Culinary Travel: Brazil

Brazil is famous for beautiful beaches like Ipanema & Buzios. To experience the real warmth of Brazil, get to a small town & hang with the locals. There are hundreds to choose from.  Rio das Ostras, in the state of Rio de Janeiro is a tiny town with about 17 miles of gorgeous golden sand beaches. The vibe is so casual and laid back that anyone will feel welcome. There are casual, open sidewalk cafes along the beach in the centro. Carnival here is a special experience, as festivals are in all small towns.

Every Brazilian cook has their own way of preparing feijoada (fay-JWA-da). Basically, it's black beans with cured pork. It is traditionally served over rice with fresh orange slices. The dish is so integrated into Brazilian culture that Saturday is known as the day of feijoada. It is not just a meal but also an event to share with family and friends.

Feijoada, Brazilian Black Bean Stew

Prep time: 10 minutes Cook time: 5 hours Yield: Serves 10 to 12.


Ingredients
1 pound  dry black beans
4 Tbsp olive oil
1 pound pork shoulder, cut into chunks
2 large onions, sliced
1 head of garlic, peeled and chopped
1 pound carne seca or corned beef, cut into chunks
1/2 pound  fresh sausages, such as chorizo or Italian sausage
1 pound smoked sausage, such as linguica or kielbasa
1 smoked ham hock or shank
3-4 bay leaves
Water
1 14.5 ounce can  of crushed tomatoes
Salt

Directions
Pour boiling water over the black beans and let them sit while you prepare the rest of the stew.

Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat and brown the pork shoulder. When it has browned, remove the meat from the pot, set aside and add the onions to the pot. Brown them, stirring occasionally, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Sprinkle a little salt over the onions and add the garlic. Stir well and sauté 2 more minutes.

Add back the pork shoulder, and the other meats and add enough water to cover. Add the bay leaves, cover and bring to a simmer. Cook gently for 1 hour. Drain the black beans from their soaking liquid and add them to the stew. Simmer gently, covered, until the beans are tender, about an hour and a half.

 Add the tomatoes, stir well and taste for salt, adding if it's needed. Simmer this, uncovered, until the meat begins to fall off the ham hock, which will probably take 2-3 hours.

Serve with white rice and hot sauce. A classic side dish would be sautéed collard greens.

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