Like many other stew recipes, Brunswick stew comes in about a million different variations and folks are very vocal about their preferences. I personally like the smoked pork and chicken combo best with a mustard sauce in the base. Any of the veggies can be removed and others (like okra) can certainly be added.
This goes great with cornbread muffins. I made mine following Edna Lewis’ recipe which I also included below.

Brunswick Stew
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- 2 tablespoons bacon drippings
- 1 large sweet onion, finely diced
- 2 tbsp. minced garlic
- 1 tsp. cayenne pepper
- 1/2 tbsp. freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 tbsp. kosher salt
- 2 tbsp. high-quality Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 cup ketchup
- 1 cup sweet mustard base barbecue sauce**
- 1 lb. smoked pulled pork shoulder meat
- 1 lb. smoked pulled chicken
- 1 lb. yukon gold potatoes, diced small
- 3 cans (14oz) crushed tomatoes (fire roasted if possible)
- 1 bag (12oz) frozen (or canned) corn
- 1 can crowder peas
- 1 bag (12oz) frozen (or canned) field peas or lima beans
- 1 quart chicken stock
- Hot Sauce to taste
Heat butter and bacon fat in a good sized pot over medium high heat. Add onions and saute until golden (5 min) then add the garlic. Once softened, add the cayenne pepper, black pepper, salt, and Worcestershire sauce. Let this cook for a few minutes then add the ketchup, barbeque sauce, and the meats, adding a little more sauce if needed to completely cover the meat. Cook for a few minutes, stirring so it doesn’t stick.
Add potatoes, tomatoes, corn, peas, beans, and chicken stock then bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Cover and let this simmer on low for a few hours. Add more stock if needed to get to the desired consistency. Once done, add hot sauce to taste and serve with cornbread.
Mustard Base BBQ sauce
- 1 1/2 cup yellow mustard
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup ketchup
- 1/4 cup worcestershire sauce
- 3 tablespoons cider vinegar
- 3 tablespoons white vinegar
- 1 tablespoon hot sauce
- 1/2 tablespoon garlic power
- 1/2 tablespoon black pepper
Add all ingredients and stir until smooth and incorporated.
Edna Lewis Cornbread Muffins
- 2 tablespoons lard or butter, plus 2 tablespoons melted butter
- 2 ½ cups corn flour or extra-fine cornmeal (not cornstarch)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 2 ½ cups buttermilk, room temperature
- 1 egg, beaten
Preheat oven to 400. Generously grease the wells of the muffin pan with 2 tablespoons of lard or butter, leaving the extra fat in the wells. In a mixing bowl, sift together the corn flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder.
When the oven is hot, place the muffin tin inside to preheat. Meanwhile, stir the buttermilk into the dry ingredients and mix well, then stir in the egg and 2 tablespoons melted butter. When the muffin pan is very hot (if using butter to grease, the butter should have just stopped sizzling), carefully remove it, and quickly fill each well with about 3 ounces of batter. Bake for 17-20 minutes, rotating once, until a toothpick comes out clean and the edges of the muffins are golden brown.
Let the pan cool for 2 minutes on a rack, then remove the muffins. (If necessary, use a paring knife to release them.) Serve muffins hot, with butter.