What's for dinner: Feijoada

Tonight is Feijoada. Brazilian beans and rice to be exact. Just about as good as the Feijoada you can eat at Tucano's or Rodizio's (restaurants that are Brazilian inspired). It is a little bit time consuming, but sooooo worth it. So if you have a wintery day to sit around the house all day, try it out! Today it's even better because Jason is cooking it. I tell him he's the one that makes it Brazilian, otherwise it's gringa beans and rice. Not nearly as good. :)

Here's what you need:
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 whole large onion
2-3 cloves garlic
1 bag dried black beans, soaked overnight and drained
1 pound salt pork, boiled for 5 minutes, cut into cubes
1-2 packages smoked sausage(like a Hillshire Farm brand)
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 whole bay leaves
1 1/2-2 1/2 quarts water

Put oil in a large sauce pot, heat till hot. Saute the onions and garlic until fragrant, 2-3 minutes. Dump in beans and water(not the water you soaked them in). The water needs to cover the beans entirely. You don't want the beans "swimming", but definitely covered. That's why the huge difference in water amount. It just depends on your pot, etc. Cut up the sausage into discs and add to the pot. Add the salt pork, too, here if you wish but I never do just for the sake of being a little healthier. We love the flavor still without it. Add the salt and bay leaves, bring it to a boil. Cover and simmer at least until beans are soft but the longer the better. Usually 2-3 hours. The sauce starts to thicken later in the process, and it becomes like a thin gravy. That's when it's really good.
About 40 minutes before you want to eat start the rice.
Here what you need:
4 tablespoons oil
1 whole yellow onion
3 cloves garlic
3 cups rice
4 cups water to start with
1 whole bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon salt

Heat the oil again in another large sauce pot. Saute the onion and garlic until fragrant, 2-3 minutes. Saute the rice dry with the oil for a few minutes. Add water, enough water to cover so it will stir freely. Add salt and bay leaf. Bring it to a high boil and watch and stir turning heat down slightly if needed. You are looking for the water in the rice pot to become thickened slightly. Cover it, and drop the temperature to low and cook it for 25 minutes.

*Note about the rice: You will get a crunchy rice or a soggy rice or a perfect rice depending on how you do this. Jason still occasionally makes the rice wrong even though he has made this for years. I have yet to make it perfect, so there you go. Perfect is the consistency of a really good Spanish style rice, not sticky like Chinese food rice. The flavor is amazing, so it's worth it.

*salt note: This is definitely to taste. The beans need some for sure to cook with, but I sometimes add even more to my own plate. It just depends on how the beans taste to me.

The smell in my house right now is AMAZING! I plan to add recipes that we like a lot-family favorites, and occasionally I will add what we're having for dinner. It may be something new, or a family favorite. Enjoy!