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IF YOU HAVEN’T TASTED FEIJOADA
YOU DON’T KNOW BEANS ABOUT BRAZIL
by Madelyn Miller
The most typical dish of Rio de
Janeiro's cuisine ( or even maybe of Brazil's ), "Feijoada " is a Saturday luncheon tradition and requires careful
preparation. It is much more than a meal--it is a social gathering with a number
of people surrounding the boiling pots where a great variety of ingredients and
seasonings melt in perfect harmony. Originally from the colonial ages, this
black bean delicacy was a dish prepared by the slaves, who used remainders and
leftovers of pork and cow meat generously "donated " by their
proprietors. Nowadays, Feijoada is much more elaborate. There are many options, including
the selection of ingredients, the ritual to
extract the salt from the meat, the softening of the black beans, the cooking itself,
the exact seasoning and some secret tricks that can make it become lighter in
taste.
The Caesar Park Ipanema has the most famous "Feijoada
" in town in Rio. A charming "baiana" hosts
customers at the entrance with a welcome cup of hot bean sauce or tropical fruit
"batidas " – another typical drink, made of sugar cane liquor and a
tropical fruit of your choice. The view to the ocean in the background
creates the perfect ambience to enjoy the bountiful buffet, with 19 types of
meat plus side dishes . But that is not all. Be careful to save
a little room for sweet ending, as another buffet full of irresistible candies
and typical desserts will be a must before your lunch is over. By then, you will want to follow another popular Brazilian tradition of taking a nap. RecipesFeijoada Categories: Vegetables, Beef 3 c Dried black
beans Wash the beans well & soak them overnight in water to
cover. Soak the dried beef separately
in water to cover. Drain the beans. Add 6 cups water & cook, covered, adding water as
needed, until the beans are tender, or about 2 1/2 hours. As soon as the beans are cooking, begin adding
the other ingredients. Cut the carne seca into 1 1/2" squares & add to the
beans. Peel the tongue & cut it into large cubes. Cover with water &
bring to a boil. Simmer 2 minutes, drain, & add to beans. Prick the sausages with a fork, cover with water, boil a few
minutes, drain, & add to the beans. Cut the chuck in half & add to the
beans. Cut the salt pork into 1/2" slices & add to the beans. Season
the stew with salt & pepper. When the beans are tender, brown the garlic lightly in the
shortening. Add about 1 cup of the beans, mash, & return to the large pot
of beans. Adjust the seasonings. Remove the pieces of meat to a hot platter & turn the
beans into a chafing dish or bowl. Serve with braised pork loin, collards, onions in sauce
(recipes below), sweetened orange slices, & hot rice. Cook the rice according to package directions,
adding 1 1/2 Tbsp. shortening & 1/2 tsp. vinegar for each 2 cups uncooked,
long-grain rice. Brazilian Feijoada (meat And Beans, Rio De Janeiro Style) Categories: Meats, Brazilian 1 lb Pork shoulder The evening before, rinse the salted meats in cold water and
leave them to soak overnight. The next morning, change the water and allow them
to continue soaking until you are ready to cook. Place all of the ingredients in
a large heavy pot and bring slowly to a boil over medium heat, then reduce the
heat to low and simmer for 2 hours. Remove each piece of meat when it is fork tender, starting with the beef
and ending with the smoked meats. Continue to cook the beans for an additional
30 minutes, or until the liquid has become thick and creamy. Meanwhile, remove
the meat from the bones and cube or slice what you can. When the beans are
done, place them in a large, heavy saucepan, add the meats, and cook over low
heat for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and serve hot. Heap meats on one
platter, put beans in a clay pot, and white rice in another serving dish. The
garnishes must include peeled orange segments, fried manioca meal (Farofa)
julienned fried kale (Couve 'a Mineira), Pimenta & Lemon sauce and Molho
Apimentado (spicy sauce) Feijoada This is the national dish of Brazil. It is traditionally served on a Saturday and it is a festive meal to share with family and friends. There are as many recipes as there are cooks in Brazil and some regional variations too. I learned to make feijoada from my aunt in Rio and have adapted the recipe to use the ingredients that I can find in the US. We always start with caipirinhas and end with the Brazilian Style Flan for dessert. Plan to spend the morning in the kitchen and the afternoon around the table (all to the sounds of Brazilian music). If you can find some Brazilian beer, you'll be positively in heaven..., This is the recipe featured in National Geographic Traveler
magazine, July/August 1999 issue. Yummy and now famous too! Feijoada and farofa. Serving feijoada. 8 cups dried black beans The night before, soak the beans in a large bowl with water
to cover at least 3-4 inches. Soak the carne seca in water to cover. The next
morning, drain the beans and place in a large pot with water to cover by at
least 3 inches. Bring the beans to a boil in medium heat. Meanwhile, cut the carne seca into 1-inch pieces. Cut the sausage into 1-inch pieces. (When I use the
Portuguese sausage I usually prick it with a fork and simmer it for ten minutes
in enough water to cover; then I cut it.) Cut the ribs into 2-rib sections. Add the carne seca, sausage, ribs and bay leaves to the
beans. Simmer for about 2 hours or until soft (Goya brand black beans usually
take about 2 hours) , stirring from time to time, adding water as necessary to keep
beans covered. Keep an eye on the beans so they don't burn at the bottom! Chop the onion and garlic. Heat the olive oil in a cast iron
skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until golden brown.
Add two ladlefuls of beans and mash them. Put this back into the pot. It will
thicken and season the beans. Continue to simmer gently for at least another hour, adding
water as necessary. A good feijoada should have a creamy consistency when done. Remove the bay leaves. Some people take the meats out at
this point and serve them separately on a platter. I like to leave them in with
the beans, it keeps them hot. Serve the feijoada and garnishes in ceramic bowls
and platters, it will add a touch of authenticity! To serve feijoada, put a mound or rice on your plate and
place a ladleful or two of feijoada on top. Arrange oranges and couve around
the sides. Sprinkle the beans and couve with farofa and add a spoonful
of sauce to the side. What a beautiful sight! Feijoada 1 pound of black beans Wash beans well and then leave them soaking in 1 liter of
water overnight. On the next day, cook the beans and water on low heat for
about an hour with the beef stock. While the beans are cooking, cut the meats into bite size chunks,
put them all in a pan, cover them with water and boil them for about ten
minutes. Chop the onions and the garlic finely and mix in random
herbs and spices (a spice mix for salads would work well here). Heat three spoons of oil in a frying pan and
fry the onion mixture until it caramelizes.
Add a ladle full of beans (which at this point should be soft) and mash
it together with the fried onion mixture.
Put the bay leaves into this mush and let it fry for a few minutes. Pour everything back into the beans. Put the strained meats into the beans and add a cup of water. Stir. Add salt and hot pepper sauce to taste. Serves 5 over rice.
Can and should be served with peeled oranges and boiled, salted and
shredded collard greens. To drink, prefer beer or caipirinha. Garnish for feijoada: Slices from 6 oranges: using a sharp knife, peel the
oranges, cut into thin slices and arrange them on a platter. White rice: cook according to package instructions or use the
recipe for arroz à brasileira (Brazilian Style Rice). Farofa (Toasted Manioc Meal) Couve à mineira (Brazilian Style Collard Greens) Molho apimentado (Hot Sauce) |
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TM
Would you go to Paris and not try French
pastries? Would you visit Germany and not taste Weiner schnitzel? Would you go to India and not order
curry? Then you certainly shouldn’t miss Feijoada when you go to Brazil.
No "Feijoada " can be complete
unless it is served in cast iron pots laid over banana tree leaves where other
clay pots display rice, slices of orange, "farofa "( manioc
flour fried in butter ), peppers and kale, plus delicious "Caipirinha ", the
Brazilian's national drink ( crushed lemons with sugar cane liquor, ice and sugar ).