Feijoada, Brazilian Rice, Couve a Mineira, and Farofa. The Perfect Brazilian Meal.

Fiejoada is the national dish of Brazil and is is traditionally served on a Saturdays. 

Fiejoada is traditionally served atop Brazilian Rice (see recipe below), and accompanied by Couve a mineira, which is Brazilian style Collard Greens, (see recipe below), Sprinkled on top is Farofa, which is toasted manioc flour (see recipe below), and oranges that are peeled and sliced and served on the side.  And don’t forget the hot pepper sauce!

 

First recipe:  Feijoada 

8 cups dried black beans

3 pounds carne seca (Brazilian salted cured beef)

(Translated carne seca means “dried meat”.  Thin strips of dried, salted beef essentially the same as beef jerky found in the U.S.  You can substitute the carne seca with good quality jerky; not the reconstituted snack form found in many grocery stores.  It is best purchased from a meat market or butcher that makes their own)

2 pounds portuguese choriço (or spanish chorizo) sausage 

2 pounds pork tenderloin, or spare ribs

3 bay leaves

Salt & Pepper

4 tablespoons olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

Soak the beans for at least 8 hours or overnight in a large bowl with water to cover at least a few inches.  At the same time, soak the carne seca in water.  After the beans are done soaking, drain them and place in a large pot with water to cover by at least 3 inches. Bring the beans to a boil over medium heat.

Meanwhile, cut the carne seca into 1-inch pieces. Cut the sausage into 1-inch pieces.  Many cooks poke their sausage a few times with a fork and let it simmer, covered in water for a few minutes before cutting it into pieces, but I usually eliminate this step.   Cut the tenderloin in 2 inch sections, or if using ribs, cut into 2-rib sections.

Add the carne seca, sausage, pork and bay leaves to the beans. Simmer for about 2 hours or until soft.  Make sure the heat isn’t too high, and that you stir it often, to prevent the beans from burning.  Add water as necessary to keep beans covered.  Salt & Pepper to taste.

Chop the onion and garlic.  Cook over medium heat in a heavy bottomed  skillet until soft and lightly browned.  Add two heaping ladels of beans to the skillet and mash them with a potato masher, then add everything back into the pot of beans. The mixture should be thick and starting to become creamy.

Continue to simmer gently for at least another hour, adding water as necessary. 

Feijoada should have a nice creamy consistency when done. Remove the bay leaves.  Re-season with salt & pepper if needed.  At this point, you can remove the meats and serve on the side, or leave them in the beans. 

Serve over Brazilian Rice

Brazilian Rice

 

 

2 cups long-grain white rice

2 tablespoons minced onion

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 teaspoon salt

4 cups hot water

Directions

Place the rice in a colander and rinse thoroughly with cold water; set aside. Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook the onion in the oil until softened.  Add the rice, garlic and salt and cook and stir until the rice and garlic start to brown. Pour hot water over rice mixture and stir. Reduce heat to low, cover the saucepan, and allow to simmer until the water has been absorbed, 20 to 25 minutes. 

 

Couve a Mineira

 

3 lb Collard Greens, washed and stemmed

1 large clove garlic, chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

4 tbsp olive oil

Directions

 

Taking a few collard leaves at a time, stack them on top of each other and roll like a cigar.  Once rolled, slice into 3/4 inch ribbons.  Once all the collards are sliced, toss to separate the rolls and set aside.   

In a large skillet, heat the oil.  Cook the garlic and onion in the oil over moderate heat, stirring, for 2 minutes or until it softened.  

Add the collard greens, toss them to coat and cook them, covered, stirring occasionally, for about 6 minutes or until they are tender.

 

Farofa

 

In Brazil, where farofa is particularly popular, typical recipes call for raw manioc flour to be toasted with butter, salt, and bacon until golden brown. It is an essential accompaniment to Feijoada. 

There are many variations to farofa.  This version is pretty basic, but you can also add…raisins, olives, hard boiled eggs, banana, nuts, and prunes. 

Serves 4

3 tablespoons butter
1 small onion,chopped
1 egg
1 cup manioc meal
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, minced

2 slices bacon
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat a skillet to medium and add the bacon.  Fry until crisp, remove and chop.  Drain the fat from the pan, and add the butter.  Sauté onion in butter until soft, but not browned. Reduce heat and add egg, stirring until scrambled and well mixed. Gradually add manioc meal until the mixture becomes golden and resembles toasted bread crumbs.  Add the bacon, and add salt and pepper to taste.  Add the parsley and combine.

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