SIMPLE BRAZILIAN BLACK BEANS

Simple Brazilian Black Beans:

Recipe by Trevor Weight

This recipe is an adaptation of the beans I was served on a regular basis while serving a mission in Brazil. While black beans are less commonly eaten in the Northeastern region of the country where I served (due mainly to their higher cost as compared to other beans), they were prepared in a more simple and “lighter” way than their Southern version, which is referred to as Feijoada. While Feijoada is a very good dish, it is heavy and rich. This does not serve one well while living in coastal equatorial Brazil. As noted below, the fresh cilantro and lime juice is optional, and while their presence in your beans will make your dish much more authentic and flavorful, their omission will not ruin supper. This dish is wonderful served as leftovers and can be frozen for around 3 months.

Soak 1 lb. of black beans overnight (at least 8 hours). Change the water if possible at least once during soaking. Drain and rinse the beans in cold fresh water in a colander so that any dirt or small stones will wash away. Discard any beans that float to the top of the water, cracked or badly wrinkled beans. Place beans in pot, and cover two inches of water (if you place your palm flat in the bottom of the pan, fill until the water reaches your wrist). Bring to a boil. Boil vigorously for at least ten minutes, and remove the scum from the surface of the water. Reduce temperature to a good simmer, and after the first thirty minutes of cooking, add the following ingredients:

1 finely chopped medium onion

1 Tbsp. minced garlic

½ tsp. oregano

½ tsp. parsley

1 Tbsp. cilantro (optional)

Stir these ingredients, and continue to simmer, partially covered, for about an hour to and hour and a half or until beans are tender. When beans get close to being done, add the following ingredients:

1 cup cooked chopped bacon or ham

2 packages of Goya®† Ham Flavored Seasoning or any other dry pork bullion, the amount equivalent to make four cups of ham stock.

1 package of Sazón Goya®†

½ Tbsp. white wine vinegar

½ Tbsp. lime juice (optional)

Salt to taste *

Cook for another 10 to 15 minutes, remove from heat and let stand for 20-30 minutes stirring occasionally. Serve with cooked white rice.

Add before serving:

½ tsp. fresh ground black pepper*

*The bacon, ham/pork bullion, and Sazón all contain salt, so taste before adding any more. A familiar mistake is salting and peppering beans at the beginning of cooking. Common sense dictates caution when you are adding salt: an amount that seems barely sufficient to season a full pot may be far too much when the liquid has reduced at the end of cooking. And pepper should never be added at the start of any cooking process. When it is freshly ground into a soup or beans in this case at the last moment, its clean, spicy perfume enhances the flavor of the other ingredients; but if pepper is cooked in the liquid for any length of time, its perfume dissipates and its taste becomes harsh and acrid.

†Goya® Brand products can usually be found in your grocer’s Hispanic Foods section.