This is my second recipe using the potjie.  My first recipe was a chicken dish; I figured I would give my wife's meat sauce recipe a try in the potjie.  For more information on potjiekos, this site has some great information - http://www.taste-africa.com/product_potjie.php.  Making a meat red sauce in bulk and freezing it is a great way to save time during the week.  It is easy to boil water, make pasta, and defrost your sauce for a quick meal.

For this recipe you will need the following ingredients.

2 lbs Italian sausage (I used 1lb sweet and 1lb hot italian sausages)

2 - 1lb 12oz cans of crushed tomatoes

1 - 6oz can tomato paste

4 cups of water

1 - carrot (absorbs bitterness, discard after cooking)

1 bunch of chopped fresh basil 

1 tbsp chopped garlic 

Pinch of sugar

Pinch of salt

Pinch of pepper

Pinch red pepper flakes

2-3 bay leaves

2 tbsp olive oil (enough to coat the bottom of the potjiekos)

The first step is to get a good fire going.  Once you have some coals ready, move some hot coals under your potjie to heat it up.  Add enough olive oil to coat the bottom of your pot and wait for the oil to heat up.  Once your oil is nice and hot add your minced garilic and brown.  Pay special attention to not burn the garlic.  

After browning your garlic add your sausage to the pot and cook on all sides.  You don't have to cook the sausage all the way through since they will cook when we simmer our sauce after adding our other ingredients.

Once you have cooked your sausage on all sides it is time to add our other ingredients.  Add the crushed tomatos, carrot, chopped basil, sugar, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes and bay leaves.  Don't add your tomato paste and water yet!  

Slow cook the ingredients for about an hour keeping the sauce cooking at a slow boil.  Don't let the sauce heat up too much and burn.  I like to pull of the top and give the sauce a stir every 5 - 10 minutes to make sure it isn't burning.  After slow cooking for an hour, add your tomato paste and water and cook for another 30 minutes.  Keep making sure your sauce doesn't burn.  Once done simmering, discard the carrot and bay leaves.  Serve over your favorite pasta.  Freeze any left over sauce for a quick meal later.