Feijão Tropeiro (Brazilian Beans w/ Sausage & Collard Greens)

Notes

Recipe adapted from Olivia’s Cuisine.

Ingredients

  • 1 pound dry carioca (pinto) beans rinsed
  • 2 bay leaves, dried or fresh
  • 6 cups water
  • 1 bunch collard greens, rinsed and dried
  • 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
  • 14 ounces Calabresa sausage, sliced (I substituted with Argentinian chorizo, but any smoked sausage will do)
  • 1/2 pound thick sliced bacon, diced
  • 1 large onion, sliced
  • 6 cloves of garlic, minced, divided
  • 5 eggs
  • 1 to 1 ½ cups toasted manioc flour (this turned out to be a completely different recipe, I did not make this! I toasted some panko bread crumbs instead.)
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Chopped parsley and green onions to taste

Instructions

  1. Start by cooking your beans. I used an Instant Pot for this. Combine the rinsed beans, 6 cups of water, and bay leaves to the pot. Secure the lid and cook on High Pressure for 15-20 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally release all the pressure naturally. Once the pressure is released, drain the water and set the beans aside
  2. Remove the stems of the collard greens leaves. Stack a few leaves on top of each other and roll that stack into a cylinder. Slice the collard greens into thin strips. Repeat with all the leaves.
  3. Place the oil in a medium-sized skillet over medium heat. Whisk the eggs in a bowl and add them to the pan. Cook, stirring gently, until they are scrambled. Reserve.
  4. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add 3 cloves of garlic and cook, stirring often, until golden and fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the collard greens and cook until withered, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and reserve.
  5. Using that same pan, over medium heat, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil and brown the sausage until it starts to get crispy, about 5 minutes. Remove from the pan and reserve. Discard the fat.
  6. In the same pan, add the bacon and fry until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Then, stir in the onions and remaining garlic, cooking until translucent (about 3 more minutes). Add the drained beans and the sausage and cook for a minute, letting the beans soak up all those amazing flavors. Then, add the eggs and the collard greens, stirring until everything is well combined.
  7. Season generously with salt and pepper. Then, add the manioc flour (to taste), a handful at a time, stirring until it is moist and incorporated into the dish.
  8. Remove the pan from the heat and sprinkle the parsley and green onions. Serve immediately!