Brazilian Black Bean Stew (Feijoada)

Ingredients

Stew

• 1 (3 to 4 pound) smoked beef tongue
• 8 cups cold water
• 2 (12 ounce) packages dried black beans
• 1/2 pound dried beef
• 4 smoked chorizo links
• 1/2 pound sliced bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces

Sauce

• 1 chorizo, cooked with beans
• 4 jalapemo peppers, finely chopped
• 2 large tomatoes, chopped
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
  

Instructions

1. Stew: Place beef tongue in Dutch oven; add enough water to cover beef. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer until tender, about 3 hours.
2. Heat water and beans to boiling in Dutch oven or large kettle; boil gently for 2 minutes.
3. Remove from heat; cover and let stand for 1 hour.
4. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer 1 hour.
5. Remove from heat, and mash 2 cups beans and liquid; reserve mashed beans for Sauce.
6. Plunge beef tongue into cold water. Cut lengthwise slashes in skin; peel off skin. Remove any fat and cartilage. Cut beef tongue into 1/4-inch slices; stir into unmashed beans. Cut dried beef into bite-size pieces; prick chorizos thoroughly with fork. Stir dried beef, chorizos and bacon into beans and tongue. Add just enough water to cover. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 1 hour.
7. Sauce: Stir half the Sauce into meat-bean mixture. Cover and cook until beans are mushy, about 1 hour, adding 1/2 to 1 cup water if necessary.
8. Heat remaining Sauce over low heat.
9. Arrange beef tongue slices in center of platter; arrange remaining chorizos around tongue slices. Pour Sauce over meats. Cut orange slices into halves; arrange around meats. Pour remaining beans into tureen; serve with rice.
10. Sauce: Cut reserved chorizo into 1-inch pieces. Cook and stir chorizo and remaining ingredients in 10-inch skillet over medium heat for 3 minutes.
11. Stir 2 cups reserved beans into chorizo mixture; heat until hot.

Yield: 12 to 14 servings