PICKUP/DELIVERY Reserve
Reserve Order To-Go

Tag: #slowcookerrecipes

Picadinho With Butternut Squash

Posted on by John Reynolds

Picadinho with butternut squash and rice

A Comforting Stew with Beef and Winter Squash

Brazilian picadinho, a traditional beef stew, is a delicious and hearty dish that brings together the rich flavors of beef, butternut squash, and a medley of spices. It is a hearty, warming dish that beautifully incorporates the tastes of Fall. The colors alone are a showstopper. Plus, it is ridiculously easy to make and the ingredients are cheap. What more could you want in a winter meal?

Picadinho vs Picadillo

You may notice a similarity in this dish and another known as “picadillo.” While the two dishes share certain ingredients, they differ significantly in taste and texture. For one, picadillo is made using minced beef, while picadinho uses large cubes of meat. Picadinho also makes use of starchy vegetables, like butternut squash, in place of the salty olives and/or raisins in picadillo. Finally, picadillo is meant to cook quickly. As a stew, picadinho needs time to tenderize the meat and bloom the herbs and spices. 

What to Eat with Picadinho?

Brazilian beef stew is plenty filling enough to enjoy in a bowl all by itself. However, if you fancy pairing it with a side dish, Brazilian rice is an excellent choice. It would also taste great ladled over some egg noodles (like this estrogonofe de carne recipe), or with a side of garlic mashed potatoes. 

Vegetarian Options for Picadinho

While the beef is traditionally the star of Brazilian stew, you can certainly omit the meat and substitute it with some hearty chickpeas, more squash, and some diced potatoes for added “heft.” Just keep in mind that you will not need to cook the stew nearly as long, so check the veggies often so they don’t get too mushy. 

Can You Make Picadinho in the Crock Pot?

Of course! In fact, we think picadinho tastes even better in the slow cooker. We recommend taking a few steps before tossing in the ingredients:

  • Season the beef cubes with salt and pepper, then sear on all sides lightly over medium high heat.
  • Add in another twist of oil and lightly fry the garlic and onion.
  • Deglaze the pan with the wine.
  • Put the beef, garlic, onion, spices, wine, and broth into the crock pot.
  • Cook on low for six hours, or on high for four hours. 
  • When you have one hour left, add in the butternut squash, tomatoes, and bell peppers. 

Brazilian Picadinho de Carne Recipe

Ingredients:

1.5 lbs chuck steak cut into one inch cubes
Extra virgin olive oil
1 small yellow onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced2 tomatoes, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 medium butternut squashed, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch cubes
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp paprika (not smoked)
1 cup beef broth
1 tsp salt (more to taste)
½ cup white wine
2 bay leaves
¼ cup fresh parsley or cilantro

Instructions:

  1. Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat.
  2. Season the beef with salt and pepper and sear on all sides. Transfer to a plate. 
  3. Reduce heat to medium. Add in another drizzle of oil and add the chopped onion and garlic. Cook just until softened and fragrant.
  4. Deglaze the pan by adding in the red wine and scraping up any brown bits stuck to the bottom. 
  5. Return the meat to the pot along with the squash, tomatoes, peppers, broth, cumin, paprika, salt, and freshly ground black pepper. Toss in a couple bay leaves.
  6. Bring the mixture to a rolling boil, then reduce heat to medium-low. Cover, and simmer for one hour to 90 minutes, until the meat is tender.
  7. Serve piping hot, garnished with fresh cilantro or parsley. 

TIP: If you need to thicken the sauce, you can make a cornstarch slurry: start with one tablespoon of cornstarch to two tablespoons of water. Add the mixture to your stew and bring it to a boil. Add more as needed to achieve a gravy-like consistency.

Brazilian Beef Home Delivery 

To get the freshest, highest quality meat for your next stew recipe, visit Texas de Brazil’s online butcher shop. Premium cuts of beef, lamb, and pork are available a la carte or in hand-curated boxes-all delivered right to your door. Be the host-with-the-most this holiday season and visit our website today. 

 

Caramelized Leeks With Balsamic Reduction

Posted on by John Reynolds

Caramelized leeks in a skillet

In the US, we rarely think of leeks as a stand-alone dish. We use them to enhance other dishes, like soups and sauces. In Brazil, however, these sweet vegetables are served in a variety of ways alongside churrasco-style meats. Today’s recipe slowly cooks thin strips of leek in garlic-infused butter, olive oil, and a little sugar to produce a melt-in-your-mouth side dish that pairs well with any main course. Caramelized leeks also make a fantastic alternative to bruschetta when eaten on crusty french bread or toast points. 

However you enjoy them, we are sure of one thing: once you have tasted these caramelized leeks, you will wonder why you’ve never used this unassuming ingredient on its own more often! 

How Do You Caramelize Leeks?

Like onions, leeks are naturally high in sugar. This means they lend very well to slow-browning to bring out that sweetness. The method by which we will caramelize our leeks is quite similar to how you prepare yellow onions for French Onion Soup. The leeks are rinsed and the layers separated. We also recommend cutting the leeks into thinner strips for even cooking (and so they can be easily twirled up onto a fork). 

The leeks are then added to a pan of melted butter and oil, sprinkled with a little sugar, and left to cook slowly for about 20 minutes. You will stir them occasionally to allow for even cooking. The end result is a sweet and savory dish that can be slurped up like vegan pasta. 

How to Make a Balsamic Reduction for Caramelized Leeks

Our caramelized leeks are served with red pepper flakes and a drizzle of balsamic reduction. As the name implies, this sauce is made simply by reducing Balsamic vinegar until it has thickened to syrupy consistency. It is incredibly simple to do. 

Add one cup of good Balsamic vinegar to a small saucepan and bring it to a boil. Then reduce the heat to medium low. Let the liquid simmer until it is reduced by half, stirring frequently. Use it right away or refrigerate it for up to one week. If it thickens too much in the refrigerator, add a little plain Balsamic and mix. 

If you find you use balsamic glaze frequently, you can also buy ready-made bottles of it. 

Caramelized Leeks Recipe

Ingredients:

5 large leeks, rinsed and trimmed
3 cloves of garlic, smashed
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2.5 oz extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp granulated sugar
½ tsp kosher salt
Red pepper flakes

Directions:

  1. Separate the layers of your rinsed and trimmed leeks. On a cutting board, slice them length-ways into long, thin strips (about one quarter inch wide). 
  2. Heat a large skillet over medium low heat. Add in the butter and oil. When the butter has melted, add in the smashed garlic and simmer until fragrant and softened (1-2 minutes).
  3. Remove the smashed garlic and discard. Put your leeks into the infused butter and oil mixture and sprinkle them with the two tsp of sugar and ½ tsp of salt.
  4. Stir the leek mixture together and cook over medium low heat. If they are browning too quickly, reduce the heat to low. 
  5. Continue cooking and stirring the mixture for about 20 minutes, until the leeks are soft, buttery, and brown. If necessary, add more butter. 
  6. Serve hot with a drizzle of balsamic reduction and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Enjoy!

What to Eat With Your Caramelized Leeks:

Texas de Brazil Online Butcher Shop

Did you know: you can have high quality meats to serve alongside your caramelized leeks delivered right to your door? Hand curated butcher boxes or a la carte options are available to suit every taste. From our world-famous picanha and Brazilian sausages, to premium cuts of lamb and pork, your next barbecue is about to get a massive upgrade. Visit our online Butcher Shop today to get started. 

Burgundy Mushrooms

Posted on by John Reynolds

burgundy mushrooms with fresh herbs as garnish

In our spin on Burgundy mushrooms, white button mushrooms are slow-simmered in butter, herbs, garlic, and red wine for a delicious accompaniment to your next churrasco dinner. Pair them with steakhouse style garlic mashed potatoes or simple Brazilian cheese bread for a truly unforgettable meal. 

Burgundy mushrooms are named after Bourgogne, a region in France famous for its red wine. The traditional recipe incorporates wine from this region, although any dry red wine will do. Bourgogne is also known for its capital city of Dijon, where the flavorful mustard of the same name has its origins. 

In Brazil, mushrooms are not typically offered as a stand alone dish. They are more commonly found as a topping on pizzas, in Brazilian stroganoff, or in Japanese cuisine. Mushrooms do not grow readily in many parts of the country, thanks to a generally warmer year-round climate. However, they can be easily found in most supermarkets and are a favorite addition in certain dishes.

One type of mushroom that is native to Brazil is a species of Agaricus subrufescens. Known locally as cogumelo do sol (“mushroom of the sun”), the mushroom was first discovered growing in Brazil in the 1970s and mistakenly identified as Agaricus blazei, a species first found in Florida. The fruiting body of A. subrufescens is indeed edible and is described as having a sweet, almond-like taste. It is also prized for its supposed medicinal effects, including alleged anti-cancer properties. 

While we will not be using cogumelo do sol in our recipe, feel free to incorporate them if you have the chance. The sweet taste would go very nicely in the red wine sauce we will be preparing. Just make sure to chop them in uniform pieces to allow for even cooking. 

Can I Make Burgundy Mushrooms in a Slow Cooker?

Yes. In fact, this would be an ideal method to maintain slow and even cooking. Otherwise, you will be using a large stock pot that you will not want to leave unattended for too long. 

Faster Recipe for Burgundy Mushrooms

The best Burgundy mushrooms take hours to make, since we are reducing a fair amount of liquid to a thick, dark sauce. In a pinch, you can thicken up your burgundy mushroom sauce with a cornstarch slurry or a beurre manié. Use 1 part cornstarch to 2 parts water for your slurry, or a 1:1 ratio of room temperature butter to flour for the beurre manié. Add it to your mushrooms and bring to a boil then reduce until thickened to a good, smooth consistency. 

Burgundy Mushrooms Recipe

Ingredients:

2 lbs white button mushrooms (whole)
2 cloves of garlic, minced
0.5 liters dry red wine
2 cups of chicken stock
1 tsp Dijon mustard
Two sprigs fresh thyme (1 tsp dried thyme)
4 tablespoons of unsalted butter
Freshly ground black pepper
Salt to taste

Directions:

  1. Wash and dry the mushrooms. 
  2. Heat a large stock pot over medium heat. Melt the butter and lightly saute the minced garlic just until fragrant. (If using a slow cooker, you can do this separately in a small skillet).
  3. Add in the mushrooms, wine, chicken stock, dijon mustard, thyme, and salt and pepper. 
  4. Bring the mixture to a boil and reduce to a low simmer.
  5. Cover and simmer on low for 4 hours. 
  6. After four hours, remove the lid and simmer for another hour and a half, or until the sauce is rich and thickened to the consistency of a thin gravy. 

Enjoy with a delicious flank steak or on simple, crusty french bread. 

Texas de Brazil Sauteed Mushrooms

Let us do the cooking for you! Try our delicious sauteed mushrooms, braised for hours in herbs and red wine. You’ll find them in our hot items section, along with our famous lobster bisque, potatoes au gratin, and feijoada. 

You´re headed off-site..

Would you like to checkout now?

You're switching shops with items in your cart. Our Gift Card products are sold from a seperate shop than our Butcher Shop & Merchandise products and require seperate checkouts.

If you wish to return to your Gift Card cart, simply navigate back to a Gift Card product page and click the cart icon - if you don't see your products please toggle between our different shopping carts.