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Serving size: Serves 4
Cooking time: Less than 60 minutes
Favourite flavours: Saucy

Recipe - Blazing saddles

INGREDIENTS

800g beef sausages, chopped coarsely
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large brown onion (200g), chopped coarsely
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 large red capsicum (350g), chopped coarsely
1 teaspoon dried chilli flakes
300g can red kidney beans, rinsed, drained
2 x 400g cans chopped tomatoes
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh oregano

METHOD

1. Cook sausages, in batches, in large deep saucepan until browned; remove from pan.

2. Heat oil in same pan; cook onion, garlic, capsicum and chilli, stirring, until onion softens. Add beans, tomatoes and sausages; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, covered, 30 minutes.

3. Remove from heat; stir in oregano. Serve with tortillas and thank your lucky stars you're eating outside.

A campfire classic
Variations on this dish have been consumed around campfires for centuries. The American Wild West was built on steaming plates of wagon trail beans, and the equally steamy after effects. This is a dish that's even been immortalised on the silver screen. Mel Brooks' classic 1974 comedy western, Blazing Saddles, features a band of baddies chowing down around the campfire. If you've seen it, you'll know why it's one of the funniest scenes in movie history. If you haven't, you should.

Melbourne Bitter
A good, fiery bowl of chilli needs plenty of putting out and nothing will do the job better than this frosty front-bar favourite.

These recipes are from RALPH, The Tongmaster, ACP Books, $24.95, available at selected newsagents, bookstores and at www.acpbooks.com.au.

Photo: Joshua Dacey