I suprised Dylan by cooking him some Feijoada which is Brazilian Black Bean Stew. I found the recipe online and it was a great success. I used meat we bought from the Farmer’s market and our friend who is the butcher there and sells all the meat from Four Mile River Farm (http://www.fourmileriverfarm.com/) gave me a neckbone for free which I threw in the pot for good measure. You will have a ton of leftovers but be ready to cook all day.
Ingredients:
4 cups dried black beans, picked and rinsed
4 quarts water
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 lb pancetta, cut into medium size cubes
4 pieces of oxtail, about 1 1/4 lb
1 lb top round, cut into big chunks
1 chorizo (linguiça), about 1 lb
1/2 cup onions, chopped
1/2 cup celery, chopped
1/2 cup leeks, chopped
1/2 cup shallots, chopped
1/2 cup scallions, chopped
2 tablespoons chopped garlic, minced
3 bay leaves
Seasonings:
Kosher Salt
Freshly ground pepper
Pinch of ground nutmeg
Pinch of paprika, ground chili pepper,
Few drops of Tabasco
Few drops of Worchestershire
Place the beans in a very large pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil over high heat. Turn heat to medium, and cook, covered, for 1 hour, until the beans are just cooked but not too mushy. Set aside. (You can cook in the beans in a pressure cooker if you want to save time, and it will only take you 15 to 25 minutes).
Meanwhile, start preparing meats and vegetables. Sauté the oxtail, top round, and sausage in batches, until browned on all sides. Transfer to a large bowl and cover tightly with aluminum foil.
Heat the oil in an extra-large Dutch oven pan, and cook the pancetta until lightly crispy.
Add the onions, celery, leeks, shallots and scallions and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 3 to 5 minutes.
Add the garlic and stir to blend with other vegetables. Add the beans and bring to a boil.
Add the meats and any accumulated juices from the bowl. Cover the pan and simmer at low heat for about 3 hours, until the meats are tender and falling off the bones. Season with salt, pepper, nutmeg, paprika, Tabasco and Worcestershire, all to taste.
Serve with rice, farofa, collard greens, and orange grapefruit salad.
