped in a pot and boiled!" Oh, Chef, the humanity! The ability of browning meat is one of God's greatest gifts, and what separates man from animals. "And once we're happy...at least with the stew..." Oh, Chef, you are a therapeutic comedian. Thank you.
Why is the way Chef John says "fresh-shly ground black pepper" so amusing?
This might shock viewers......but chef John's pepper is not 'freshly' ground. It is on record that he grounds the pepper several weeks in advance...and therefore this lie is totally unacceptable.
Pretty good rendition. but a couple of things, use more Worcestershire sauce, put in earlier and let it reduce some, add some smoked paprika or smoked chiles for a little heat and a bit more smokiness, and a touch of lavender goes really well with this.
BBQ is heretical and the sugar is completely optional and IMO adds too much sweetness.
My friend always makes this with squirrel.
This is usually made by BBQ restaurants with leftover pulled pork.
You add the vinegar based bbq sauce we use in North Carolina as the last ingredient
I was literally just watching "House".
If you go bone-in, your sneaky substitutions for squirrel will be laid bare for all to see! 😂
Side note, no pun...it's always a side dish even though it could definitely be a meal in itself. It's always made when church's have a barbecue dinner, or pig pickings /outdoor gatherings. I'll try your version CJ because I'm sure it will be good.
I’ve lived in the South all my life and never heard of Brunswick stew. It looks great though!
Did you live in a big city?
@@84Tacos Pretty big, yeah. Nashville, TN. Is this more of a backwoods thang? We have plenty of southern foods here though. Soul food, fried chicken, turnip greens, biscuits & gravy, country fried steak, etc…
Wild Boar and Pheasant.
I've heard you've never had real Brunswick stew without squirrel, and that the flavors mix together best when that's the meat that's used...🤨🤔
If that's the case, I've never had real Brunswick stew. And most stews I've had have been fantastic!
I have lived in the south for 30+ yrs and just learned today that brunswick stew is southern and not from New Jersey 🤣😅 i realize ive had this many times, but never called it that. Thanks for teaching me something Chef John! 😁
Mhh...lecker, Braunschweiger Eintopf!
Could you make Puttanesca ? It is a Fa route of mine .
but if by some strange circumstance i happen to have some squirrel could i use that?
No. Raccoon is preferable in this recipe.
@@draum8103 to chewy for my tastes
Woodchuck wasn’t used cause he kept chucking wood at all the hunters. Naw, for real, I have no idea if woodchuck was used.
There is a video on YT for "Cornbread Biscuits".
Cornbread is Mandatory!
Congratulations, Chef John. It looks just like the Brunswick stew made by my grandmother, who I don't think ever left the state of North Carolina. She made it with chicken and whatever squirrel and/or rabbit my grandfather could shoot. In my experience, squirrel is kinda stringy but tasty. I remember it would get stuck in my teeth. Yes, your stew is missing the cornbread, but that's easy to fix.
I never thought I'd be a small game person either, until a groundhog ate a bunch of our beans and tomatoes last year... Oh yeah, we shot that little thieving...
*ANYWAY,* we cooked it up with a recipe online. "Buttermilk fried groundhog." I liked the flavor, somewhere between rabbit and beef, but _GEEZE_ was it tough. After a reheat in a 300 degree oven though, that went away. I'm gonna go out on a limb, guess that it was a matter of cooking longer and slower that broke it down a tad.
Which makes me think, this stew would probably be a perfect use for a groundhog. You know, in case one decides the backyard garden is their buffet again this year.
I like to make one pot of soup each week for lunches all week long, and you just made my decision for me of what soup I'll be eating next week.
That's a great idea! 👍
You should also make loaded baked potato soup. It's good for lunches.
@@tylerhughes5420 is that a Chef John Thing or nah? Link the recipe.
@@funkylentil6966 ruclips.net/video/s15TWYFp0Ck/видео.html
This is one of 100s of recipes for the same thing, I like to use scallion instead of chives though.
@@tylerhughes5420 Thanks for the link. i'll check it out ^^
You learned our secret Chef John!
Growing up in the mountains I always as a kid heard we made it with squirrel meat but later on it was revealed to me that we didn’t do that at all😂😂😂
We used grilled chicken and pork chops too, but we also added smoked ham hocks when we made the broth to go in it. That was basically equal parts chicken and just bone broth with one chicken bouillon cube added in. Changed the game
remember "Mad Cow" disease?
it was a virus. the other vector was squirrel.
happy to hear your Brunswick stew habitually lacked that. (evidenced by you able to work a computer ... and YT comment system ... and sentences ... )
When I was a kid my dad hunted squirrels and cooked them for our lunch (mom wasn't home) it was the most disgusting thing put on the table.
Nope. You left out the paprika. Got to have paprika. P.S. anyone who puts in BBQ sauce is a shameful dunderhead.
Chef John I'm going to assume you don't know there's a huge argument in the south between two very different dishes that both call themselves Brunswick stew. This is the Carolina style Brunswick Stew. It definitely is NOT what what is referred to as Brunswick stew in Georgia (which is made with pulled pork and chicken and not squirrel).
The traditional Brunswick stews just had smoked "meat" meaning pretty much any meat but almost all revues I've found have pork and chicken. I prefer beef myself.
Being from NC this looks like a good version of Brunswick Stew, normally when I make mine I'll use ribs beef and pork as well as chicken. I have had true Brunswick stew made with squirrel, venison, dove and quail (as well as the pork, chicken, and beef) vinegar is a good thing to use for the gamier meats often used at hunting camps etc.
A pork chop? Seriously? Your videos have henceforth been banned in the great state of North Carolina.
The best Brunswick stew is made with the leftover pulled pork from a smoked pork shoulder.
When I saw the Brunswick stew tag, I thought, “chef John of San Francisco is going to cook squirrel?!? This I gotta see!” Gotta say, I was a tiny bit disappointed that no rodents were used.
Let's see, I'm from Georgia, and grew up here, and I've never seen Brunswick stew made that way whether it was from me, friends, family or restaurant. It's mostly meat including pork and ground beef. You got to add things that bring the tang with lots of tomatoes; got the corn right. Made some homemade barbecue sauce so you would use the same ingredients that you put in barbecue sauce. Or it won't taste like Brunswick stew. That's what we call vegetable and meat stew growing up. It's like the poor man's vegetable and meat stew. And we never used raccoon, squirrel or any other wild meat; that would be a different type of stew. That is just not Brunswick stew at all.
A common recipe includes a sweet & sour tomato sauce with butter. It gives it a more robust kick. Whether light or high def version this is a great dish! It’s also delicious if you use smoked BBQ meats. Never seen it with bacon but it couldn’t hurt!
My family makes a production of at least 50 quarts when they make this for winter. Your take on this stew is way more beautiful than the long day project we make. What would you thicken your stew with? The "original" squirrel version was thickened with old bread and cooked over a fire in the woods. Our "fat hen" version thickens by reducing, broken down veggies, and time.
Okra will also thicken the stew like crazy.
i like that you make so much ... is it canned at the end?
@@MatthewSmith-cp3hu quart plastic containers and freezes well for the winter. It feels so good to be hungry and look in the freezer to see a quart left... hot sauce and a sleeve o saltines
I always reduce myself
Thicken with a couple of tablespoons AP flour. Just springle it over and simmer in the oven or stove top. Add broth, bouillon, stock, cheap red wine, what you have. My oh my. I remember my Father talking about Brunswick stew from when he was a kid in W. TN.
I watched some old timers cooking this in a cauldron, stirring with a boat paddle, and they added bricks of butter. That was one step over the line for my tastebuds. 😮
Another NC native here. We'd brine the squirrel, possum & jack rabbits in Cheerwine (or Coca Cola) to cut the gaminess. Brunswick Stew is love in a pot.
Growing up in western NC, this bring back so many memories. My mother and grandmother definitely just tossed everything into one pot, and the meat was just whatever was leftover and/or found in the freezer. I've had it with beef, chicken, sausage, deer, and bear (and maybe other things like rabbit, who knows). I'm so glad you added the okra and corn, as those were definitely the two constants in the many variations of the stew.
This isn’t how you make Brunswick stew. You make Brunswick stew by heating up the frozen quart your grandmaw gives you.
Looks great! When I was in Georgia it seemed like every tiny town had it's own version of Brunswick stew. I think I tried them all and liked them all😊 I can't wait to try this recipe. THANK YOU.
Real Talk there
'Add some lima beans...' *dumps 4 cups of lima beans in* EEW, LIMA BEANS. THEY TASTE LIKE PAPER AND GLUE EXCEPT DRIER. NO!!! Any other type of bean or any other ingredient would be better.
Oh looks sooo good!!! Thank you for sharing it, gonna try it!! :D 1:57 this made me laugh so hard! well done! haha.
Chef John, your recipes are always a calm oasis in a stormy world so thank you !!
Don't skim the fat, we're all going to die of something let's die of Happy!
I'm sure this tastes great, but, yes there's a but, this does not look anything like the thick rich Brunswick stew I grew up with.
That looks more like Brunswick Soup. If you served that to a southerner, they would probably be confused. That’s not to say that it’s not delicious, but it’s not the same thing. But hey, I’m a big believer in make it your own way so rock on Yankee Doodle dandy 😂
I can't wait to try this. My grandfather made this with a whole chicken and a hog head. This seems like a more manageable batch to give a try
Brunswick Stew was first made in Brunswick County, Virginia. You need to add some BBQ sauce.
As someone from north alabama I have definitely eaten squirell half a dozen times and it's not bad... the hind legs are all you can really eat. A big squirell has legs the size of a small chicken leg quarter and tastes good simmered in a stew until shreddable or pressure cooked till tender then battered and fried. It tastes like a cross between pulled pork and chicken thighs.
Cornbread biscuits --- if that's a thing...
It was in the last video of yours.
This is A LONG WAY from the REAL Brunswick Stew .
I got the ingredients to make this tomorrow. Doing it North Carolina style. I'm glad to see you use Liam beans instead on green peas, and I always add potatoes too. I add a couple of teaspoons of liquid smoke so it tastes like its been cooked in one of those huge cast iron pots over an open flame at a church sale. And, if it's not thick enough, I stir in unseasoned instant mashed potatoes.
Liquid Smoke. Good knowledge there!
If you use a pork chop like he did instead of actual BBQ you and all your offspring will be unwelcome in this state.
Those unseasoned instant potatoes are great for thickening pudding, too. It might seem gross, but you'll love it!
Nope!
Liam called. He wants his lima beans back.
People in NC have communal dinners based entirely on Brunswick stew, saltine crackers, and Texas Pete hot sauce.
First time I ever made Brunswick stew was for a church fundraiser with our youth group in NC. We used a huge vat and boat oars to stir the stew, acting like the witches from MacBeth.
Colfax?
Did you use eye of newt?
Sam Neil would say it's more like a Pizza with a bit of crunch ( Ref Movie "Death in Brunswick" )
I’m usually a day late and a dollar short! This recipe turned out really well and was appreciated by some friends from Georgia. Served with cornbread, a salad, sweat tea, hot sauce and a peach cobbler. Well received and complimented! Thanks! (I lived in Augusta Georgia both in the Army and at the Medical College of Georgia as a LPN and RN.) Great memories of great Southern foods. I was told that the original stew was a true poor man’s and slaves food made from leftovers and anything available or in season from meats to vegetables.
Native North Carolinian here. Brunswick Stew and Hushpuppies is what we ate together in my neck of the woods growing up. I still eat that combination to this day.
When I lived near Atlanta in the 80's, a coworker used to make Brunswick Stew by the boatload and sold it by the gallon. He used chicken, but never squirrel or other meats. It was amazing. Was just thinking about it the other day, and here it is. 🎯
I think I can make this all chix as well. We got no pork chop here in my place in the Middle East and our bacon is beef based.
I never heard of this. But i love learning new recipes! It looks I’ll have to try it sometime
Its amazing you gotta try it
Love your videos. Not surprised this came from a New Yorker however because this is not Brunswick Stew. Even as a "take" on the stew it is not really close.
It's not exactly the way we made it in VA. It was more meat. If you can find a can of Mrs. Fearnow's Brunswick Stew, that's not a bad copy.
This looks great! I think there's a misunderstanding about "BBQ sauce." North Carolina BBQ is not the gross, sticky, sweet junk they serve in Memphis, KC, or Texas. Our "BBQ sauce" is primarily apple cider vinegar and spices.
Your sauce is fine,
And so is mine!
(BBQ isn't BBQ without Memphis/ KC sauce)
I had this down in Georgia last year OMG it was amazing
Can we please have a recepie of the Austrian goulash soup?
You had me until you added potato and okra. I was glad to see you remembered the vinegar, people often forget that part
I'm a huge Chef John fan, and have made plenty of his recipes with great success, but as a resident of Southeast NC, this recipe is so wrong...
I am from Southeast NC, so I am curious what you think is wrong with his recipe. I wonder if our critiques are the same.
OMG!!!!!! Yes!! I am born and raised from Brunswick Ga. But honestly. Pulled smoked pork is ABSOLUTELY necessary. This looks alright but you def should have left out the bacon and used pulled smoked pork and some smoked paprika. And about another 1/4 cup of brown sugar for a pot that big.
I'm sorry... did you say SQUIRREL? Blah!
Squirrel is super tasty when cooked right.
Tastes like chicken. My grandmother used it in spaghetti sauce when my grandfather brought it home
Just made this for dinner and it's delicious. Thanks chef John
Born & raised in Brunswick VA here!! 🥰
I'm making this tonight with venison meatballs, lil smokies and greens. The secret ingredient is a liberal amount of garlic pepper.
Just made this and it’s fantastic. Putting it into the regular rotation. Thanks, Chef John1
Damn , came here for the squirrel ...
I LOVE this channel, but living (and raised in) in NC I've got to say Chef John strayed too far from his wheelhouse on this recipe. I've eaten Brunswick stew from Virginia to northern Florida and west into Tennessee and Kentucky. I enjoyed many different spins on the classic version, but one thing for sure, Brunswick stew NEVER, NEVER, EVER has okra. Or bacon for that matter. And it is rarely seasoned with anything other than salt and pepper.
In modern times chicken and pork are a great start, along with some diced onion for the stock. Usually this stew is served with BBQ, so the pork is usually shoulder and it's usually smoked, then some is set aside for the stew, but if you want to make your own stock go right ahead but pork shoulder is cheaper and works well. When the meat is finished simmering, remove to cool reserving liquid, then add whole or diced canned tomatoes, corn, lima beans, green beans, potatoes, and tomato paste, salt and pepper to taste. When the seasoning is right, shred the meat and add it. Now stop. You're done. I do like to add a little chicken base, but I'm usually making this from chicken breasts or tenders so they need a little boost in the flavor department. Starting with bone-in chicken might mitigate the need for the base. Also, if using canned veggies, add the can water. No sense in throwing away all the flavor. And lastly, this stew is usually very thick, with little "juice" or soupy'ness to it. (Think loose oatmeal thickness or grits if you're from the South) The shredded or chopped pork will help thicken this nicely if given time to absorb some liquid.
Sorry to get excited, but I've owned restaurants where we made this stew in 200qt steam kettles every day of the year and still ran out on occasion, so I felt I needed to right this terrible wrong. OMG! Okra. Really?
lol don't watch his video on eastern style bbq, it's something else. god help us if he ever catches on to fish stew or hatteras clam chowder
Cornbread biscuits are a thing and I demand a recipe and soon.
I have a recipe. They’re good!
"Well, I can't really answer that since this is a cooking lesson, not a philosophy class."
Chef John at his absolute best!!! 🤣🤣🤣
I'm here for the humor. The recipes look delicious too.
Looks wonderful. But I'll he honest, if I made that, served it to my Geandma and called it "Brunswick Stew", she would've slapped the taste out of my mouth!
Looks delicious, Chef John, you should totally come to the Brunswick festival in October, it's in Lawrenceville VA, and omg the Brunswick stew contest sounds right up your alley.
Outstanding winter cold day meal. I cooked the onions peppers garlic chicken the same on the stove put transfer to a crock pot. I also use chicken stock. Please serve with biscuits or cornbread. And finally, the state of South Carolina is offended you said the recipe is from the north.
;)
Nutrition in a bowl. Protein, potassium, tomatoes, veggies, fiber & mmmmm!! I wish someone from Campbell’s was watching this
I wouldn't feed my dogs with the meat used in Campbell's soups. I am amazed that they are considered fit for human consumption
Sadly, I'll have to wait a few days to try this recipe. We are still eating home cooked turkey stock soup with vegetables and tiny shell pasta.
Doesn't sound like a sad situation to me, mm mmm!
@maxsands3861 The turkey soup is good but we eat quite a lot of it this time of year. 😉
You are after all the Earl. Of whether to add squirrel.
😂😂😂😂😂, Love it!