My game plan was to order a “Combo Dark Platter” at Smithfield’s Chicken -n- Barbecue and save the BBQ to add to my Brunswick Stew. Interestingly, the nearest SCNB restaurant is across town, and is 18 miles away. Fortunately, Interstate 295 “Fayetteville Outer Loop” has been completed over to that point and it takes about 20 minutes, one way now. *I think the SCNB in Dunn, NC is only 20 miles away.

Normally, I have a problem with the unsweet tea served at Smithfield’s. There have been many times that I have said, and that is because that is what it tastes like to me… “this tastes like they put cigarette ashes in water.” Now, anyone who has made iced tea at home, using Liptons, Luzianne or Tetleys, has probably tasted the tea before they added sugar or some other sweetener. Unsweet tea (is that Orange Pekoe usually) has a distinctive flavor, but it doesn’t taste like cigarette ashes. **It’s obvious that SCNB doesn’t take pride in their unsweet tea. Sweet tea has a delicious flavor, although it has been a long time since I ordered it at Smithfield’s (Type 2 Diabetes).

But yesterday, the unsweet tea had a decent flavor and adding sweetener made it palatable.

I did have a problem with their hushpuppies. I don’t think I have had that problem in the past. I recall eating two or three hushpuppies at other meals. But, this time, the hushpuppies were grainy, reminiscent of sand. I think this is called “short bread” when referencing biscuits or cookies that have this texture. Maybe too much Crisco and no flour to the corn meal. I threw out the remaining hushpuppies as I left Smithfield’s.

The BBQ looked good, and had a good flavor. But, I ate only a few pieces of the BBQ and focused on the fried chicken, potato salad and coleslaw.

Later, when I added the BBQ to the Brunswick Stew I was making, the BBQ became dark and seemed like it had been ground too finely. The chicken I shredded, from the baked chicken at Publix, was fine. *I wouldn’t use the BBQ from Smithfield’s again, but I would like pulled pork (maybe from the Redneck BBQ Lab – haven’t tried theirs yet).

The online recipe I used for the Brunswick Stew, included barbecue sauce. I didn’t have any barbecue sauce so I added Ketchup. The final product was a little vinegary but sweet. I definitely like tomatoes, corn, green lima beans and onion and chunks of potato.

I may not try to make this again, any time soon, because I don’t want to end up with a pot of Brunswick Stew that I’m not going to eat. But, if I could get the correct combo, I do like Brunswick Stew. **I bought a small bottle of “Sweet Baby Ray’s BBQ Sauce” and added some to the helping of Brunswick Stew I had, and I think this may be a necessary ingredient. The Stew was closer to the good stews I have eaten.

My dad had a good recipe for Brunswick Stew, but I don’t think I still have it. Donna (my half sister) probably does still have it.

I bought a cabbage with the idea that I was going to make some coleslaw to go with the stew, but that didn’t happen, yet.

NOTE [06/15/22]: I finished off the Brunswick Stew yesterday, and added some BBQ Sauce before finishing it. Not right away, but I would try this again, with just the shredded chicken & not forgetting the BBQ Sauce.