Beef Stew

The major staple of survivalist has been and will likely continue to be the bean. Beans are easy to store, they last a long time and provide the human body with vital energy. In any emergency pantry you will likely discover several different varieties of beans however, the one I am going to describe is generally lacking in most emergency supplies.

Little popularity has been provided to the Tepary bean from the southwestern portion of America and Mexico. It has been grown in those areas by the native people since before the Europeans stepped foot on the continent. It is a drought resistant bean which can be grown under desert conditions in locations from Arizona through Mexico. When growing it the necessary water requirements are extremely low permitting the crop to grow in areas where the annual rainfall would be less than 16 inches annually. In recent times this plant has been introduced to drought suffering nations of African.

Beef Stew

To use the Tepary beans you cook them just as you would any other dry bean usually soaking in water overnight. In some Native American cultures the beans are toasted and then ground into a meal. The meal is mixed with some water to create a paste and that is eaten as their main meal.

Some studies which have been conducted indicate that the lectin toxins obtained from the tepary beans may actually act as a form of chemotherapy for treating cancer but additional research is necessary to confirm this theory. Other health benefits from this variety of bean include less calories then usual, a higher fiber factor then found in most beans and lower fat levels per serving although you will generally discover that the carbohydrate levels are slightly higher.

You won't readily find these beans available in supermarkets across the nation so it's unlikely you can rush out to your local Wal-Mart and purchase a pound or two however, there are website on the internet which sell them and also provide a multitude of recipes for their use. Here is a very tasty method of preparing these beans and it will give you an idea of their versatility so here is my Tepary Bean with Beef Stew.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups of dried and rinsed Tepary beans
10 cups of water
1 cup of diced carrots
1/2 of a diced onion
Salt and pepper to taste
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon of dried thyme leaves
1 pound of cubed beef
1/2 cup of brown rice flour
1/2 cup of corn flour
Olive oil for cooking the meat

Since this is a crock pot recipe place the rinsed and cleaned tepary beans, the water, salt and pepper, your two bay leaves, the thyme, carrots and onions together in the pot and start cooking on low heat.

In a medium sized bowl pour the rice and corn flour together. Drop the meat cubes into the mixture to coat them. Put a lid on the bowl and vigorously shake the contents to assure that all the cubes are coated with the flour.

Take a large skillet and cover the bottom with olive oil. Preheat the oil before placing the cubes of stew meat into it. Cook until the meat is lightly browned while turning continuously to avoid burning. Drain the oil from the cooked meat by placing the finished meat on a paper towel. Now, scrape the roux that has formed from the bottom of the pan and place it into your crock pot along with your browned cubes of stew meat. Stir well in order to blend the roux and the meat into the liquid. Continue to cook the stew mixture until the beans become tender. Since cooking times vary according to the crock pot used it is impossible to state a firm cooking time.

After experiencing these unique beans you may wish to add them to your emergency food supplies.

Copyright @2010 Joseph Parish
http://www.survival-training.info

The Draught Resistant Bean in Action

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