Red Bean Chilli con Carne

Last weekend I really wanted to cook some new, saucy Mexican dish. As I was turning the pages of the cooking book I saw the following recipe and it was so colorful that I immediately felt my mouth getting wet. It was really hard to resist, especially given that I had all the necessary ingredients in my kitchen. The only alternation that I made was to use canned beans instead of dried once (more or less double amount compared to the dried once). This way I avoided the overnight soaking part of the recipe so I could start directly.

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/2 cups dried red beans

500 gr lean beef steak, chopped in bite-size pieces

2 tbsp avocado oil (you could use any vegetable oil as well)

2 large onions, chopped

2-3 cloves garlic, minced

1 fresh green chilli, seeded and finely chopped (you could use dried chillies as well)

1 tbsp paprika

2 1/2 tsp ground cumin

2 tsp ground coriander

1 can (400gr) chopped tomatoes

1 1/2 cups beef stock or water

1 tsp dried chilli flakes

1 tsp hot pepper sauce or tabasco

1 fresh red bell pepper, seeded and diced

3-4 tbsp fresh coriander and some extra to garnish, finely chopped

salt to taste

1. Wash the beans well and soak them overnight in a large amount of water. The next day cook the beans in water for about 2 hours or until almost soft.

2. Heat the oil in a large, flameproof casserole pot. Add the onion, garlic and green chilli and cook over a medium fire until soft. Transfer to a plate.

3. Increase the heat, add the meat to the pot and brown on all sides. Season with paprika, cumin and coriander.

4. Return the onion mixture to the casserole, add the tomatoes, beef stock or water, chilli flakes and hot pepper sauce or tabasco. Drain the beans and add to the pot.

5. Bring to simmering point, cover and cook in the preheated oven at 180°C for about 2 hours. Stir occasionally and add extra water if the casserole gets dry.

6. Season the casserole with salt, add the chopped red pepper and chopped coriander and continue cooking in the oven until the beans and the meet are tender. Garnish with some chopped coriander and serve with steamed white rice.