Tag: Chouriço

Mom’s Amazing Chouriço & Peppers (Chouriço com Pimenta)

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done7My Mom makes the most amazing Chouriço & Peppers sandwiches. We just celebrated my son’s 3rd birthday and of course I asked my Mom to make this delightful treat.  I also asked that she be sure I was there to document her exact steps with my trusty camera, so you get the recipe right from the source.

Five easy ingredients, one pot, and three simple steps make for a new favorite week night meal, pot luck contribution, tail gating staple or party request time and time again.  I don’t think I can ever recall a Portuguese party that did not have some version of this sandwich piled up on a platter.  But, I have to say every time I bring these little sandwiches with this specific recipe to a party, I hear nothing but compliments and requests for the recipe. This past weekend was no exception. People ate them right up and kept coming back for more! So here it is…

Here is the start.

Here is the start.

This is ground chouriço… Most recipes involving chouriço that I have shared thus far have involved chouriço in its original form… but this is a version sold without the skin and ground up.

It’s the same price as regular chouriço and for this recipe we are starting with 3 lbs. because this is for a party.

A lot of people like to use green bell peppers for this recipe, but I am not a fan of the green, I prefer the sweeter red, orange and yellow. This is total personal preference. If you want to go the traditional route, go ahead and use green.

Three small cans of tomato sauce. We like to use plain Hunt’s… not ‘no salt added’ not ‘italian seasoning’ …just plain.

My mom likes to dice her onions pretty finely, she is not a fan of chunky onions in anything.

My mom likes to dice her onions pretty finely, she is not a fan of chunky onions in anything.

The peppers however, are diced up pretty big, each piece is roughly chopped to the size of between a nickel and a quarter. Saute both onions and peppers in a bit of olive oil for just a few minutes.

Add in all the tomato sauce and stir.

Now you want to add in about 8 oz. of beer per pound of chouriço.

Add in chouriço.

Stir.  Notice how thick the consistency is when you start out.

Cover, lower heat to medium/low and allow to simmer.

As the cooking process goes on some of the fat is released from the chouriço and it becomes much more liquidy. Continue to cook until that liquid gets reduced by about half. In the end, you still want it moist.

Each brand of chouriço has a different level of fat, this recipe is based on Michael’s Provisions Chouriço which has a low fat content and so it produces less liquid when cooking… If you are using a chouriço with a higher fat content, you may need to cook longer to cook off some of the liquid.

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Recipe for Mom’s Amazing Chouriço & Peppers:

(makes 30 party size sandwiches)

3 lbs. ground chouriço

3 bell peppers, large dice

3 onions, small dice

3 small cans tomato sauce

24 oz. beer

olive oil

30 mini portuguese sandwich rolls (or lg. rolls cut in half)

Directions:

Saute onions and peppers in olive oil.  Add in chouriço, tomato sauce and beer.  Cover and simmer over medium/low heat for about 1 hour.  When liquid is reduced by about half, turn off heat and stuff sandwiches. (The meat should be very moist, but not soupy.)

Enjoy!

***NOTE: this recipe is a one to one ratio throughout, so if you want to cut it down or increase the amount, just do so in kind… for example to make for a family dinner use 1 lb. chouriço, 1 small can tomato sauce, one pepper, one onion and 8 oz. of beer 🙂

Portuguese Baked Pork and Beans (Feijão Assado)

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If ever there was a Portuguese comfort food, Feijão Assado is it for me!  This recipe has been passed down in my family for generations and it is something that I come back to time and time again.  I have memories throughout my whole life of my Vavó and my Mom making Feijão Assado and Soupa de Feijão (Bean Soup) for family dinners, parties and holiday celebrations.  Because the time to initially soak and cook the beans can take some time they would always cook the two together reserving half the beans for the soup and the other half for the baked beans.  The Soupa de Feijão recipe is coming this fall, but for now we will focus on this warm, creamy savory comfort food.

I’ve called it Portuguese Baked Pork and Beans instead of just Portuguese Baked Beans because I have made this into the main course for our supper tonight by adding not only salt pork and a little bit of chouriço, but a whole pound of chouriço.  My grandmother would never have put an entire pound of chouriço in anything, she always said that chouriço was just added to recipes for the taste.  So, as I write out the recipe tutorial I will note the adjustment should you chose to go the traditional route.

This dish and a nice fresh portuguese roll is a filling, balanced and super nutritious meal.  However, as I mentioned, you can also bring it as a great party food or pot luck contribution and really get people talking!  Often times, if I am throwing a dinner party where I am serving roast pork or pork chops I will make this to go along side.  I’ve also known Feijão Assado to make a great breakfast food.  Whichever way you decide to make it, try it out soon because it really is a very different way to eat your beans.

I use while nave beans for this recipe because my Vavó always said the smaller the white bean the better. This is your basic one pound package.

I use while nave beans for this recipe because my Vavó always said the smaller the white bean the better. This is your basic one pound package.

Fill a 6 cup bowl about 3/4 of the way with water… this may seem a bit big, but these beans absorb almost all this water over night.

As you can see the beans are way down at the bottom of the bowl. You may be tempted to add salt at this point, avoid that temptation! White beans actually absorb water without salt, not sure why, but they do. You’ll have plenty of time to flavor later.

Cover it up and let stand over night at least 6-8 hours or up to 12 hours.

And there it is... look how they have plumped up!

And there it is… look how they have plumped up!

Now you will want to start this next step with fresh water. So drain off the beans, this also gets rid of any residual dirt… if you want to rinse your beans and pick through, now would be a good time for that as well.

Then, cut a medium onion in half and add it into the water.

Then, cut a medium onion in half and add it into the water.

Peel three garlic cloves and add those in too... The onions and garlic really flavor the beans while they are cooking, but you are still not adding in salt.

Peel three garlic cloves and add those in too… The onions and garlic really flavor the beans while they are cooking, but you are still not adding in salt.

Cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Once you have a boil going, lower the heat and continue to boil until beans are tender (about an hour and a half).

When beans are tender, shut off the flame. NOW you can finally add in a pinch of salt… not too much, just a pinch.

This is a good view of how tender the beans are. You want them naturally breaking up a bit.

Drain most of the water from the beans. Don’t worry about the onions and garlic, those will melt right into the dish.

You will want to reserve about one cup of the cooking liquid. This will help with keeping the beans moist while baking and it also helps to create the creamy texture.

Add in one small can of tomato sauce.

Add in one small can of tomato sauce.

Salt… Be careful here, my Vavó always said salt adds flavor and it takes it away. So, start with 1/2 tsp and taste after you mix everything together. Both chouriço and the wet red pepper both have salt in them, so you don’t want to over do it. And remember you already added in a pinch.

One good chunk of salt pork or a couple of slices of thick cut bacon (not too smoky) or even pancetta would be nice here. I am adding mine in whole, my grandmother would chop it up, it’s up to you which you would like to do. I think it’s pretty in the center when it comes out of the oven.

One heaping tablespoon of wet red crushed pepper is next… if you only have dry, they just add in half as much.

Now just a pinch of Portuguese All Spice… If you don’t have access to this spice just add in a pinch of sweet paprika and you’ll be ok here.

Mix all together.

I like to peel the skin off my chouriço for easier eating, personal preference.

Slice it up. As I mentioned above, my grandmother would only have added half as much, this is totally up to you. Also, I should note that I am using hot chouriço, you can also use mild and be just fine. The flavor profile is the same save the heat factor.

Add your chourço into your bean mixture.

I bought a set of these beautiful baking dishes the last time I was in Portugal and pain stakingly brought them back to the states with me. It's made of a traditional Azorean pottery. If you don't have this dish, you can either use a 9x12" stoneware dish or any regular baking dish will work.

I bought a set of these beautiful baking dishes the last time I was in Portugal and pain stakingly brought them back to the states with me. It’s made of a traditional Azorean pottery. If you don’t have this dish, you can either use a 9×12″ stoneware dish or any regular baking dish will work.

Pour directly into your baking dish.

Pour directly into your baking dish.

As you can see, it still looks pretty soupy, that's perfect.

As you can see, it still looks pretty soupy (like a thick soup), that’s perfect.

Be sure chouriço is evenly distributed.  Bake at 375°F for 90 minutes.

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Recipe for Portuguese Baked Pork and Beans (Feijão Assado):

(serves 4-6)

1 lb. dry Navy beans, soaked 8-12 hrs.

1 lb. chouriço, peeled and sliced

1 small can tomato sauce

1 onion, peeled and chopped in half.

2 cloves garlic, peeled

1 heaping Tbs. wet crushed red pepper (or half the amount of dry)

1/2 tsp. kosher salt, plus more to taste

1/2 tsp. Portuguese All Spice or paprika

1″ cut of salt pork (or three slices of thick cut bacon, non-smoky flavor)

Directions:

Soak beans over night in plain water.

Drain beans.  Cook beans in a soup pot with fresh water, onion and garlic.  Bring to a boil over high heat.  Cover and reduce heat.  Cook for 90 minutes or until beans are very tender. After cooking is complete, shut off flame add in a pinch of salt and allow to sit covered for about 20 mins.

Drain beans reserving one cup cooking water.  Add in tomato sauce, salt, pepper, pork and chouriço.  Mix together.  Pour into a 9×12″ baking dish and bake at 375°F for 90 minutes.

Enjoy!

*note – this is a gluten-free recipe.

Chouriço & Peas (Ervilhas com Chouriço)

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Main1

My father migrated to the United States from St. Michael, Portugal in 1966 when he was just 11 years old.  His family, two parents, 7 sisters and a brother couldn’t all come together at the time, although  they eventually all made it through.  He has told me time and time again the story of the long journey that took them first to family who lived in Canada before settling in their final destination of Fall River, Massachusetts.  His most vivid memory of that trip is the first meal he ate with his Portuguese-Canadian family as they arrived and it was “Ervilhas com Chouriço” – Chourico and Peas.

I have often tried to imagine what it must have been like for my adolescent father and the thousands of other children to include my mother (age 9) who emigrated here in the 1960’s from Portugal.  They came to America, with their families, in search of a new life – a better life for their children.  They left behind family and friends and everything they knew.  I try to imagine, at the tender age of 11, trying to learn a new language. I imagine entering a school where everyone including all my teachers can not communicate with me.  To learn a new culture and a new way of doing just about everything.   What becomes vivid to me is being scared, excited, confused and very dependent on anything familiar I might come upon.  So, nearly 50 years later, my father recalls his family in Canada serving him and his siblings and parents “Ervilhas com Chouriço” a Portuguese comfort food.  Funny how food has a way of comforting and connecting people.

Here is my version of “Ervilhas com Chouriço”:

onions

Start out by chopping onions. For this recipe, I like to quarter and then slice.

chopped_onions

Add onions to a pot with a couple of tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat, saute.

chourico

This is Portuguese Chouriço. It is a bit different from its cousins, Spanish and Mexican Chorizo. It comes in two varieties, hot and mild. (If you only have chorizo available in your area, that is a fine substitute)

 

sliced chourico

Slice chouriço fairly thinly. I like to go about 1/8″, if you like it thicker, be my guest. But, this recipe calls for one link of chouriço, so slicing thinly ensures everyone gets plenty in their portion.

garlic

Mince up about a clove or two of garlic.

chourico and onions

Add garlic and chouriço to your pot and continue to saute over medium heat.

peas

Add 2 lbs. frozen peas. I use frozen peas because we are not quite in the season for fresh peas and I find frozen peas to be far superior to canned. If you have fresh peas available, by all means use them.

beer

Add in one can of beer. (An ale is best for this recipe, whatever you have in the fridge or left over from your last party) If you prefer not to use alcohol or are on a gluten-free diet, just add in about 16 oz of chicken stock.

pepper

Pepper! This has to be my favorite Portuguese ingredient. Ground Portuguese red pepper… My family grinds our own pepper each year and preserve it to use all year long. Our pepper is not terribly spicy because we remove most of the seeds and inner flesh before grinding, so be careful, know what you are using.

all spice

Portugese all spice. Please don’t be confused by the allspice you put in your pies at Thanksgiving… This is not that. This is paprika based and has a bit of turmeric some orange peel and some mystery spice. If you don’t have this available, just use a run of the mill paprika. (Adding a smoked paprika will change the flavor of the dish, if you like that, go for it, but be aware, this all spice is not smokey)

tomato sauce

1/2 cup of plain tomato sauce.

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Add in the sauce, pepper and spice along with a pinch of salt, stir. Continue cooking over medium heat.

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Turn down heat to a medium/low. Stir periodically and allow to cook for about 15-20 mins.

egg in pot

Last step… gently add in whole cracked eggs one at a time and nestle them in their own little spots in the pot. I like to give everyone an egg. So I put as many eggs as people I plan to feed.

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And here is your completed Chouriço & Peas dish. Enjoy!

Chouriço & Peas recipe:

(serves 4-6)

1/2 lb. Hot Chouriço, sliced

2 lbs. frozen (or fresh) peas

1 medium yellow onion, quartered and sliced

1 T. ground red pepper

1/2 cup tomato sauce

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 can beer

2-3 T. olive oil

1/2 t. Portuguese all spice

4-6 eggs

kosher salt to taste

Directions:

In a large pot saute onions in olive oil over medium heat.  Add in chouriço and garlic, saute.  Add in fresh or frozen peas, mix and then immediately add in beer, tomato sauce, pepper, all spice and salt.  Bring to a boil and turn down heat to medium low.  Cook for 15-20 mins.  Add in eggs one at a time.  Cook 5-6 mins.  Enjoy!

note: For gluten-free preparation, substitute beer with chicken stock or a gluten-free beer.