500 grams Cannellini
beans
1 medium onion, finely chopped
500 grams Continental sausages
200 grams smoked bacon, medium sliced & cut into 3 cm pieces
500 grams beef
225 grams canned finely crushed tomatoes
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
1 tablespoon chopped thyme
8 cloves
1 teaspoon garlic crushed
1 teaspoon ginger crushed
4 medium red chillies (optional)
salt to taste
oil as indicated
1 litre water
Wash Cannellini
beans in running cold water. Soak in cold water for 1 hour.
Drain, place in pressure cooker with 1 litre of water. Add salt
to taste and the cloves. Bring to boil and cook under pressure
for 15 - 20 minutes. Release pressure and check if beans are
cooked but are still firm. If not cooked enough, cook under
pressure for a few minutes more. Remove from heat. Chop onions
with a sharp knife very finely. Place sausages in a microwave
proof dish in one layer. Prick each sausage with a tooth pick all
over (to prevent bursting) in several places. Cover with kitchen
paper and cook under high for 6 minutes. Remove and allow to
cool. Cut into 2-3 cm long pieces or according to your own
preference. Cut beef into bite size pieces. Season with salt and
crushed black pepper to taste. Heat up a large casserole pan over
medium high heat and add 4 tablespoons oil. Add the sliced onion,
crushed garlic, crushed ginger and thyme until the onions slices
become transparent. Add the finely crushed tomatoes and simmer
until the sauce is well blended and the tomatoes are well cooked.
Stir sauce at intervals to prevent burning. Add beef pieces to
tomato sauce and mix well. Continue to cook for about 10 minutes
or until the meat becomes opaque. Optional: add the sliced red
chillies. Add the bacon pieces and mix well together. Cook over
low heat for a further 5 minutes or until bacon pieces are
cooked. Drain the Cannellini beans from the cooking water. Retain
the water for adding to dish later. Add the cooked Cannellini
beans to the beef, bacon and tomato mixture in the pan and
carefully mix well together. Do not mash up the beans. Cook for a
further 10 minutes. Add the retained boiled water to the pan and
carefully mix well together. Cook for a further 20 minutes or
until the sauce reaches the desired consistency, according to
your own preference. It has to be bit liquid as the beans will
continue to absorb the water. If there is not enough sauce you
can stir in some hot water. Add salt to taste. Serve hot and eat
with bread or rice.
Serves 4.
source : eyingerald [africanfood]