Brazilian Black Bean Stew
This hearty Brazilian national dish simmers black beans with a variety of pork products for rich, deep flavor. While traditionally time-consuming, using your Geedel vegetable chopper to quickly prepare the seasoning paste significantly speeds up flavor development, making the homemade version even more delicious.
Ingredients:
500g dried black beans, soaked overnight
300g smoked sausage, sliced
200g pork belly or bacon, cubed
1 onion
4 garlic cloves
1 green bell pepper
2 bay leaves
Salt, black pepper
For Serving:
White rice
Sliced oranges
Toasted cassava flour (farofa)
Instructions:
1.Make the seasoning paste:
Cut the onion, garlic, and bell pepper into large chunks. Using the Geedel manual food chopper with the cross-shaped chopping blade, add all vegetable chunks, close the lid tightly, and turn the handle continuously until a very fine, nearly paste-like mixture forms. This is called refogado, the aromatic foundation of many South American stews.
2. Sear and sauté:
In a large stew pot, render the fat from the pork belly or bacon. Add the sausage slices and brown them, then remove and set aside. In the same pot, sauté the vegetable paste for 5–7 minutes until darkened and fragrant.
3. Combine and simmer:
Add the drained soaked beans, bay leaves, and enough water to cover the ingredients by about 5 cm. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, partially cover, and simmer for 1.5 hours. Return the seared meats to the pot and continue simmering for another 30–60 minutes until the beans are tender and the stew is thick. Season with salt and black pepper.
4. Serve:
Serve with white rice, fresh orange slices, and a sprinkle of toasted cassava flour (farofa) to balance the rich flavors.
Summary:
This hearty stew captures the soul of Brazilian cuisine. The Geedel manual vegetable chopper instantly transforms vegetables into a fine seasoning paste—a texture that allows flavors to infuse more quickly and evenly into the beans and broth. It’s a modern solution for efficiently recreating this traditional feast in the home kitchen.
