Bratwurst + pinto bean stew

When I was home for Thanksgiving last year, there was a marathon of the television show, "Bitchin' Kitchen" on the Cooking Channel.  Nadia G is the host and she is beautiful, sassy, and totally hilarious!  Most importantly, her food looks DELICIOUS.  I couldn't believe that I could have so much fun watching a cooking show.  After dropping some not-so-subtle hints, I received her cookbook, Cookin' For Trouble, for Christmas.  I've been looking for any reason whatsoever to use it since then.

It's been a little gray and rainy lately, April showers and all that jazz, so I decided to make a stew.  Nadia G's "Bratwurst + pinto bean stew" is a one pot meal, which makes me happy, and there's lots of meat in it, which makes my husband happy.  I'm hungry and there's no time to waste!  Come on you newrdz, let's get to cookin'!



Fixins:

• 6 slices bacon
• 1 yellow onion
• 4 bratwurst sausages
• 3 carrots
• 3 celery ribs
• 1 1/2 cups beer
• 3 Tbs tomato paste
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 cups beef stock
• 1/4 tsp dried thyme
• 3 cups canned pinto beans
• Salt to taste
• Black pepper to taste

As Nads would say, time to "shkiaff" it together!  Saute the bacon, onions, and bratwurst together, then add the carrots and celery.  Deglaze with some of the beer, then add the tomato paste.  Add the flour to coat everything, then add the stock, thyme, remaining beer, and pinto beans.  Season at the end with salt and pepper.  Prepare your tastebuds!!

Result:

Tsaketa!  That is some flavorful stew!  I added a little parsley for garnish and the green color really pops in the mostly brown, earthy-looking stew.  This stew is so filling, with a full-bodied flavor and it only dirties up one pot!  Dare I say, it was love at first bite?

Repeat:
Mi!  Of course I'll make it again!  Next time, I'm going to saute the bacon a little longer.  It was still a bit soft and I think a little more crunch would have done well with the texture of this stew.  Other than that, it was perfect.  I love that it had such complexity of flavor and warmed me up on a cool spring night.

As a side note, if you haven't already, I encourage you to check out the Bitchin' Kitchen website and Facebook profile for more of Nadia's antics and info on her latest shows and merchandise.  I love that she started as an online presence & appreciate how carefully she and her staff respond to fan comments.  She's the real deal, bro!