One of my all time favorite traditions was my family’s annual get together for my uncle’s delicious barbeque and Brunswick Stew at his fishing camp at a Georgia lake.
My uncle’s fishing camp long after he was gone. His barbeque pit was to the left of the concrete slab. The picnic tables, chairs, and stew pot were on the concrete under the roof.
In 1973 my parents retired to the farm in Georgia where my Mom grew up. My two brothers and I were adults with families of our own. Neither of my brothers lived in Georgia but we all got together at the farm every summer, usually on Memorial Day or Labor Day weekend or over the 4th of July holiday. The highlight of the visit was a day at the lake for a barbeque feast.
Whether my uncle was cooking Boston Butts, chicken halves, or a whole pig the best part was always the Brunswick Stew. Early in the day all of the stew ingredients went into a huge cast iron cauldron to cook over a low propane flame for several hours. The main ingredients were chicken and pork although sometimes my uncle would throw in turtle meat. The stew required constant stirring to prevent it from sticking. Everyone had to take a turn stirring the stew with a boat oar until my uncle declared it was done.
As everything was cooking the adults sat around stirring the stew and visiting while the kids played in the lake. Sometimes there would be other aunts, uncles, cousins and friends. There would be lots of laughs and lots of tall tales told while we smelled the food cooking and got hungrier and hungrier as the day went on.
Finally it would be time to eat. When the stew was done (usually about mid afternoon) my uncle turned off the propane and covered the pot with foil to let it sit until everything else was ready. My Mom and my aunt set out the potato salad, coleslaw, sweet ice tea, and all the other fixings. My aunt would usually bring her famous Coca Cola Cake or Dump Cake for dessert. Sometimes we would churn home made ice cream. When the foil came off the pot it was time to fix a plate. We all ate until we couldn’t eat any more. After the meal the leftovers would be put in containers so we could all take some home.
My parents and all of my aunts and uncles are long gone. It’s been many years since we had one of these family gatherings. And it’s been many years since we had homemade Brunswick Stew.
There were just three of us for Thanksgiving this year so I decided to break from the traditional turkey feast and make Brunswick Stew instead. Our son and I had fun making it together. He actually did most of the work. Instead of cooking outside in a cast iron cauldron we filled up my 4 gallon stock pot and cooked it on the stove.
The delicious aroma filled the house as the three of us (Henry, our son, and I) took turns stirring the stew. It was just as tasty as I remembered. Every bite took me back to those summer days at the lake.
I’m so grateful my family had those days together at the lake. Making the stew this year brought back many happy memories. It also got me to thinking about the stew itself. Where did it come from? What is the best recipe?
Where did Brunswick Stew come from?
The answer is, it depends on where you are. Georgia claims the first Brunswick Stew was made on St. Simons Island on July 2, 1898. Brian Brown has a great post on his Vanishing Georgia blog which tells about the First Brunswick Stew Pot.
Virginia claims the first Brunswick Stew was made in 1828 in Brunswick County, Virginia. I learned about the history of Virginia Brunswick Stew at Taste of Brunswick Stew.
How do you make Brunswick Stew?
This question can bring up heated discussions here in Georgia. Does it have butter beans or no butter beans? Chicken only? Pork only? Chicken and Pork? What about beef or wild game? Most of the stews also include tomatoes, corn, and potatoes. Is everything ground or are the ingredients cut up in bite size chunks? The seasoning is different in every stew I’ve tried.
As we have traveled around the state of Georgia we have eaten at many barbeque restaurants and tried many different Brunswick stews. There are no two that are exactly alike. Some of them are very good but I’ve never found any that come close to my family’s Brunswick Stew. If you are wondering about the recipe, I can’t give it to you. It is a closely guarded family secret.
Shared with Terri’s Sunday Stills challenge Traditions
Wandering Dawgs 