Ironhorse
Jan 06, 2006, 04:44 PM
PORTUGUESE BEAN STEW (FEIJAO A PORTUGUESA)
1 lb dried navy or Great Northern beans, picked over
1 lb sliced bacon (I like to use the thick sliced bacon)
1 large onion, chopped (I do a coarse chop)
3 garlic cloves, minced (I just smash them with a cleaver)
4 to 5 cups water
1 (6-oz) can tomato paste
1 lb Portuguese linguica or Spanish chorizo (cured spicy pork sausage), cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
1/2 teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes, or to taste
1 tablespoon paprika
Soak beans in cold water to cover by 2 inches 8 hours.
Cook bacon in a 4- to 6-quart heavy pot until crisp. Transfer to paper towels to drain. Spoon off (and discard) all but about 3 tablespoons fat in pot. Cook onion in reserved fat over moderate heat, stirring frequently, until golden, 7 to 9 minutes. (I cook the linguica seperately too, not in the bacon fat. Then drain off the fat and add the meat in later. Sometimes the linguica can have a lot of fat in it, other times, not so much.) Add garlic and cook, stirring, until it begins to turn golden.
Drain beans and add to onion mixture with remaining ingredients (except bacon). Bring to a boil, then simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, until beans are tender, about 1 1/2 hours. (Older beans will take longer to cook and require more water during cooking.) Crumble bacon into beans and season with salt and pepper before serving.
Makes 6 servings.
1 lb dried navy or Great Northern beans, picked over
1 lb sliced bacon (I like to use the thick sliced bacon)
1 large onion, chopped (I do a coarse chop)
3 garlic cloves, minced (I just smash them with a cleaver)
4 to 5 cups water
1 (6-oz) can tomato paste
1 lb Portuguese linguica or Spanish chorizo (cured spicy pork sausage), cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
1/2 teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes, or to taste
1 tablespoon paprika
Soak beans in cold water to cover by 2 inches 8 hours.
Cook bacon in a 4- to 6-quart heavy pot until crisp. Transfer to paper towels to drain. Spoon off (and discard) all but about 3 tablespoons fat in pot. Cook onion in reserved fat over moderate heat, stirring frequently, until golden, 7 to 9 minutes. (I cook the linguica seperately too, not in the bacon fat. Then drain off the fat and add the meat in later. Sometimes the linguica can have a lot of fat in it, other times, not so much.) Add garlic and cook, stirring, until it begins to turn golden.
Drain beans and add to onion mixture with remaining ingredients (except bacon). Bring to a boil, then simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, until beans are tender, about 1 1/2 hours. (Older beans will take longer to cook and require more water during cooking.) Crumble bacon into beans and season with salt and pepper before serving.
Makes 6 servings.