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Tale of Two Stews
Brunswick stew and burgoo, distinguished by their regional differences, vie for serving rights alongside barbecue.
By Cynthia Ann Briscoe
   
  Smoked chicken and pork simmer with corn and butterbeans to make Smoky Brunswick Stew.
   
   
  These images from the International Bar-B-Q Festival in Owensboro, Kentucky, show teams cooking burgoo in heavy kettles over open fires.
Brunswick Stew Recipes:
1. Smoky Brunswick Stew
2. Burgoo

Burgoo (ber-GOO), native to Kentucky, is a thick stew flavored with chicken, vegetables, and mutton (lamb aged more than two years). In contrast, Brunswick stew contains no mutton. Both Brunswick County, Virginia, and St. Simons Island, Georgia, claim to be the home of hearty Brunswick stew. Seasoned with barbecue pork, chicken, and sometimes ground beef, Georgia?s stew is more tomatoey than Virginia?s. Brunswick stew also shows up on barbecue menus in North Carolina and other spots in the Southeast. Wherever you are and whatever stew you prefer, our versions will satisfy your hankering.

Bring on the Burgoo
Like Brunswick stew, burgoo often features corn and other chopped vegetables such as potatoes, onions, and cabbage. But the mutton in this stew provides its distinctive gamey flavor.



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