Side Dishes > Brazilian Black Beans & Rice >
Brazilian Black Beans & Rice
1-1/2 LBS dried black turtle beans
1 large green bell pepper, diced
2 onions, diced
3 cloves garlic, diced
1/2 C celery, diced
1/4 C parsley, chopped
2 TBS oregano
2 TBS basil
1 bay leaf
Pinch of ground cloves
2 bouillon cubes (beef or chicken)
1 TBS vinegar (reserve until last hour of cooking)
1/2 LB bulk sausage
1/2 LB pork (ribs or roast)
1/2 LB beef stew meat
1/2 LB ham, cubed
1/2 LB link sausage or Kielbasa, cut into bite-sized pieces
Salt & black pepper to taste
White rice (for serving; optional)
Wash black beans and sort out gravel. Soak overnight in a bowl of water, making sure beans are covered with liquid. The next day, brown bulk sausage in a skillet and pour off excess fat. Add other meats; stir to brown. Add bell pepper, onion, garlic, celery, parsley, oregano, basil, bay leaf and cloves. Season with salt and black pepper to taste. Allow to cook for one or two hours on low heat, stirring occasionally. Add the beans and "soak water." If necessary, add more water to cover ingredients by at least two inches. Stir in bouillon cubes. Cover and cook, bringing to a low boil for two hours. Continue to cook on low simmer for six hours, stirring every hour or two to keep mixture from sticking to the bottom of the pot. An hour before serving, add vinegar and stir. Serve beans and meat over white rice if desired.
*Recipe Source: Sheila Domon.
Recipe featured in the Food Fare Cookbook.
Shenanchie's Note: I don't mind fresh green beans or God forbid those from the can, but I have never cared for the refried or baked variety of beans. I could never find a palate for them. However, after trying Brazilian Black Beans & Rice I changed my mind. The dish looks unappetizing (black food?), but once spooned over white rice it's quite delicious.
About Black Turtle Beans: The small, shiny black turtle bean is especially popular in Latin American cuisine. It is often called simply the black bean (frijol negro in Spanish, feijao preto in Portuguese), although this can cause confusion with other black beans. The black turtle bean has a dense, meaty texture and flavor reminiscent of mushrooms, which makes it popular in vegetarian dishes such as the Mexican-American black bean burrito. It is a very popular bean in various regions of Brazil, and is used in the national dish, feijoada. It is also a principal ingredient of Platillo Moros y Cristianos as in Cuba, a must-have in the typical casados of Costa Rica, and served elsewhere in almost all Latin America. [Data Source: Wikipedia].
HOME | Recipes | News & Updates | About Food Fare | Contact | Site Map
