Make Ahead

Brunswick Ground Beef Stew

by:
January 31, 2010
4.7
3 Ratings
  • Serves four to six
Author Notes

My boyfriend was unfamiliar with this dish, as was I before I went to college at The University of Georgia. (Ahem, go dawgs.) What I discovered to be true about Brunswick Stew is that there is no standard recipe - no commandments to stick to whatsoever. It's just an excuse for a Ma-and-Pop barbecue shop in the deep south to make use of the previous days remaining barbecue and sauce. That being said, I also had many versions of Brunswick Stew when there was no barbecued meat at all. Instead, the restaurant would use ground beef, which I happened to prefer. I've used veggies that are pretty common to Brunswick Stew except for corn (which you can easily throw in) and decided to forgo any use of barbecue sauce since I tend to prefer my stew a little more savory than sweet. I topped the stew with a biscuit to add the dish's southern charm...and to sop up every last bit of the sauce. I can't imagine eating this any other way. —theicp

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • 1 Lb. Ground beef
  • 1 Yellow onion, finely chopped
  • 4 Cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 1/2 c. Matchstick or shredded carrots
  • 1 Yellow pepper, seeded and chopped
  • 1 c. Chopped tomatoes with juices
  • 1 1/2 c. Cooked lima beans
  • 1 T. Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 T. Dijon
  • 2 T. Red wine vinegar
  • 3 T. Butter
  • 3 T. Flour
  • 2 oz. (4 T) Cream cheese, room temperature
  • 4 T. Parsley, chopped
  • Olive oil
  • Kosher salt & pepper
  • 3 c. Beef stock
  • 3 T. Ketchup
Directions
  1. Brown the ground beef in a large Dutch oven over medium high heat. Once the beef has browned, add the onions, garlic, carrots, chopped yellow peppers, and tomatoes.
  2. Next, add the beef stock, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon, red wine vinegar, ketchup, and cooked lima beans. Give the stew a quick stir to ensure everything has been properly mixed together.
  3. Then, stir in the butter, cream cheese, and the flour. Add the flour one tablespoon at a time to ensure that the flour has been properly absorbed by the soup.
  4. Simmer the soup for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve immediately, sprinkling a little parsley or crushed red pepper over the top and dunking a few biscuits in the stew, as well.
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5 Reviews

AntoniaJames
AntoniaJames February 2, 2010
I've been told by numerous Southerners that any Brunswick Stew worthy of the name includes squirrel meat. In fact, The Gourmet Cookbook (1979 edition) starts its recipe for Brunswick Stew with (paraphrased) "Cut two plump squirrels into quarters." I can't source squirrel -- and it's against the law in this urban area to hunt -- so we use chicken instead. This is a nice recipe, though the inclusion of cream cheese makes it richer than what we're used to here. Mr. T didn't get any Brunswick Stew at Christmastime (when his family invariably eats it) so maybe if he's very nice I'll make him some, using this recipe as a starting point, for his birthday this weekend. Now if I can just find some good lima beans . . . . ;o)
 
theicp
theicp February 2, 2010
Squirrel meat?! Oh right, squirrel meat, of course. I would have added some, but I'm trying to cut down.

And, I hear you about the cream cheese. I was having a case of the Sunday night blues, and only one thing was going to make me feel better: more fat.

:)
 
aargersi
aargersi February 2, 2010
Maybe if they have a future wild game category you could enter the squirrel version - we have fat GRAIN FED ones on our bird feeder! Free range grain fed squirrel. Yummy.
 
theicp
theicp February 2, 2010
Touche. (And I'm a Texas girl, so yes, I should know better.) I guess I still had Georgia's BBQ sauce on my mind since theirs it's ALL about molasses.
 
Collin
Collin February 1, 2010
". . . decided to forgo any use of barbecue sauce since I tend to prefer my stew a little more savory than sweet."

Then you should use barbecue sauce! But, you know, the real kind. From Texas.