BBQ joint's Brunswick Stew recipe brings the sweet heat
Jan. 26—If you were looking forward to tasting new twists on an old classic at the Brunswick Rockin' Stewbilee, Kate and Judd Foster have something to tide you over in the meantime.
The Stewbilee planning committee decided to postpone the signature January event in Mary Ross Park last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Originally set for October, the date was moved to Jan. 29. Once again postponed, the date continues to be a moving target.
"We have not announced anything, we're seeing what's happening with (COVID) numbers," said Teeple Hill, chairman of the planning committee. "The reason we postponed is because the COVID numbers went up and the number of teams went down."
It takes about 20 teams to put on the event, Hill said. Fourteen committed initially with seven tentatively signing on. Through the holidays, however, the number of committed teams dropped to nine.
But a Stewbilee there will be, Hill said. The committee is shooting for some time in the spring.
With Saturday's event postponed, stew lovers will have to look elsewhere to get their fix.
Kate Foster is very proud of her Brunswick Stew recipe, though, and offers it up for those interested in trying something new.
Unless you've been to South of Heaven on Altama Avenue, you haven't had their Brunswick Stew yet. The Fosters haven't had the chance to show it off in events like the Stewbilee since opening in July 2021, but not for lack of trying.
Aside from most events being canceled due to COVID-19, the establishment also opened just in time for a labor shortage that's put a damper on the hospitality and service businesses in the last year. Currently staffed by three people — the Fosters and someone to work the counter — the BBQ joint hasn't had much of a presence beyond the restaurant itself.
What they would have entered, however, is spicy, sweet, hardy and, for lack of a better word, bigger — bigger chunks of meat, bigger beans and more spice than your standard stew recipe.
What Kate considered among the highlights of this stew are the Cannellini beans, which easily fit the criteria of a big bean.
"I always preferred large beans, and I really like that about this recipe," Kate said.
It also incorporates South of Heaven's peach mustard sauce, which is a little similar to a Carolina Gold mustard sauce combined with peaches and some extra brown sugar, and Muddy River BBQ sauce, a Southern-style sauce that incorporates Richland Rum's cane syrup instead of the more standard molasses.
An Atlanta native, Kate said she's was basically born with a taste for hot and sweet flavors, which she wanted to really elevate when it came time to develop their own Brunswick Stew recipe when South of Heaven opened last year.
"You can't have a restaurant in Brunswick and not have a Brunswick Stew on the menu," Kate said.
It's hotter and sweeter than your average stew, she said, but it's still Brunswick Stew at the core and a truly Southern dish.
"When you walk in and smell the stew cooking, you can't mistake it for anything but," Judd said in praise of Kate's dish.
While they have some standard measurements, Kate said usually prefers to season to taste and encouraged anyone who tries the recipe to mix it up, if they so desire.
South of Heaven Brunswick Stew
12 cups cannellini beans
12 cups corn
2 cups peach mustard sauce
2 cups Muddy River bar-be-que sauce
2 tbs curry powder
1 tbs turmeric
1 tbs garlic powder
1 tbs chili powder
Top off with a pound of slow-cooked pork or brisket
Mix sauces and ingredients together in a large pot and cook with the pot covered on medium for 30 minutes, adding water as needed to keep the sauce at the desired thickness. After 30 minutes, uncover the stew and cook until the beans are tender. Let cool and serve.
