Paul's Brunswick Stew

Brunswick stew is serious business in the South, and this crockpot version keeps it honest. Ground chicken and pork simmer all day with creamed corn, whole canned tomatoes, and chicken broth until everything melds into one thick, rich pot that’s hard to stop eating.

Using ground meat instead of shredded is a smart shortcut. It breaks down during the long slow cook and gives the stew a hearty, almost chili-like body without you having to smoke and pull a whole shoulder.

The longer this sits in the crockpot, the better. Four hours is the minimum, but nine hours lets the tomatoes dissolve, the corn thickens the base, and every spoonful tastes like it was stirred over a fire pit all afternoon.

Kitchen Tips

• Season at the end, not the beginning. The stew reduces and concentrates during the long cook, so early seasoning often ends up too salty.
• The creamed corn is the traditional thickener in Brunswick stew. It gives body and sweetness that you can’t replicate with regular corn kernels.
• Add more chicken broth after cooking if it’s thicker than you want. The texture should be somewhere between a soup and a chili.
• Tabasco and Worcestershire at the table lets everyone dial in their own heat and tang level.

Variations

• Add a cup of butter beans (large limas) for the classic Virginia-style version.
• Stir in a tablespoon of liquid smoke if you want that pit-smoked flavor without an actual smoker.
• Use smoked pulled pork from leftovers instead of ground for a more traditional, shredded texture.