We recently took a trip down to the Georgia coast to visit Brunswick and nearby St. Simons Island. The area is absolutely dripping with history. While exploring Brunswick’s historic district, we made sure to stop by Lover’s Oak, a massive, sprawling Southern live oak at the corner of Albany and Prince Streets that is estimated to be around 900 years old. According to local legend, Native American warriors and maidens used to meet beneath its enormous canopy.

We also checked out the Old Brunswick City Hall, a gorgeous brick building completed in 1890 that features striking Romanesque Revival architecture, fascinating gargoyles, and a beautiful clock tower. Unfortunately there was road closures and we could not get to the front of City Hall to get a photo from that angle.

But as someone who loves cooking in cast iron, the real highlight was down by the riverfront at Mary Ross Waterfront Park. There, sitting proudly on a stone pedestal, is a massive 25-gallon cast-iron pot. According to the engraving on that pot, the very first batch of Brunswick Stew was cooked right inside it over on St. Simons Island on July 2, 1898. It was originally a make-do meal, throwing together abundant local ingredients into a rich tomato base with corn, lima beans, and meat.

Of course, if you travel north to Brunswick County, Virginia, you’ll hear a completely different story. Virginians claim their version dates all the way back to 1828, when a cook named “Uncle” Jimmy Matthews whipped up a frontier stew for a hunting party using squirrel meat, onions, and stale bread.

The rivalry between the two states is legendary. Back in the 1980s, the two states actually engaged in the “Stew Wars,” passing rival government resolutions declaring their respective states the true birthplace of the dish. While Virginia might have the older written claim, food historians often agree that the flavor profile most Southerners know and love today—heavy on the vegetables and barbecue flavors—was perfected right there on the Georgia coast.

This particular recipe is my own spin on the Georgia classic, created specifically for my Dad. He wanted a completely no-sugar-added Brunswick Stew, and he prefers it to eat more like a hearty soup than a traditional thick stew. I love pulling out the cast-iron Dutch oven to let these flavors simmer and meld together on the stove, but I’ve also included slow cooker instructions if you want to set it and forget it!

Ingredients

• 2 cups pulled pork and chicken
• 1 tbsp butter
• 2 cups broth (from pulled pork or chicken broth)
• 32 oz chicken broth
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 1 (12 oz) bag frozen okra
• 1 (12 oz) bag frozen baby lima beans
• 1 (12 oz) bag frozen whole kernel corn
• 4 medium potatoes (peeled, rinsed, and diced)
• 1 cup sugar-free BBQ sauce
• 1 cup sugar-free ketchup
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder

Instructions

Dutch Oven Method (Preferred)

1. Melt butter in dutch oven.
2. Add all ingredients to a large cast-iron Dutch oven and mix well.
3. Bring the stew to a gentle boil over medium heat.
4. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 1 to 2 hours, or until the potatoes are tender and the flavors have melded together nicely.

Slow Cooker Method

1. Add all ingredients to a slow cooker and mix well.
2. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.

Notes

• Thickness: If you prefer a traditional, thicker stew rather than a soup, add more meat, hold back 1 cup of the broth, and stir in a cornstarch slurry toward the end of cooking.