Boa noite, leitores! Good evening, readers! Estão com fome? Are you hungry?

How about some feijão (beans)? Beans are a staple in any Brazilian home and we eat it on a daily basis. One of the most traditional almoço (lunch) meal here in the country consists of feijão com arroz (rice and beans), usually accompanied by some salad and grilled meat. And, of course, in a place as big as Brazil, there are several different ways to prepare and consume beans. Today we are going to learn a little more about feijão tropeiro, typical comida mineira (food from the southeastern state of Minas Gerais) that is as comforting as it is delicious.  

História | History

The name tropeiro can be traced back to colonial times, when transportation of produce and merchandise used to be carried out by troops on horseback. These man were called tropeiros. Their eating habits included mostly beans, bacon, sausage and cassava flour, which were easy to transport, Hence the origins of the prato (dish) . Eventually, scrambled eggs, spices and herbs were added to the original receita (recipe). Nowadays, the tropeiro has a tremendous cultural importance and has become of the most typical (comida) food eaten in stadiums in Minas Gerais.

Ever heard of it? or, better yet, ever tried it? Well, if feijão tropeiro isn’t available wherever you are at the moment, how about learning how to make some?

Ingredientes | Ingredients

500 g de feijão cozido | 500 g of cooked beans

500 g de farinha de mandioca | 500 g of cassava flour

5 ovos | 5 eggs

300 g de bacon | 300 g bacon

150 g de linguiça de porco | 150 g of pork sausage

1 cebola picada | 1 chopped onion

2 dentes de alho | 2 garlic cloves

Couve | Kale

Sal a gosto | Salt to taste

Cebolinha | Chive

Torresmo para decorar | Crackling to decorate

Modo de preparo | How to make

Cozinhe o feijão em uma panela de pressão e reserve | Cook the beans in a pressure cooker and set aside

Frite o bacon e reserve | Fry the bacon and set aside

Frite os ovos na gordura do bacon, depois a couve e reserve também | Fry the eggs in the bacon fat, then the kale and set aside as well

Na mesma panela frite o alho, a cebola | In the same pan, fry the garlic, the onion

Adicione o feijão e mexa por cinco minutos | Add the beans and stir for five minutes

Acrescente a farinha de mandioca aos poucos | Add the cassava flour gradually

Desligue o fogo e acrescente o bacon e por último os ovos, torresmo e cebolinha | Turn off the heat and add the bacon and last the eggs, crackling and chives

Sirva com arroz | Serve with rice

Bom apetite!