From the Vault – Bacon and Legs – Hobo Stu’s Hobo Stew: An Anniversary Special
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[Editor’s Note – This column originally ran on August 19, 2013. With HoboTrashcan’s 10th anniversary coming up next week, we are rerunning it today.]
It was a warm Monday eve, back in 2005. Joel Murphy was walking along the street, hands in his pockets, whistling a tune, kicking a pebble as he strolled along. He glances down this alleyway and sees a man, a charming man, with tousled hair, a dirt-smudged face and a smile that lit up the whole dark alley. Maybe it wasn’t his smile. Maybe it was the trashcan he had lit on fire. But there was something warm and welcoming, and Joel Murphy walked over to get a closer look. He approached slowly, still whistling, and the man looked up.
“Hello friend, my name is Joel Murphy, how are you this beautiful evening?”
“The name’s Stu.” He seemed short in his response, kinda down on life and a little wary of the friendliness of Joel Murphy.
“Nice to meet’cha, Stu. So what has brought you to this lowly place?”
“Well, Joel Murphy. I’m down. I’m down because I don’t have anywhere on the Internet to go to get good quality celebrity interviews, movie reviews and pop culture news. I used to get bored at work and would seek out something to read, only to find pretentious garbage and fluff. I crave honesty and a fresh outlook. I want a pop culture website written by someone who loves pop culture, not hacks that are only in it for the money. I want a revolution! So I quit my job and left my family. I don’t want Internet access anymore, Joel Murphy. Not until there is quality content worth having.”
It was then and there that Joel Murphy decided that he was going to be the revolution that Hobo Stu so desperately needed. That everyone needed! That night, he and Stu shared the soup that was cooking over the fire on that hobo trashcan. But the next day, Joel Murphy created his revolution. He created HoboTrashcan.com.
This week is HoboTrashcan.com’s eighth anniversary, you guys! On August 23rd, 2005, Mister Joel Murphy, beloved Editor-in-Chief, created the site that we’re all so lucky to have in our lives. When Joel started the site, he’d post once a week on Thursdays. It launched with a handful of pieces, including this epic interview: One on One with Michael K. Williams. You can also check in with Joel, one year later in: Year One: A Look Back. He and his crew of talented writers turned the website into what we know and love today. I can’t even tell you how lucky I feel to be a (brand spankin’ new) part of it and I hope to be around for many anniversaries to come. So thank you, Joel Murphy, for eight years of quality entertainment. Ya made Hobo Stu proud.
Kick back with a tin can of Hobo Stu’s Hobo Stew (recipe below), a bottle of beer (wrapped in a paper bag) and an electronic device of your choice and read through some old pop culture gold, here on HoboTrashcan.com.
Hobo Stu’s Hobo Stew
Ingredients
- 2 lbs. beef, cut into cubes
- 1/4 c. flour
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 12 oz dark lager
- 4 cups beef broth (low sodium)
- 2 medium potatoes, peeled, washed and cut into cubes
- 2 large carrots, peeled and diced
- 2 ears of corn, removed from cob (about 1 cup)
- 3 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled
- Fresh dill, for garnish (optional)
Toss your beef cubes with the flour. Dump it all in the bottom of a slow cooker. Fill the slow cooker with the rest of the ingredients (except dill). Stir.
Cook on high for 5-6 hours, or low for 7-8 hours.
Top with dill, if desired. Serve with day-old bread and lots of booze.
Fontina Turner, a food blogger and graphic designer from Philadelphia, makes classy-as-fuck comfort food and consumes an unhealthy amount of cheeses and craft beers. She can be found in the kitchen, at the bar, on Twitter or trying to make H. Jon Benjamin love her. Contact her at thelegs@baconandlegs.com.