Baked beans with lamb is one of the most popular Albanian dishes. In Albanian, it’s called fasule me mish, and in Macedonian it’s called tavce gravce. You can make it with beef or veal as well; I use what ever I have at the time. When I first wrote this post, I didn’t have a slow cooker, so now that I do, I use it on days that I am busy, and it turns out great. I love how soft the beans get and how meat just falls off the bone.
Make sure that you do NOT season the water with salt or else the beans will not soften; add salt in the last hour of cooking, whether you are using a slower cooker or baking them.
What you will need:
- 3 cups dry white beans like navy or canellini beans or Tetova fasule (my favourite)
- 1 lb pieces of lamb, veal or beef meat (less or more depending on what you like or have)
- 1 large onion
- 1 red pepper
- 1/2 tsp seasoning salt
- 1-2 tbsp paprika
- 2 tbsp pepper paste or tomato paste
- pinch of chili flakes or 1 whole chili pepper
- 3 and 1/2 cups water or more
- 1 kitchen tablespoon of salt or less to be added near the end of cooking
Some beans require more water than others; I noticed that Tetova fasule soaks the water up a lot, and I need to add more as it’s cooking.
In a large bowl, soak the beans over night. Once soaked, drain and rinse with water, or bring beans to a boil and cook for at least 1 hour, then drain and rinse.
Chop onion and pepper, pan fry with oil in a hot pan, add in the paprika to your liking and the pepper or tomato paste. Sprinkle seasoning salt over the meat, transfer to the frying pan, and brown on both sides (do not cook the meat).
Add the beans to the slow cooker or pot, top with the meat/onion mixture, pour over the water and stir with a wooden spoon. Cover with lid and put the slow cooker on high for 5 to 6 hours of cooking time. Every slow cooker is different, so when beans are soft and tender, it is done.
If you are baking this, you will have to cook it in a pot for at least 2 hours on low-medium heat, then transfer to a baking dish and bake for an hour or two at 350 degrees. When the beans are soft and tender, they are done. Enjoy!
Oh my, these baked beans look awsome! And in combination with lamb it must be delicious!I am a big fan of Macedonian "Gravce Tavce"/ Baked beans- sooo good 🙂 Thank you so much for sharing!