Three Bean Chorizo Dream

By Esther Boateng

This hearty and satisfying meal is nothing short of a feast. If you like Hungarian Ghoulash, a type of meat stew, you will probably enjoy this too. It’s relatively quick to prepare; however, for the best results, let your pot of goodies simmer on the stove for 2 or 2.5 hours so the flavors mix and mingle: maximum cooking time, maximum taste.

The base ingredients resemble a Bolognese: ground meat, onions, and garlic. I like to add milk soon after the meat has cooked, and let the liquid evaporate slightly; it helps to tenderize the meat and balance the acidity of the tomatoes. 

If you want to pressure cook your beans, it’s probably best to do this in a large batch, as it’s more efficient than cooking only what you need for one recipe. I sometimes soak the beans overnight, and then cook them for roughly 15 minutes in an Instapot. However, for this recipe, I used a medley of canned black beans, pinto beans, and kidney beans. I added the beans and pasta during the last 15 minutes of cooking. If you add the beans too early, their skin tends to split, and they can get too mushy.  A can of beans works just as well as homemade beans that are cooked in a pressure cooker. If you opt for the canned version, be sure to drain the excess water first before adding them to the meat sauce.

Also add pasta, if applicable, during the last 10 or 15 minutes of cooking to prevent overcooking. If you prefer al dente pasta, you can cook it for a shorter time. Although I like a thick meat sauce, I always make sure there is sufficient liquid in the sauce to cook the pasta. If your meat sauce looks too thick, add extra bone broth or stock, as well as any additional seasoning needed for the extra liquid. If your chorizo sausage (or other sausage of choice) is exceptionally spicy, you may wish to reduce or omit the Threefold Blend Spicy. 

This stir-and-simmer recipe is a good opportunity to use a variety of Dr. Cowan’s Garden vegetable powders to upgrade the flavor profile, as well as any leftover vegetables in your fridge; the more vegetables, the merrier. It makes such a versatile and satisfying meal that you may find yourself revisiting it time and time again. If you get a request to cook it twice in one week, as I did, you know it’s a keeper.

Ingredients:

1 lb grass fed ground beef or lamb

1 stick Chorizo de Pamplona

1 can bean medley trio (black, pinto, and kidney beans), or 1 cup beans of choice (pressure cooked)

1 Tbsp. Dr. Cowan’s Garden Wild Ramp Powder

1 tbsp. Dr. Cowan’s Garden Turmeric Powder

1 Tbsp. Dr. Cowan’s Garden Burdock Root Powder

1 Tbsp. Dr. Cowan’s Garden Carrot Powder

½ tsp. Dr. Cowan’s Garden Threefold Blend Powder (Spicy)

1 tsp. paprika powder (optional)

1-2 Tbsp. butter or oil of choice

1 can chopped tomatoes

1 can crushed tomatoes

1 Tbsp. tomato paste (optional)

1 cup beef bone broth or stock

1 onion

3 garlic cloves, crushed

2-3 sprigs fresh or dried thyme (optional)

1 tsp. fresh or dried oregano (optional)

Salt and pepper to taste

1-2 Tbsp. coconut aminos (optional)

1-2 Tbsp. Worcester Sauce (optional)

1 Tbsp. maple syrup or sweetener of choice

1/2 green pepper (or any color)

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 cup cooked pasta per person (optional) 

Instructions:

1. Peel and chop the onions.
2. Crush the garlic and let it breathe for a few minutes.
3. Heat butter or oil in a large skillet.
4. Add onions, garlic, green pepper, and ground beef, and stir for about 4-5 minutes or until the meat is no longer pink.
5. Add the Wild Ramp, Turmeric, Burdock Root, Carrot, and Threefold Blend (Spicy) Powders, paprika, thyme, oregano, Coconut Aminos, Worcester sauce, maple syrup, salt and pepper. 
6. Add bone broth and stir occasionally for several minutes until the liquid reduces slightly.
7. Add the chopped tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, and chorizo.
8. Continue to stir on high heat for a few minutes to make sure the meat sauce does not stick to the bottom of the pan. Adjust the seasoning if necessary.
9. Let the sauce simmer for up to 2 hours, stirring occasionally. When it has sufficiently thickened, add the beans. Also add the pasta, if you are using it, and let it cook for an additional 10 – 15 minutes
10. Stir in the heavy cream and serve.