Feijão Tropeiro:

Brazilian Black Bean Stew With Collards And Sausage

Feijao tropeiro is one of Brazil’s most popular dishes.

Feijão Tropeiro:

A hearty stew of black beans, spicy sausage, and collard greens, it is something of a mixture between feijoada and caldo verde.

Feijão Tropeiro:

Like American hash, feijao tropeiro has traditionally been a way to use up leftovers, making it a simple and economical dish.

Where Does Feijao Tropeiro Come From?

Feijao tropeiro is known in English as “cattleman’s stew.”This is because it originated among the tropeiro: cattle drivers of 17th century Brazil.

Where Does Feijao Tropeiro Come From?

Long months of travel necessitated foodstuffs that would not spoil: dried beans, cured meats, and cassava flour. 

Where To Find Manioc Flour

Manioc flour is also known as cassava flour. It can be found in most specialty grocery stores, and even in some mainstream ones.

Where To Find Manioc Flour

If you cannot find cassava flour, you can substitute tapioca starch. Both are made from the yuca root, but manioc contains more fiber than tapioca starch.

Ingredients:

- 1 lb pinto beans, soaked and cooked (or 1 can pinto beans)

- 1 lb Braziliain sausage, cut into ½” slices

- ½ lb bacon, diced

- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped

- 4 cloves of garlic, minced

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Ingredients:

- 8 oz cassava flour

- 1 large bunch of collard greens, cut chiffonade style

- 4 large eggs

- 1 tsp salt (more to taste)

- Freshly ground black pepper

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Ingredients:

- Extra virgin olive oil

- One 4 oz packet of pork rinds/chicharrones 

Now comes the fun part ...

Directions:

1. Heat a skillet over medium and fry the bacon until crispy. Remove it from the pan and strain it on a paper towel. 

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Directions:

2. Discard the bacon fat and put a drizzle of olive oil in the same pan you used to cook the bacon. Brown the sausage for a minute or two and set it aside with the bacon.

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Directions:

3. Add another drizzle of oil to the pan and saute the onions until they are fragrant and translucent (about 2 minutes). Add in your salt and pepper.

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Directions:

4. Add in your garlic and pinto beans and cook for a few minutes more. 

5. Add in your garlic and pinto beans and cook for a few minutes more. 

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Directions:

6. Add the cassava flour a little bit at a time, until it is toasty and well-incorporated.

7. Reduce the heat to low and heat another skillet over medium heat.

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Directions:

8. Add a drizzle of olive oil, and crack your eggs into the skillet. Fry them sunny side up, then put them on top of the feijao tropeiro mixture. 

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Feijão Tropeiro: Brazilian Black Bean Stew With Collards And Sausage

Serve immediately garnished with the crispy pork rinds and some fresh parsley or cilantro. A little hot sauce wouldn’t go amiss, either!