How To Make: Feijão Tropeiro

On this week's blog, our Executive Chef Fran Martinez wanted to show you one of his favourite Brazilian classics with a Fazenda twist, Fazendeiros.

Feijão Tropeiro (Brazilian beans with sausage and collard greens)

This time we wanted to share a recipe with our signature sausages, which are produced exclusively for Fazenda with our blend of spices. The same butcher family has been providing these for 7 years, so they're considered family to us.

Feijão Tropeiro is an age-old Brazilian classic; it's been around for over four centuries. 'Tropeiros' was the name given to conductors of 'tropas', the pack of horses and mares which were used to transport products between the producing regions and the consumer markets in central Brazil in the 17th century. One of their typical meals was beans with smoked bacon, sausage, onion, garlic and eggs, which could be carried without refrigeration for several days.  It’s a delicious recipe, but it's simple enough to make in a single large pan.

Ingredients (serves 4-6)

5 sausages (diced) 5 smoked bacon slices (diced) 800g of black beans or red kidney beans (cooked and drained) ½ a red onion (diced) 3 garlic cloves (chopped) 100g sun-dried tomatoes 250g corn semolina flour ½ collard green (blanched and shredded) ½ tbsp of salt ½ tbsp of black pepper ½ tbsp of chilli flakes or smoked paprika 2 tbsp of olive oil

Method

I find it important to have every ingredient prepared and ready, or 'Mise en place' as I call it. Once we start cooking, we'll be adding the ingredients one after another. It'll take no longer than 15 minutes to cook.

Add the olive oil into the pan, and add both of the meats once it's hot. When they're half-cooked, add in the onion and garlic. Don't forget to keep stirring, or the garlic will burn.

Then the sun-dried tomatoes and mix them in thoroughly.

Add the corn flour, making sure that it combines well with the tasty oils and juices from the meat in the pan. Mix this in for a couple of minutes.

Next, add the seasoning (salt, pepper and chilli flakes/paprika) and beans into the pan. Mix these in and then bring the temperature down and cover your pan with a lid to allow our cooked ingredients to warm through to the right temperature.

Finally, add the collard greens to the dish, and mix them in using tongs. It's now ready to be served!

As previously mentioned, this recipe will keep perfectly well for a couple of days. I actually prefer to eat it at room temperature the next day when all the flavours have combined. It has a hint of spice and a strong garlic aroma. It's a truly delicious, authentic meal Fazendeiros.

If you try this recipe, we'd love to hear from you over on our Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.