Fill of Brazil

While I was looking for recipes for the chunk of pork we picked up yesterday I stumbled upon one for a traditional Brazilian dish called Feijoada. Even better, I thought, when I read that it is most suitable for using leftover scraps and typically unused pieces of the pig. However, I didn't really read the recipe, I just figured it was a given that I could just use my leftover roast and turn it into this Feijoada dish.

I'm not saying that the dish wasn't good, because it was, but it probably would have been a lot better had I used the recommended ingredients like chorizo over my leftover pork sausages and smoked ham instead of my leftover Pork Roast. What surprised me about this is that it tasted nothing like I thought it would and there are no surprising ingredients in it. I thought it would taste like a combination of chili, stew and baked beans. It was actually very soft and creamy with a black bean and garlic flavor. The pork is masked by this quite a bit and had become extremely tender, almost giving it the consistency of the beans as well.

I was under the impression that Brazilian food would be spicy and exciting, but all of the recipes I found were very plain, seasoning only with onions and garlic. Simple vegetables sautéed in butter, lots of heavy stews and roasted meats. Traditionally this meal would be served with Farofa (toasted manioc meal), Couve a Mineira (Brazilian style collard greens) and Arroz (Brazilian style rice.) I really don't know what manioc is and am not sure where I would get it. It looks like tapioca from the pictures I've seen.

I had every intention of making the collard greens but I forgot to pick them up. The recipe is simply collard greens sliced and sautéed in the butter until just wilted. I did make the Brazilian rice, but it's very simple and would not have made a good side dish. It suggested I put the Feijoada on top of the rice, which was just fine. It also suggested I garnish the plate with orange slices. I ate the oranges with the black beans and pork and they don't contrast unfavorably. They also add a nice color to the plate.