One thing I didn't see much of on my visits to Brazil were black beans, a key ingredient in Feijãoda, something else I didn't see much of...maybe once at a pay-by-weight buffet. So I was pleasantly surprised when I got hold of a Brazilian recipe for black beans, one that called for some ingredients that I can't get here, that forces me to use my imagination for substitutions, ends up making the recipe my own. I'm sure my Brazilian friends will notice the replacement right away!
With the beans, I also served rice (my new favorite way to make it thanks to Carlos, my friend in Manaus who gave me a cooking lesson on my last night there) and braised cabbage, a colorful dish that utilizes corn, peas and red sweet peppers to make a dazzling dish, I will give the recipes for both of those in a later post.
Brazilian Black Beans
1 pound black beans
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup good quality chopped bacon
4 oz diced Polish sausage
1 medium onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste.
Pick over and rinse the beans and put them in a pressure cooker with enough water to cover by 5 inches. Heat until the weight gently rocks and cook for 15 minutes. Use cold water to decrease the pressure. Drain off part of the water leaving about 2 inches covering the cooked beans and mash the contents with a potato masher to thicken up the broth. Be careful not to mash too much. You still want most of the beans left whole.
In a skillet, heat the oil and saute the bacon and sausage until cooked through. Add the onion and garlic and continue cooking until the onion is soft and add the contents to the beans, one cup of water and salt and pepper to taste.
Put the cover on the pressure cooker, bring up to pressure and cook again for another 5 minutes. Serve with rice.
