Bem Brasil's classic bean dish, the Feiojada
HERE Brazil’s National dish comes together with the country’s favourite drink as the ideal combination to begin this new series.
Bem Brasil is already well known as a traditional Churrascaria, or steak-house, but over the next 10 weeks I’m looking forward to showcasing an array of Brazilian dishes that you will also find on the menu at our venues in Manchester’s Northern Quarter and at our new restaurant on central Deansgate.
Feijoada is a black bean and pork stew created in colonial Brazil as a way of using up the less popular cuts of pork meat that were unwanted by the farmland owners.
There are, of course, many regional variations but generally the dish has evolved to use cuts of meat that require much less cooking time.
Served with a Caipirinha cocktail as an appetiser, the dish is often accompanied by white rice and a garnish of orange segments that can be eaten later as dessert.
The recipe I have used here is an intentionally simple one, with the idea of getting as many of you to cook the dish as possible.
Traditionally, dry black beans would be soaked overnight before being cooked the following day, for several hours, on a very low heat.
Later, some of the beans would be removed, mashed and cooked to a paste, to use as a thickening agent in the stew. When cooking, the canned beans stir frequently taking care not to let them “catch” on the bottom of the pan; if they burn the whole dish will be tainted.
A tip for those who like spicy food, Molho Apimentado, a fiery hot sauce made from onions, hot peppers and tomatoes, complements this dish particularly well and is now available on-line.
INGREDIENTS (serves four)
375g smoked pork sausage
375g pork tenderloin
4 slices of bacon
1 can of black beans
2 tbs vegetable oil
4 bay leaves
2 chopped onions
2 chopped garlic cloves
1 cup of water
Salt
METHOD
Add a tablespoon of oil, the bay leaves, garlic, onions and salt to a medium-sized pan, empty in the tin of beans and cook for about 12 minutes before setting aside.
Fry off the cubed pork and chopped bacon in a separate pan using the remaining oil.
Slice the sausages and add to the rest of the meat, stir over a medium heat until all the meats are cooked through.
Transfer the meat to the pan with the cooked beans, add a little water, stir well then cook on a very low heat for a further 10 minutes or so until the beans take on a creamy texture.
Serve with boiled white rice and a platter of thinly-sliced peeled oranges.
And a DRINK to accompany? The CAIPIRINHA, naturally.
The Caipirinha (pronounced Kai Pee Reen Yah) is an essential part of any Brazilian celebration.
The main ingredient Cachaca (Ka Sha Sa) is the most popular distilled alcoholic beverage in Brasil and is produced from sugar cane juice. Un-aged (white) Cachaca is usually used when preparing cocktails with the Aged, or dark Cachaca, reserved for sipping.
To make a Classic Caipirinha take three tablespoons of Demerara sugar, a lime, 50ml of Brasilian Cachaca and some ice, preferably cracked, not crushed or cubed. First, cut the lime into eight wedges and place into a thick-bottomed tumbler.
Next, muddle the lime and sugar then fill the glass with the ice. Pour in the Cachaca, stir, and serve with a straw. It’s that simple!
Published: Fri, 03 July, 2009
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