Brazilian Black Beans and Rice with Pork

None of the recipes I learned in Brazil had “recipes.” It was more of an approximation. Everything can be adjusted to meet the needs/tastes of your family.

Begin with the rice:

Using the instructions on the box, measure how much rice you want for your family. In a saute pan, melt 2 TB butter (more, if you’re doing a lot of rice.) Add garlic and dry white Minute Rice. Saute until rice is golden brown. This imparts a really nice nutty flavor to the rice. Then cook according to Minute Rice directions.

Meanwhile, in another sauce pan, brown and render the fat from the sausage you are using. I use a smoked sausage or kielbasa. You may want to add more butter to the pan to help it cook up a little faster and stick less, although the little sticky bits are the best. If your family likes small pieces of pork throughout, slice the sausage and then cut each slice into halves or quarters. That’s what we do.

When the sausage is nice and browned, developing a sweet flavor, and you have a good amount of pork fat in the pan, add your black beans (don’t drain or rinse). Now, the lady who taught me didn’t believe in draining the fat off, so we don’t either. The flavor is about 1000 times better undrained, but you could drain the fat to make it healthier, if you insist. Or you could just control your portion size and enjoy your food, gosh darn it.

Heat the bean/meat mixture thoroughly. You can add salt if you feel it needs it, but the sausage usually provides enough salt. You can also add more garlic, which we do.

Serve beans over rice, with a nice piece of crusty bread and a good glass of Guarana! Enjoy!