Feijoada

Feijoada (Brazilian Black Beans and Rice)

Everybody always says that you can eat whatever you want as long as You'do it in moderation. We say screw moderation! Moderation spawns temptation. Think about it: If you eat one itty bitty piece of chocolate, what happens? YOU WANT MORE CHOCOLATE! On the other hand, if you make a whole meal out of it and stuff yourself�

1 pound of black beans

1 pound of smoked sausage

1 pound of carne seca or 1/2 pound of bacon

4 pork shoulder bones and ears

2 small onions

2 garlic cloves

2 large bay leaves

2 cups of beef stock olive oil salt and fresh pepper very hot pepper sauce
Wash beans well and then leave themsoaking in

1 liter of water overnight.

On the next day, cook the beans and water on lowheat for about an hour with the beef stock.
While the beans are cooking, cut the meatsinto bite size chunks, put them all in a pan,cover them with water and boil them forabout ten minutes.

Chop the onions and the garlic finely and mixin random herbs and spices (a spice mix forsalads would work well here).

Heat threespoons of oil in a frying pan and fry the onionmixture until it caramelizes. Add a ladle fullof beans (which at this point should be soft)and mash it together with the fried onionmixture. Put the bay leaves into this mushand let it fry for a few minutes. Poureverything back into the beans.

Put the strained meats into the beans andadd a cup of water. Stir.
Add salt and hot pepper sauce to taste.

Serves 5 over rice. Can and should beserved with peeled oranges and boiled,salted and shredded collard greens. Todrink, prefer beer or caipirinha.

Notes: While the beans are cooking, stirthem occasionally because if they burn onthe bottom, the whole dish will becontaminated. Also, do not add salt to thebeans until the meats have been in it for awhile as these will tend to release their saltinto the water. The Feijoada will be readywhen the liquid is thick and flavorful.