Introduction
Embrace the flavors of Minas Gerais with this traditional Feijão Tropeiro recipe. A beloved staple in Brazilian cuisine, particularly in botecos around Belo Horizonte, this dish combines hearty beans, succulent meats, crunchy pork rinds, and savory cassava flour for a deliciously rustic meal that's sure to impress.
Ingredients
🥓 500g pork belly, chopped
🌱 500g small red beans, Feijão Roxinho
🍃 2 bay leaves
🌭 Half a Calabrian sausage, diced
🥒 Half a Portuguese sausage, diced
🌭 Half a smoked pork sausage, Paio, diced
🍖 250g pork leg sausage, small links
🥓 200g lean bacon, diced
🧄 2 heads of garlic, crushed
🧅 2 onions, chopped
🌾 350g toasted cassava flour
🥬 7 collard greens leaves, thinly sliced
🥚 4 eggs
🧂 Salt
🌶️ Black pepper
Instructions
1- Prepare Pork Rinds and Lard:
- Cut 500g pork belly into strips or small pieces.
- Place in a pan with salt. Cook over medium heat, stirring every 5 minutes, until fat renders and pork is crispy.
- Use a slotted spoon to separate pork from lard. Chill pork in the refrigerator for 1 hour; save the lard.
2- Cook the Beans:
- Soak beans in water for 4 hours or overnight.
- Drain, add to pressure cooker with bay leaves and water. Cook for 10 minutes once pressure is reached.
- Let pressure release naturally. Drain and cool beans.
3- Fry Pork Rinds:
- Melt 4 tablespoons of reserved lard in a pan over medium-high heat.
- Add chilled pork and fry until crispy. Reserve some for garnish.
4- Fry Pork Sausage:
- In the same pan, fry pork leg sausage until cooked through. Set aside.
5- Sauté Sausages and Bacon:
- Melt 1 tablespoon of lard in a large pot.
- Add diced sausages and bacon. Sauté till browned. Remove meats, leave fat.
6- Sauté Aromatics:
- Add onions and garlic to the same pot. Sauté until onions are translucent.
7- Combine Feijão Tropeiro:
- Add beans to pot with onion-garlic mix. Stir.
- Return sautéed sausages and bacon. Add collard greens. Stir.
- Gradually add cassava flour, mixing until crumbly but moist.
- Add pork rinds.
8- Prepare Scrambled Eggs:
- In a separate pan, melt lard or butter. Crack eggs, season, scramble.
9- Final Assembly:
- Add scrambled eggs to Feijão Tropeiro. Season with salt and pepper.
Prep Time: 30 mins
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 30 mins
Servings: 6
Equipment:
🍳 Various pans,
🍲 Pressure cooker,
🥣 Clear glass bowls,
🥄 Slotted spoon,
🍴 Wooden spoon,
🔥 Large pot/bowl,
🥄 Colander/Strainer,
🍽️ Serving platter/plate
Cooking Tips
- For authentic flavor, use lard rendered from pork belly.
- Chill pork before second frying for crispiness.
- Soaking beans reduces cooking time and aids digestion.
- Add eggs toward the end to maintain their distinct texture.
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