Recipe from Christmas

[Jack Feldmann]

Not traditional Christmas, but kind of traditional Southern. My take on pimento cheese spread.

1 4 oz jar pimentos
1 block of cream cheese
4 - 6 cups of grated sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 cup mayo (plus or minus for thickness you like)
red chili powder (I used about a tablespoon of chimeyo chili powder)
ground cumin 1/4 - 1/2 tsp
garlic powder 1/4 - 1/2 tsp
1/3 C grated onion
canned jalapeños what ever you can stand. I used about 1/2 cup, but may be too hot for some.
salt to taste

I used a food processor, but you can use a mixer or hand mix. The food processor makes it smoother, the mixer makes it chunkier.

Mix the cream cheese, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder together.
Add the pimentos, grated onion, and jalapeños and blend.
Start blending in cheese a cup at a time. After 3 cups, add about 1/4 cup mayo and blend.
Check for taste and thickness. This is where I kept adding cheese to get the flavor I was after. I also added more mayo.
I ended up with a fairly thick mixture. Some like it thinner.

While its traditional to make sandwiches with it, I found other uses.

Good on a burger.
On re-stuffed potatoes, instead of grated cheese. It was a huge hit at Christmas dinner.
With tortilla chips.

Enjoy!

[Rick Cantrell]

Not traditional Christmas, but kind of traditional Southern. My take on pimento cheese spread.
Thanks for the recipe. I'll, give it a try.

I've made Brunswick stew (5-7 gallons) every Christmas for the last 20 years.

[Marc M]

Thanks for the recipe. I'll, give it a try.

I've made Brunswick stew (5-7 gallons) every Christmas for the last 20 years.

Whats that Rick?

[Rick Cantrell]

Whats that Rick?

Yes, for about 20 years I have made Brunswick stew at Christmas.
That's right, 5- 7 gallons, at a time.
I give it to family and a few friends.

Not as the traditional Christmas meal, but more as a break from leftovers.

[John Ghent]

Whats that Rick?


Brunswick Stew Recipe : : Recipes : Food Network (http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/brunswick-stew-recipe/index.html)

[Rick Cantrell]

My bad
I did not understand him to be asking "What is Brunswick stew?".
I thought is was saying "What's that?" as in he was amazed at someone making 5 gallons of Brunswick stew at Christmas.


PS
Around here (Georgia) anything BBQ means PORK, sometimes chicken, rarely beef.
AND Brunswick stew ALWAYS has okra in it.

[Jack Feldmann]

Yep, needs to have okra in it.

[Marc M]

Wow, 4o years on this earth and never heard of that...looks good..

[H.G. Watson, Sr.]

I'm old, and a pureist. If there's no squirrel meat, or in lieu of squirrel, rabbit, its just NOT Brunswick Stew. If there were old hens (stopped laying) they might be thrown in too (esp. for the fat), or a pheasant or wild turkey, when the camp cooks were feeding scores of hungry men.Before frozen foods, etc. in the non-season (fresh okra in fall or winter in Virginia back in the day?!? no-sir) months, one used dried sassafrass leaves (file - pronounced "fee-lay") or kneeded butter (flour and butter, or even kneeded lard & flour) folded in at the last (after you took it off the heat) for thickening. Okra not essential ingredient in the winter. pole limas (big purple/green monsters very starchy) or baby limas (fresh in the summer or dried in the winter or spring) was, onion was (lots), and bay leaves (laurel) were essential with the (yummy, earthy, special taste) wonderful sassafrass (spelling?) leaves (dried pulverized to a powder). apple jack (hard cider) or cider vinegar was always one of the essential special ingredients to making the stew taste "just right".The only "pork" in same would have been for fat, calories & flavor, such as washed soaked salt pork, fatback, hog jowls, or uncured (smoked) bacon, if no bird was used, and only if there were other dried legumes (beans) used.Never considered the pulled pork stew real Brunswick stew.We ate this in VA & W. Va, a lot, before the war, in camps, on 'projects' work. With buiscuits, corn bread, or "spoon bread" which was more like custard or a pudding than "bread".

[Rick Cantrell]

Brunswick stew (as were many soups and stews) originally included meat products that would otherwise have been thrown out, like lips and cheeks.
Vegetables included most anything that was available. Of course anything leftover from previous days always went into the pot.
I'm not into the real authentic or "purest" style, I'm more into what taste better according to my family.

Local lore has it that Brunswick stew originated in Brunswick GA, however several other places also claim to be the birth place. But who knows.

[Jack Feldmann]

Famous Dave's has a pretty good Brunswick Stew.
What all do you put in yours Rick? Share the recipe?

I know how much work it is for you to make that much. Once a year I make 5 gallons of chili verde and it is a long process. I'm sure your family appreciates your efforts.
Here's a photo of my makings for chili verde. The bowl of meat is about 15# of cut up pork, garlic, onions, tomatillos, green chills, etc

[John Kogel]

I'm old, and a pureist.
We ate this in VA & W. Va, a lot, before the war, in camps, on 'projects' work. With buiscuits, corn bread, or "spoon bread" which was more like custard or a pudding than "bread".Thanks HG. That explains what "Jambalay, Feelay gumbo" came from.
It explains Spoon bread too, and finally "before the war" explains why you're so crusty some times. :)

Happy New Year, y'all! Jambalay!

[Rick Cantrell]

What all do you put in yours Rick? Share the recipe?


Sorry, I've been out of town for a few days.

As my family (mom, dad, my brothers and myself) age, we do not enjoy the spices like we once did, therefore I've had to modify the recipe to fit our aging stomach's.

I make it in batches, each batch is 2.5 gallons
I use a 12 qt stock pot

4-5 lbs uncooked bone in pork butt
Remove most of the fat ( save some for latter)
Smoke for 2 hours (does not need to be fully cooked)

3 lb whole chicken
While pork is being smoked,
Boil chicken in covered stock pot for 2 hours with 2 quarts unsalted water
Remove chicken, let cool then remove and discard skin and bones.
SAVE THE STOCK

Put into pot,
Partially cooked port butt (whole or cut up into large chunks)
2 large white onions (about 2.5-3 cups) course chopped
1 cup of the uncooked pork fat you saved
let simmer covered 2 hours.

Remove pork from stock pot and give time to cool so you can handle it
Pull pork into small strands with some bite size pieces.
Remove the pork fat and discard
Do not skim the fat from the stock

Put pork and chicken into pot
Add 1 gallon PLAIN tomato SAUCE
Add 3 cups whole corn (frozen or canned, drain if canned)
add 2 cups baby green Lima beans (frozen)
2 cans whole PLAIN tomatoes
Simmer covered 1 hour, stir often

Add
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1 lb frozen (or fresh) cut Okra
2 ounces spicy brown mustard
2 table spoons course ground black pepper
3 tablespoons salt
1 tablespoon ground cayenne pepper
1/4 tablespoon ground sage
3/4 cup cane syrup (This is a thick brown syrup, not corn syrup)
1/4 cup molasses
add water to near top of stock pot
simmer for 1 hour stir often
add salt/ pepper to taste

As with a lot of soups and stews, it gets better the next day.

Keeps in freezer for 6+ months.