RECIPE: Jay Paterno’s Pigskin Stew

The Story behind the Stew:                       

 After starting a College Football blog called The Pigskin Stew, I decided to create a football-themed Pigskin Stew. Blending College Football History and experience making stews, chili and other stuff in a crockpot I set out looking for the right ingredients to create a stew worthy of the name and the game.

Football season begins in the heat of late August and early September in what is among the peak days of Tomato season in the North where the game was born. So we needed some fire and spice in a tomato-based dish. But the season finishes among the cold winds of November so the ultimate college football meal had to be a hearty stew to warm the insides at a cold tailgate party.

Because it is Pigksin Stew it had to be based in pig…and what better part of a pig is there than Bacon? The base also had to honor the game’s roots that started with a football game in New Jersey between Rutgers and Princeton. So the stew’s base is Jersey Tomatoes (or any other tomatoes).

Next we decided to honor some of the game’s legendary Coaches…Italian Sausage (Vince Lombardi), Old Granddad Bourbon and Coca-Cola (Coach Paul Bryant and Coach Joe Paterno). Also we added Crystal Louisiana Hot Sauce (Eddie Robinson).

Then we honored the important regions that have been a huge part of the game’s history. Western Pennsylvania, The Midwest/Big 10 and Heartland are represented by Kielbasa and Corn. The Notre Dame Fighting Irish (and Knute Rockne) are represented by the Potato.  Okra, Stubb’s BBQ Sauce, and Beef Broth honor the South and Texas.

And finally we honor the Greatest of the Food Bowl Games….apologies in advance to The Cotton Bowl and Rose Bowl….so we added a dash of Orange Juice (the Orange Bowl), Brown Sugar (The Sugar Bowl) and crushed Tortilla Chips (The Fiesta Bowl)………

So now that you know, let’s get to the recipe:

Ingredients:                                                 

• 3 tbs Olive Oil   

• 1 chopped red onion                                                       

• 1 diced Potato                                                   

• 3 Cloves Garlic --Minced                                              

• 1 pound hot Italian sausage no casings                                    

• 2 -15 oz cans Diced Tomatoes                                         

• 18 oz Stubb’s Original  BBQ Sauce            

• 2 Cups Beef Broth                                                           

• ¼ Cup Crystal Hot Sauce

• ¼ cup Bourbon                                                                

• 1/3 Cup Coca-Cola     

• 2 tbs Worcestershire Sauce

• 1 pound Thick cut Bacon-Diced                                

• 16 oz Kielbasa                                   

• 2 tsp Fresh Ground Pepper                                        

• 1 tbs Ground Cinnamon

• 2 tbs Chili Powder

• 1 Red Pepper—Diced                                                     

• 1 ½ Cups Okra                                  

• 2 Cups Corn                                                                       

• ¼ Cup Brown sugar                                                       

• 1 Splash Orange Juice                                    

• 1/3 Cup Crushed Tortilla Chips              

Directions:                                                   

Step 1: In a skillet on med-low heat use Olive Oil to heat onions potato and garlic stay active stirring them for 3-4 minutes –add Italian Sausage to brown

In Crockpot –Add all other ingredients and stir up to mix. Add the sausage/onion/potato mixture and stir again to mix.  Heat on Low for 6-7 hours and then serve.