Making Our World Famous Brunswick Stew-Appomattox Stew Crew

[@dianafoot]

My granddaddy had a regionally famous BBQ place in Wilmington NC in the 50's and 60's. He had a cinderblock cookhouse behind his restaurant where he roasted whole pigs over hardwood coals for 24 hours. He grew his own vegetables and peppers in our backyard and made pickled peppers, hot sauce, and slaw with them. His Brunswick stew (with pork and chicken) was the best I have ever had. Your recipe looks very similar to what he used to make. I loved watching this--thank you!

[@vafunseekers]

Such great memories you have of your granddaddy. I bet his BBQ and Brunswick Stew were both amazing. Is the BBQ restaurant still in existence today? I love that he grew his own vegetables and used it for the restaurant. You see now where restaurants advertise the farm to table concept like it is something new. lol Sometimes getting back to the old ways are so much better. Appreciate you watching and commenting. Glad this reminded you of your granddaddy.

[@dianafoot]

@vafunseekers The restaurant closed in the mid 1960's when he was in his mid 70's. I have great memories of when I was a kid and rode my big old horse over to the "BBQ Place" and tied her up outside to go in and get BBQ, Brunswick Stew, and an Orange Crush!

[@vafunseekers]

@@dianafoot Sounds so fun! We have been doing some bbq reviews in NC. We went to Lexington BBQ last Saturday. The video will come out Sunday.

[@michaelsimerly8436]

Looks delicious, im in Danville va

[@vafunseekers]

@@michaelsimerly8436 It’s some good stuff! We are talking about coming back to Danville area for another review.

[@oldfarmshow]

❤️

[@vafunseekers]

Yummy! People in the area love their stew in this area and normally they sell out before they start cooking it.

[@larrycobb3102]

Great video. It would have been a great help if you had included the time it took to cook the meat before adding the other ingredients, as well as the total time.

[@vafunseekers]

We cook the meat around 45 minutes before adding the potatoes. The total time of cooking time is closet to 4 hours. This is cooking with propane so can turn it up or down. The key is keeping it stirred. Thanks for watching and commenting.

[@seaglass1111]

This older video of yours showed up in my recommendations. I'm glad.. are you guys in a food business of some sort? That is a huge pot of stew!

[@vafunseekers]

We make about one pot of stew a month in the fall and winter. David and his dad make it. It's very popular in this area. Sometimes they do it as a fundraiser for different organizations. Have you ever had Brunswick stew?

[@seaglass1111]

@@vafunseekers no and i had never heard of it until you guys mentioned it on your channel. Im eager to try it.

[@boston463]

I never saw this one - LOVED it! That stew looked so good...if there's another video on this stew I'm watching that one too. 😃

[@vafunseekers]

We have 2 videos on the stew. 😃 It is good stuff!

[@mikehayes2233]

Who makes those HUGE cooking pots?? NEVER seen anything that big in my life!! But sure looks good tho.

[@vafunseekers]

I am not really sure who made this pot but it is an old cast iron pot. It's really heavy!! My dad has had this pot for sometime now. I know that they are hard to find now. This pot has made a lot of brunswick stews. We appreciate you watching and commenting. In my opinion it is some delicious stew. Have a blessed day.

[@Inviger8]

I'm from Lynchburg.

[@vafunseekers]

Nice. We are in Lynchburg quite often. Thanks for watching and commenting.

[@Inviger8]

@@vafunseekers You're very welcome. Enjoyed it.

[@JasonLowe-mn2yd]

That burner your using is it home made or can you purchase it somewhere?

[@vafunseekers]

That is a home made burner.

[@JasonLowe-mn2yd]

@@vafunseekers thx.

[@vafunseekers]

@@JasonLowe-mn2yd you are welcome

[@preacherbeeman3437]

It's really great to see folks sharing the details of the process for those who haven't got any experience, and may want to give it a try. Great job, for that!!!! One thing I wonder about..... it looks like you put that corn in pretty much mid-way in the cooking, and let it cook down right along with everything else. Do you have any issue with the corn getting a little tough? I was warned, years ago, to wait until near the end of the cook, before adding the corn. I've followed that advice and I find the corn comes out just right. I also cook over a wood fire. It definitely isn't as stream-lined as your operation. Again, thanks for sharing this content.

[@vafunseekers]

Hopefully this will be helpful to people interested in making stew or just interested in how it is done. We have not had any issues with the corn getting tough. Of course we are using propane so that cooks faster than the wood fire. Everyone has their own unique ways of making stew but this is how we have been doing it for years. Appreciate you watching and commenting.

[@OurHomeOurLife812]

WOW! Loved watching this process!! I bet the neighbors were starving smelling that cooking! 😂 love the pot also. I want one! Great video

[@vafunseekers]

Yes, it smells so good cooking! It is some really good tasting stuff!

[@YouTubeYoutube-un4zp]

Hello men, thank you for sharing your hard work cooking that delicious looking stew. Do you guys do this every year? If so I would like to know when. Thank you for scripture shared also. God’s blessings to you

[@vafunseekers]

Yes, we normally do several a year. We are finished for this season but our first one should be in September for next season. Where are you located? Thanks so much for watching.

[@lindaobrien2908]

Fascinating process. I always arrive when the stew is ready to be in cups and capped (my job). Have never seen the complete process. You did a great job in putting together this video. Kudos to you and Kelly!!

[@vafunseekers]

Thanks for watching and commenting. I know most of the time when you arrive we have it waiting to be put into the quart containers. It’s a lot it time and work fixing one but you know that from helping. We appreciate your support of our channel. Keep on watching our videos!!

[@jbinthehills]

Very interesting. Bobbie wants to try it. She has been craving it. Great job😎😎

[@vafunseekers]

Thank you for your continued support. We appreciate you and tell Bobbie I would love for her to try the stew. I think she would enjoy it. Y’all have a great weekend and be careful with this snowstorm that’s coming. Thanks for watching and commenting.

[@tammygroves5519]

Love your process and thanks for making the video How much chicken n beef do you use?

[@vafunseekers]

We have a video coming out at 5:00 PM today of a full pot. I put 45 lbs of chicken and 60 lbs of beef in it. Thanks for watching and commenting. Make sure to check out the video today.

[@bobhanes5092]

i knew yall were pro fisherman and David i knew you were a fine country music singer i didnt know yall were famous chef's also. I never heard your daddy sing but i bet he's good. great job

[@vafunseekers]

Thanks Bob. Now I don't know if you want to hear my dad sing or not. I don't think he would try that. You know me and I don't care. We just don't have good sense....lol Thanks for watching and commenting. We appreciate your support!!

[@BradleyDriskillJr.]

How is it that I’m just coming across to watching this awesome video? Good looking stew right there, would love to try some of y’all’s stew if y’all ever do another one in the future! Like always thank you for sharing this video!

[@vafunseekers]

Glad you came across it! Didn't know that you didn't know that we made stew. Our next stew is scheduled for September.

[@BradleyDriskillJr.]

@@vafunseekers I'll be on the lookout round then!

[@Luvbug-v2g]

👍🏽👍🏽 Two experts❗️I stopped by out of curiosity and enjoyed it. That stew looked very delicious ‼️

[@vafunseekers]

Glad you stopped by to check it out! It is some good stuff for sure. Appreciate you watching and commenting.

[@jasonwadsworth9748]

Was that a cast iron pot?

[@vafunseekers]

Yes it is a cast iron stew pot. The capacity is 50 gallons. Thanks for watching.

[@jasonwadsworth9748]

@@vafunseekers thank you

[@vafunseekers]

@@jasonwadsworth9748 you are welcome. May do a video this fall of a full pot. We will get started making stew again towards the end of September.

[@mikehayes2233]

Who makes that huge cast iron pot?? Is there a website you can turn us to? THANKS!!

[@gregsullivan8956]

What would a quart cup cost with inflation prices?

[@vafunseekers]

Last year we got $10.00 a quart. We will have to see how much everything has went up when this fall gets here and go from there. People don’t realize the cost for all the items and those quart cups and lids are outrageous!

[@gregsullivan8956]

@vafunseekers Yes, Sir, nor do they realize time and all other cost.

[@vafunseekers]

@@gregsullivan8956 you are so right!!

[@cpokwdwh1]

Looks amazing gents, making me homesick for fall in VA

[@vafunseekers]

It doesn’t get much better than Brunswick Stew in the fall. We are getting ready to do our first stew of the season on September 17th. We appreciate you watching and commenting.

[@cpokwdwh1]

@@vafunseekers my dad lives in Appomattox, there is a good chance he will come by and get some from yall this year. I've had to make mine in a crockpot if I want any in Arkansas. Doesn't taste the same as from a big pot like yall made. Good luck and can't wait to see the next videos! Forever subscribed!

[@vafunseekers]

@@cpokwdwh1 Thanks for subscribing and being part of our crazy adventures. Who is your dad?

[@TheNDTShow]

Awesome process here

[@vafunseekers]

Thanks!! We appreciate you watching and commenting. It's a lot involved in making a stew. You didn't see everything because it takes a lot of time just getting the meat and other vegetables cut up. Thanks for your support. We appreciate you!!

[@jla3bc]

When are you guys going to be making your next batch in the Lynchburg area? (Asked December 5, 2022.) My Brunswick stew cache in the freezer is getting low! Thanks.

[@vafunseekers]

We have three more stews scheduled. We are doing one this Friday, December 9th and that is all sold out. Then we have one in January and one in February and that will probably be all we will do for this season. All of these will be here in Appomattox. The one for January is filling up quickly. We take orders ahead of time and most of the time we are sold out before we even start cooking the stew. We have some people who get 10-20 quarts each time we fix one. In this video we just fixed a half of a pot because this man wanted all of it for himself and friends. On Friday we will be fixing an entire pot full. I have thought of filming that to show people what an entire pot full would look like. Thanks for watching the video and commenting. Have a good day!

[@chrissams805]

Great job guys, and it was delicious!

[@vafunseekers]

Thanks so much Chris. It’s a lot of work involved in fixing a stew. Just wanted to share with everyone the process it takes to cook a stew. Thanks for watching and commenting. We appreciate your support. God Bless!

[@fearless-sign1]

Is this a 60 gallon pot?

[@vafunseekers]

It's the same pot we used in both videos. David thinks it is a 50 gallon pot and his Dad thinks it is a 60 gallon pot. Do you make stew?

[@rosswarbington7680]

How much water do you usually add? Was going to try this way but always use chicken stock instead. Looks great!

[@vafunseekers]

When we fixed this pot of stew we used about a bucket and a half of water. Normally when we cook a full pot of stew, we will put 2 buckets and half of water. When I say half the bucket is full and we will dump half of the water or a little more than half in the pot. If you fix it, please let me know how it turns out. We have already cooked three stews so far since September. Got two more already scheduled. One in December and one in January. Thanks for watching and commenting. Just follow the instructions in the video and you should be fine. Happy Thanksgiving!!

[@rosswarbington7680]

@@vafunseekers I'm assuming these are 5 gallon buckets? Definitely going to try it and will let you know! Happy Thanksgiving to you as well!

[@vafunseekers]

@@rosswarbington7680 yes you are correct about the size of the buckets. Please do let me know how it turns out for you. Again, thanks for watching and commenting and if you have any other questions just let me know and I will do my best to help you out. Take care and Happy Thanksgiving!

[@kevinkitrick4764]

Can you give me information on the paddle? I can't seem to find that type. Thanks!

[@vafunseekers]

That paddle is home made. You are probably not going to find anything like this in a store.

[@Stribman]

pro oak slat from pallet

[@vafunseekers]

@@Stribman Not sure what you are saying

[@bluebus041]

I am making a huge Brunswick stew for my entire pre-school. I have a 15 gallon cast pot that I usually make a chili in. How many gallons is this recipe on the video?

[@vafunseekers]

Normally when the pot is full we get around 200 quarts or a little over. In this video the pot was around half full and it was around 100 quarts in this recipe. If you use the recipe we did for this video I think the 15 gallon pot will be to small. Hope this helps you out. Thanks for watching and commenting.

[@bluebus041]

@@vafunseekers thanks for the quick response. How long do you cook this? My event is at noon. Should I start 6 hours before?

[@vafunseekers]

@@bluebus041 We cook with propane and we can have it done in around 3 1/2 to 4 hours. We have three burners under the pot. You are very welcome and good luck with your stew. Keep me posted on how it turns out.

[@3363662902]

Sweetie I'm not trying to be ugly, I'm really not. I'm sure your stew is delicious. But, from someone who is from Brunswick, Ga Where do i start? Firstly, you dont use beef, use pork roast. And i bout fell out my chair when I saw you add the carrots. I have never in my life seen anyone use carrots in Brunswick stew! The potatoes are debatable. However the original recipe did not use potatoes. (The fist pot used to make Brunswick stew is on display here in Brunswick as a side note along with original recipe). Also, you didn't add no garlic! AND YOU FORGOT YOUR ZIP! Yes, zip. Most folks use Worcestershire for zip, i prefer A-1 sauce (trust me.) Like i said your stew looks good and id love to try it but, its not BRUNSWICK stew. Sorry.

[@vafunseekers]

Our stew is quite popular in this area. This is how people in this area make Brunswick Stew. I know there is a debate on what really goes into Brunswick Stew. Many people in this area just use chicken. There is also a Brunswick, Virginia that makes Brunswick Stew and it is different than what you described. I do believe that different regions make it differently, just like lots of different types of food. Would love for you to try our stew! It would be interesting to see the original recipe from Georgia. Thanks for watching and commenting.

[@herschelrowe6026]

I grew using chicken beef and pork we also substitute the beef for turtle or venison

[@geraldwalker7609]

I've tasted both versions. They are so different that they are two different stews with the same name.

[@wtpence4731]

Lost me when you added potatoes, not the kind I grew up with. Bet it's still good !

[@vafunseekers]

We love it and we have some loyal customers who do as well. We have always used potatoes and so have other stew masters in this area. By the time the stew is finished you will find very little potatoes because they cook down. It helps make the stew thicker. There are many different variations and recipes for stew. It's interesting to see what others put or don't put in their stews. It's all about personal preference and what people grew up eating. Thanks for watching and commenting.

[@williamvaughan657]

I want 2 serving next week. If you remember or haven't sold it all yet. Remember I don't have a car. I will walk across the street to give you your money and my stew

[@JC-xh9mp]

Congrats on your “ World famous “ “stew”. But I’m from Georgia. And that ain’t Brunswick stew. That’s soup.

[@vafunseekers]

It most certainly is considered stew in these parts. It's too thick for a soup. What do you put in yours that makes you consider it stew in your area?

[@JC-xh9mp]

@@vafunseekers In real Brunswick stew all the meat and potatoes are minced or ground . Chicken and pork and beef. Usually ground smokedpork butt and brisket.There are no Lima beans , carrots or celery. There is also milk and or cream of mushroom added. Ketchup as well as tomatoes. It’s much different. I’m not saying these folks don’t make good soup but it’s not real Brunswick stew.

[@threetreehill1]

How many lbs of meat went into this batch?

[@vafunseekers]

25lbs of beef and 25 lbs of chicken. Normally for a full pot it’s double. Thanks for watching.

[@williamvaughan657]

Yummy

[@kennethcaine3402]

Great job, your recipe is the closest to my Grandfather and Grandmothers the were born in 1891 and 1892 and my Grandfather always raised hogs and this was usually cooked around hog killing time in the late fall. They didn't use beef only chicken and pork and I don't remember any carrots. It sure looks great just like my Grandfather and Grandmothers.

[@vafunseekers]

Thank you so much. This stew is always a hit every time we fix it. We always sell out and usually could sell more if we had it. We always use beef and chicken in it. My dad will not fix one with just chicken because we have had several people ask us to fix one for them just using chicken. He will not fix it without the beef and I have to say the beef gives it flavor. Thanks for watching and commenting. Have a great day!

[@kennethcaine3402]

@@vafunseekers thanks for your response, I am going to make some and I will add some beef. When my Father was in the 1st Marine Division during WWII his parents bought a canner to put this in cans to send it to him in the mail.

[@vafunseekers]

@@kennethcaine3402 please let me know how it turns out for you. I think you will like it with the beef added. It's that time of year now for stew. Have a good evening!

[@tammygroves5519]

Could you add pork butts

[@kennethcaine3402]

@tammygroves5519 yes you could use them, my Grandfather always used fresh pork, no cured meat and every thing he put in was natural that he raised it and he and my Grandmother would can the vegetables. My Father joined the Marine Corp 1st Marine Division and my Grandfather and my grandmother would can this in cans and send it to him in the mail. All his brothers loved when he got mail because he would share with them and all his brothers would share with him. Being in war this was a feast. He passed away March 18th 2018 and had an honor ceremony

[@porkrollll]

Hogtown! But that stew looks runny as heck. You added too much water.

[@vafunseekers]

Yes we were in the famous Hogtown. After the stew cooks down it is not runny. Trust me it is thicker than you think. Glad to hear from you again. Haven’t heard anything from you lately and we thank you for watching and commenting. Happy New Year!!

[@livinn8048]

You must not have tried this stew. I had the pleasure of trying it before and it is thick like Brunswick stew should be. So Delicious! Some stew I have purchased from people doing fundraisers is runny, but not this one! Some stews are more like vegetable soup instead of thick like a Brunswick Stew should be. I like it thick and this one is what I think stew should be. People have their own preference and their opinion of what makes a good stew. Wish I had a bowl right now. I have not had good experiences buying it in restaurants. Restaurants tend to make vegetable soup, put some meat in it and call it stew. I've tried making small batches but it's not the same as when I buy it from a big pot like this.

[@wrushb2626]

Nope, not Brunswick stew by a long shot, just another “expert” with a hobby making mulligan stew.

[@vafunseekers]

Thanks for watching. Everyone has their opinion but this is the way we make it in the area that I am from. It's usually sold out before we even start fixing it so it is well received in this area. So we must be doing something right. If you have a video on making it, I'd love to see it. I try Brunswick stew when I travel to different places.

[@tashalee4294]

⁠​⁠​⁠​⁠@@vafunseekersright! Some use okra which I feel like is all kinds of wrong! In the piedmont area of NC no carrots or celery. Usually Onions, lima beans, corn, crushed tomatoes. Also Worcestershire, and little ketchup and vinegar.