This hearty one-pot dish will satisfy even the pickiest mouths! Regarding the meat choices, any type will do. I prefer bison (buffalo) because its so lean and high in protein. Only use whole canned tomatoes, as they will provide the best “ripe tomato” flavor. Remove bay leaves before serving. Goes very well with my Perfect Polenta Patties!

  • Yield: serves 8 – 10
  • Difficulty: Medium
  • Total: about three hours
  • Active: about an hour

Ingredients (16)

  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 1 large green bell pepper, diced
  • 3 stalks of celery, diced
  • 3 cloves garlic, smashed or diced
  • 1 pound of ground meat
  • 1 litre meat stock (any will do – a good vegetable stock will work well too)
  • 2 large cans (596 mL) of whole stewwed tomatoes
  • 1 can of kidney (red) beans
  • 1 can of black beans
  • 2 cups of sundried tomatoes
  • 3 Bay leaves
  • 1 tsp dry mustard, cayenne pepper
  • 3 tsp Creole or Cajun seasoning blend
  • 1/4 cup Brown Sugar
  • 2 Tbsp Balsamic vinegar
  • Salt to taste

Instructions

  1. Over medium high heat, saute 2/3 of the raw vegetables (first 4 ingredients) in 1 tbsp of oil. Reserve the remaining raw vegetable matter.
  2. Once the onions begin to sweat, add your choice of ground meat. Brown to perfection.
  3. When the meat is cooked, add the stock, bay leaves, dry mustard and cayenne. Simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until reduced by half.
  4. Rehydrate the sundried tomatoes and dice. Puree the canned tomatoes in a food processor. Add to pot.
  5. Rinse the canned beans in plenty of water, add to the pot along with brown sugar, balsamic vinegar, salt and 2 tsp of cajun or creole seasoning–reserve 1 tsp of seasoning.
  6. Mix well and simmer over low heat for two hours, stirring occasionally.
  7. Add remaining raw vegetables and seasoning to the pot and take off the heat. Mix well and allow to stand covered for five minutes.
  8. Serve and enjoy!