RECIPE - Leg of Lamb, Paraíba-style (Pernil de Cordeiro)

After yesterday's recipe for a shrimp cocktail first course, our three-recipe homage to Chico César continues with this substantial main course from the semi-arid interior of the state of Paraíba.

In the harsh scrub-and-cactus landscape called the sertão, only men, plants and animals that can adapt themselves to hot, dusty and dry conditions can survive. The people of this region are known for their toughness of character and for their stoicism in the face of conditions that would drive more sensitive souls to flee to more benign conditions along the coast. And the animals have to share the same conditions as their owners, so they too share their masters' characteristics.

One domestic animal that is perfectly at home in the sertão is the goat, and the original of this recipe probably was for a goat. However, as goat is not always easy to come by, and because some people don't like the strong gamy taste of goat, here the recipe is adapted for a leg of lamb.

Tomorrow we'll wrap up our three-recipe collection with a dessert from Paraíba.
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RECIPE - Leg of Lamb, Paraíba-style (Pernil de Cordeiro)
Serves 6

1 bone-in leg of lamb, about 3 lbs (1.5 kg)
salt and pepper to taste
1 1/2 cups dry white wine
3 bay leaves
1 medium onion, chopped
1 clove garlic,, crushed
1 medium tomato, seeded and chopped
2 Tbsp canned tomato pulp
1/2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
2 Tbsp honey
8 medium boiling potatoes, peeled and quartered
1/2 cup unsalted butter,melted
chopped Italian parsley (for garnish)
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Season the lamb with salt and pepper to taste. In a small bowl, combine the wine, bay leaves, onion, garlic, tomatoes, tomato pulp and mustard and mix well. Spread this paste over the entire surface of the lamb, then marinade the lamb, refrigerated, for 24 hours.

Preheat the oven tp 350F (180C). Remove the lamb from the refrigerator 30 minutes before beginning cooking. Put the lamb in a large roasting pan, and cover loosely with a tent of aluminum foil. Cook the lamb for 60 minutes, then remove from the oven, and baste with melted butter. Return to the oven, uncovered and let brown for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and brush with honey. Return to the oven, then again after 10 minutes, remove from oven and brush a final time with honey. Cover the roast with tin foil and let rest for at least 20 minutes.

Put the potatoes in rapidly boiling water and cook while the roast rests until they are just tender. Remove from the heat, drain thoroughly and reserve keeping warm.

Remove the lamb from the roaster and place on a large serving platter. Put the potatoes in the roasting pan and toss them in the roast's juices and sauce. Place them around the lamb on the platte,r, then pour the remaining sauce over all. Sprinkle with parsley and serve immediately, carving at the table.

RECIPE - Homemade Linguiça (Linguiça Caseira)

Making sausage at home, any type of sausage, appears at first to be a daunting task. Particularly the whole business of getting that mixture of ground meat, fat and spices into those tubes of (horrors!) cleaned-out intestines. The machines needed to do this work look positively infernal, and the sight of a rapidly filling sausage casing isn't for the weak of stomach.

However, the results can be very good indeed, and well worth all the fuss and bother, much better (and much healthier) than commercially made sausage. And if the idea of filling all those lengths of sausage casing seems to be too much work, the product can be formed into patties, like hamburgers are, which gives you all the taste without much work at all.

Brazilian linguiça is a style of sausage that's quite straightforward, and the recipe below will give you the authentic taste of Brazil's most popular family of links. If you want to form the sausages with using either natural or artificial sausage casings, there are many sources on the internet to help you with that process. Some good ones can be found here and here . The recipe is for the filling only - remember, you can always take the lazy way out and fry or grill patties. They'll still be delicious.
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RECIPE - Homemade Linguiça (Linguiça Caseira)
10 portions

5 lbs (2.5 kgs) ground meat - not too lean; beef, pork, lamb, or a mixture of beef and pork
3 Tbsp salt 
5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 - 2 tsp cayenne pepper, to taste (optional)
1/4 cup
2 Tbsp finely chopped Italian parsley
2 Tbsp finely chopped green onion, green part only

In a large mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients. Using your hands, knead and mix the ingredients together until you have a firm and totally homogenous mass. Form the mixture into the shape of a ball, then turn out into a clean bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic film and refrigerate the sausage mixture for at least 24 hours for the flavors to blend.

The next day, remove from the refrigerator at least one hour prior to beginning the process of stuffing sausage casings. If forming patties, the mixture can be used straight from the refrigerator.

Recipe translated and adapted from Cozinha Regional Brasileira by Abril Editora.

Brazil's Most Popular Sausage Family - Meet the Linguiças

Brazilian inherited their love of sausages from their European ancestors, whether those ancestors were Portuguese, Italian, German, Polish or any number of other nationalities. Most churrascos (barbeque parties) include a course of grilled sausages and in any self-respecting churrascaria with its constant parade of sword-bearing waiters passing by the table, one of those waiter's swords will be laden with sausage. One of the most popular bar snacks in the country is a plate of sliced sausages, fried with rings of onions and sparked up with squirts of fresh lime juice.

Many European styles of sausages and cold cuts are represented in Brazilian cuisine - from hot dogs, to bratwurst and on to pepperoni. But the most popular sausages of all must be the group that goes under the Portuguese name linguiça (pronounced lin-GWEE-sa). The name itself comes from Portugal and attests to the antiquity of this style of sausage - linguiça is related to the Italian word luganega, a style of Italian sausage. That Italian word is derived from an ancient tribe in the Italian peninsula, the Lucanians. Recipes for linguiça-style sausages can be found in cookbooks from classical Rome.

In 21st century Brazil, the linguiça family includes at least a dozen different styles of sausage. Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture regulations  define linguiça as:

A processed meat product, containing meat, with or without the addition of animal fat, and seasonings, stuffed into a natural or artificial sausage casing.

That definition is very broad and could fit any number of styles of sausages. However, the regulation goes on to define with greater precision, by name, the most popular types of linguiça:

Linguiça Calabresa - A product that contains exclusively pork meat and which must have the spicy flavor characteristic of the use of calabresa peppers, stuffed into sausage casings or not, dried and/or cooked, and smoked or unsmoked.
Linguiça Portuguesa - A product that contains exclusively pork meat and seasoning ingredients, processed by hot smoking. The traditional presentation is in the shape of a horseshoe and the seasonings include a large amount of garlic.
Linguiça Toscana - A product that contains exclusively pork meat, raw or cured, with or without additional pork fat, and seasoning.
Paio - A product that contains a mixture of pork and beef (maximum 20% beef), stuffed into natural or artificial sausage casings, seasoned and cured, and subject to hot smoking.

In addition to these traditional styles, Agriculture Ministry regulations permit the sale of the other sausages in the linguiça category: beef linguiça , pork linguiça , pork loin linguiça ,pork loin and fresh ham linguiça, and smoked pork linguiça.

For Brazilians, what type of linguiça to use in a particular dish varies from recipe to recipe. For example, feijoada recipes generally call for linguiça toscana and paio, the preferred topping for pizzas is linguiça calabresa, and garlicky linguiça portuguesa is popular at churrascos.

In the next few days, we'll offer up some Brazilian recipes for linguiça, as well as a recipe for making Brazilian linguiça at home.

RECIPE - Dona Zena's Meatballs (Bola da Carne da Dona Zena)

First place winner in Fortaleza in the 2012 edition of Brazil's largest national gastronomic competition, Comida di Buteco, Dona Zena's meatballs have been a favorite on Dona Zena's eponymous restaurant in downtown Fortaleza for more than 20 years. They're no flash in the pan - some of the dish's biggest fans grew up on these meatballs, and are now passing their love onto their children and grandchildren.

Previous posts on Flavors of Brazil have highlighted the restaurant and the prize-winning chef, so it's entirely appropriate that we end our series of posts on Dona Zena with her authentic recipe, courtesy of Brazilian food website Receitas & Dietas (Recipes and Diets).

This recipe is very simple, and maybe it's the simplicity itself which makes it appeal to so many people. There are no ingredients that are difficult to source or very expensive. True Brazilian comfort food that deserves a place in your repertory.
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RECIPE - Dona Zena's Meatballs (Bola da Carne da Dona Zena)
Makes 12 large meatballs

2 1/4 lb (1 kg) good quality ground meat - ground chuck is best
1/2 cup ripe tomato, peeled, seeded and finely chopped
1/4 cup  onion, peeled, seeded and finely chopped
1/4 cup green bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1/4 cup cilantro, leaves only, finely chopped

1 Tbsp garlic, minced
3 Tbsp white wine vinegar
3 Tbsp soy sauce
salt and pepper to taste
neutral vegetable oil for frying

In a large mixing bowl combine all the ingredients, mixing them together with your moistened hands. Try not to press or compact the mixture.

Line a cookie sheet with wax paper or cooking parchment. With moistened hands divide the meat mixture into twelve portions and form each portion into balls by rolling it between your palms. Don't over-compact the mixture - it should be pressed together only enough to make it keep its shape.

In a large deep frying pan, heat a small amount of oil, then fry the meatballs, in batchesof 4, turning them over frequently until they are cooked through and nicely brown on all sides. Remove each batch, reserving and keeping warm, before continuing with another batch, until all the meatballs are done.

Serve 3 or 4 meatballs per person, accompanied by a lettuce and sliced tomato salad and white rice.

A Canadian-Brazilian FairyTale - Rance Hesketh's Happy Pigs

Rance Hesketh (in blue T-shirt) and his pigs

The lucky porkers who live on the Alfheim ranch, located high in the Serra do Mar mountain range that separates São Paulo city from the coastal plain of São Paulo state, just might be the most blissed-out pigs in all of Brazil. The ranch, whose name means "elf home" in German, is situated deep in the dense mountain forests of the Mata Atlantica, Brazil's threatened coastal rain forest. It is at Alfheim that Rance Hesketh, 49, a transplanted Canadian, cultivates organic crops and raises a variety of animals in the best-possible and most organic way, and it is there where those fortunate porcines spend their days rooting around, rolling in the mud and grunting contentedly.

Hesketh moved to Brazil in 2008, although he was already familiar with the country from previous visits, upon arrival began to implement his dreams for the ranch. Among his plans and ambitions was a scheme to raise native breeds of pigs organically and humanely. He eventually decided to raise two breeds, the Sorocaba and the Monteiro. When the ranch was ready to receive its first animals, he traveled to Mato Grosso state in western Brazil to pick up his first breeding pairs. Today, Alfheim is home to about 150 pigs who share their territory with organically raised dairy cows and free-range chickens.

The pigs are only fed organic food, which is primarily cultivated on the ranch itself. Sugar cane and manioc are planted on the ranch, and provide the bulk of the pigs' nutrition. Corn which comes from neighboring Paraná state supplements their diet and contributes about 20% of the animals' caloric intake. When the pigs are ready to go to market they are also given whole milk from the ranch's cows to prepare them for slaughter.

Every week, the ranch sends two or three pigs, aged between 3 and 6 months, to the nearest licensed slaughterhouse, located in Ubatuba, 35 kilometers away. Hesketh would prefer to slaughter the pigs on site, but is forbidden to do so by agricultural regulations. He disagrees vigourously with this requirement and says, "What good does it do to submit the animals to the stress of transport? It destroys all we have done in raising them humanely. We need to come up with a less stressful way of slaughtering our stock."

The pigs from Alfheim go to market at a much smaller size than most pork - at about 70 kgs (150 lbs), yeilding about 20 to 30 kgs (45 to 70 lbs) of deboned pork - but Hesketh believes that at that size, the animal provides a better-tasting and more tender meat.

The idea of humanely raising meat animals who feed only on organic, vegetable food is a new one in Brazil, where such ideas are just beginning to take hold with producers and consumers. Whether there is a viable market for such meat in the long run is still unknown. But what can be stated with certainty is that the grunts of the Sorocaba and Monteiro pigs who call Alfheim home sound like the grunts of very, very happy piggies.

With material from an article by Olivia Fraga published in the Estado de S. Paulo newspaper. Translation of Mr. Hesketh's remarks by Flavors of Brazil.

CUTS OF BEEF - Acém (Chuck)

Location of acém (chuck) highlighted

One of the most popular and versatile cuts of beef in the Brazilian kitchen, acém is also one of the tastiest and most economical cuts on the entire beef carcass. In English, we call the same cut of meat chuck, and as in Brazil, we use it for pot roasts, braised beef dishes and to make the best quality ground beef.

Acém (or chuck) is technically known as a sub-prime cut of meat meaning that it can be further subdivided into smaller cuts. In English these are known as chuck steak, chuck eye steak, cross-rib roast, top blade steak and others. Brazilian butchers will custom cut similar steaks and roasts, but in butcher shops in Brazil, the cut is usually marketed whole or ground simply as acém.

Acém is cut from the front quarter of the carcass, and basically corresponds to the animal's shoulder. It's the largest cut on this part of the carcass and represents almost a third of the dressed carcass's total weight. The large size of the cut is part of the reason for its relatively cheap price, as a large amount of acém must be produced for each pound of the more noble cuts like filet, loin and sirloin.

Because the animal uses the muscles of its shoulder for movement, acém is not as tender as the noble cuts, which are not charged with getting the animal from point A to point B. It also means that acém has a higher percentage of connective tissue. This higher quantity of connective tissue, which melts into the meat during cooking means that beef from this part of the animal is high in flavor.

Traditionally, Brazilian cooks prefer acém when cooking any type of braised beef dish, and it's the cut of choice for the Brazilian comfort food known as assada da panela (literally - pot roast) which is a piece of beef cooked in liquid over low heat for a long time. Often Brazilian cooks resort to a pressure cooker to lessen the time required for the meat to become tender. Recipes in Brazilian cookbooks also often specify acém when ground beef is used in a dish as its level of fat is neither too much nor too little to make perfect meat loaf (bolo de carne) or meatballs (almondigas).

We'll serve up some Brazilian recipes for this cut of beef in the next few posts here on Flavors of Brazil.

That's No Baloney! Brazilian Mortadela

A gastronomic passion that's shared by Brazil and Italy is the large, often shockingly-pink cold cut known as either mortadella or mortadela. The number of l's in the word differentiates Italian spelling (two l's) from Portuguese (only one). A noble sausage with a long pedigree, the image of mortadella has been tarnished in North America by cheap and sometimes nasty versions sold as Bologna sausage or baloney. No one is sure how Bologna came to be pronounced baloney in the USA, but it did. And somehow baloney's meaning was expanded to mean not only an Italian sausage but also foolishness or nonsense. Some theorize that this meaning came from the popular conception that bologna was made from the odds and ends of the slaughtering process, but no one has been able to prove the word's etymology.

In Brazil, mortadela is not looked down upon in the same way as baloney is in the USA. Nor is it worshipped and treated as a national treasure as it sometimes is in Italy. It's considered one of the basic cold cuts, and mortadela can be found in almost every butcher shop, delicatessen and supermarket in the country. Brazilian mortadela normally comes in the form of large round sausages, weighing up to 14 lbs (6 kgs). In Italy, by contrast, some mortadelle reach the stupendous size of 28 lbs (12 kgs). Other differences between the Italian and Brazilian versions is that the classic Italian version is made from 100% pork and the Brazilian with a mixture of pork and beef. The manufacture of mortadela in Brazil begins with the grinding together of the meats to be used, then adding spices and cubes of pure pork fat to the mixture (optional). Then the mixture is used to fill either an artificial or natural sausage casing. The sausage is then very lightly smoked and finally steamed for 18 hours at a temperature of 175F (80F). Once the steaming is completed the sausage is cooled by being sprayed with cold water and then hung for at least 24 hours to dry. Although mortadela is ready to eat as soon as it is dry, most butchers suggest that it be allowed to age for one week or more at cellar temperature to allow the flavor to develop.

Most Brazilian mortadela is consumed as part of a tray of cold cuts, or more likely as a filling for a sandwich made from a French roll. The mortadela sandwich is particularly associated with the city of São Paulo, with its large Italian community, though it's eaten everywhere in the country. Previously, Flavors of Brazil published an article about the famous mortadela sandwich of the Bar do Mané in São Paulo's municipal market.

As with all processed meats, the range of quality of Brazilian mortadela is enormous, and it's important to buy a high-quality product from a respected producer. The Brazilian Agriculture Department has established four mortadela categories and set out minimum standards for each one. The lowest standard is called simply mortadela, and higher quality ones are called mortadela tipo bologna, mortadela italiana and mortadela bologna, in ascending order of quality. The standards for plain mortadela as very low - "meat from any variety of animal, with up to 60% of meat mechanically separated, organs and offal (stomach, heart, tongue, liver, kidney), skin and tendon (limit 10%) and fat." The best quality, mortadela bologna, is restricted to sausages made from "muscular cuts of pork and beef, ham, in a rounded form, without addition of starch."

I guess the next time we at Flavors of Brazil run into mortadela on a tray of cold cuts, we're going to ask it it's plain ole' mortadela or mortadela bologna!

Sorting out the Caprinae - Sheeps, Lambs, Goats and Kids

A few weeks ago, a group of friends, Brazilians and non-Brazilians alike, dined together at a well-regarded restaurant in Fortaleza by the name of Carneiro do Ordones. It's famous for the quality and number of its dishes featuring members of the Caprinae family of animals - that's to say in plain English, sheep and goats in all their varieties. Their menu claims more than 60 different dishes including one or another of these meats.

At the table, when presented with the multi-page menu featuring these 60+ dishes there was confusion among the diners as to the terminology used. No one, Brazilian or otherwise, seemed able to decipher exactly what the restaurant meant when one dish was described as including carneiro, another cordeiro, a third borrego, and others including bode, cabrito or capra. Clearly a bit of linguistic and gastronomic research was in order for Flavors of Brazil. (Incidentally, the group ordered a wide variety of dishes, notwithstanding not being sure exactly what the meat was in any particular dish, and the results were more than satisfactory. Carneiro do Ordones clearly knows its way around the Caprinae family and how its members are best served to hungry diners).

Zoologically, the Caprinae family of animals is divided into two sub-families, sheep (Ovis) and goats (Capra). Cularinarily, the same distinction between sheep and goats is maintained, although there are many similarities between the meat from both sub-families. They share a distinctive, strongly-aromatic flavor that people tend to either love or hate (most people aren't neutral about eating goats and sheep), and also share a similar nutritional profile - less fat, and hence fewer calories, than beef or pork, and a lower quantity of cholesterol as well. The strong flavor of their meat increases with age, and consequently, most people prefer to eat meat slaughtered at a young age than more mature and more strongly-flavored meat from older animals.

In English culinary terminology, meat from younger sheep is called lamb and from older animals is referred to as mutton. When goats are slaughtered at an early age, their meat is called kid, leaving the name goat for meat from older animals. After doing some research in Portuguese dictionaries and culinary guides, Flavors of Brazil discovered that Portuguese makes the same age distinction, though the terms tend to be more flexible and interchangeable.

Ovis aries

Carneiro is the proper name for meat from older sheep - mutton in English. It is also the Portuguese equivalent of ram, that is, the male of the sheep family. Carneiro comes generally from animals that were more than one year old at the time they were slaughtered and processed. When the animal is younger than one year, its meat is most commomly called cordeiro, although depending on the region of Brazil the terms borrego or anho might alternatively be used.

Capra aegagrus hircus

On the goat side of the family, the name of the meat depends on the age of the animal when it's slaughtered, just as with cordeiro and carneiro. When the animal is more than a year old, its meat is called bode and when it's younger, optimally around six months, it's cabrito or capra. In some areas of Brazil, particularly the northeast, the term bode is used for all goat meat, whether from a young animal or an older one.

RECIPE - Crispy-skinned suckling pig (leitão pururuca)

Christmas Day is still eleven days away, but it's rapidly approaching, and even here in the tropical heat of Brazil, people are thinking of Christmas Dinner already and are planning their menus. Because Christmas Dinner in Brazil, just like everywhere else that Christmas is celebrated, is a huge affair usually centered around a large piece of roasted meat, it's fortunate that the meal is traditionally served here around midnight on Christmas Eve. If such a heavy, rich meal were served mid-day, as Christmas Dinner often is in colder climes, it would be difficult to survive. Hot, rich, calorie-laden meats, carbo-heavy side dishes, sweet creamy desserts - it's all too much when the temperature is above 90F (32C). Since Christmas in the Southern Hemisphere falls just after the start of summer, it's one of the hottest times of the year everywhere in Brazil.

But even though the temperature might have cooled to the high 70s Fahrenheit (25C) by midnight, Brazilians still risk heart and health eating  the rich meal that they love to celebrate Christmas. No light supper of cooling salad and a fruit cocktail for most Brazilian, no thank you! Brazilians want a turkey, a ham, a duck or leg of lamb as the centerpiece of their Christmas meal. Let the heat and one's diet be damned.

The most popular centerpiece of a Christmas feast in Brazil is roast turkey, just as it is in many other places. But turkey's not the almost-universal, quasi-obligatory choice that it is in some other cultures. Many families choose another roasted meat for their main course. One such popular choice is suckling pig (leitão in Portuguese). Suckling pig is a time-consuming dish to prepare, but when you've got a lot of people to feed, it's a good choice. In older times, when Brazilian families were larger than they tend to be today, a whole suckling pig often graced the Christmas table. Today, when families are smaller, a whole piglet is too much food even for Christmas Dinner. Brazilians often buy a quarter pig at the butcher shot, or even a smaller piece, such as a shoulder or fresh ham. The important part, though, is to buy a piece with all the fat and skin in place.

This recipe, which comes from the Brazilian media site UOL, calls for a fresh ham but then uses the traditional recipe for a suckling pig. The result has the rich fattiness of a suckling pig and the salty, crispy skin that for many Brazilians, is the best part of the roast and likely the best part of the whole meal.
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RECIPE - Crispy-skinned suckling pig (leitão pururuca)

1 whole pork shoulder or fresh ham, skin on
1 cup dry white wine
juice of one fresh-squeezed lime (two limes if they are small)
2 bay leaves
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup neutral vegetable oil
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The day before serving, put the pork in a large bowl, or in a large ziploc bag. Add the bay leaves. Whisk together the wine, lime juice, and salt and pepper to taste. Pour the marinade over the meat and let stand, refrigerated for up to 24 hours.

Remove the meat from the refrigerator one hour before the time you want to begin to cook it. Preheat the oven to 350F (180C).

Put the pork in a large roasting pan, cover rather tightly with aluminum foil, place in the oven and roast for one and a half hours. Remove the foil and continue to roast the pork, uncovered for another thirty minutes.

During the last thirty minutes of cooking, heat the vegetable oil in a pan, preferably one with a pouring spout. Heat it until it is very hot, but not smoking.

At the end of the thirty minutes, check the roast for doneness (internal temperature should be at least 165F) and when done remove from oven.

Place a wire rack in another large roasting pan, and with carving forks, transfer the pork, skin and fat side up,  to the rack. Check the temperature of the vegetable oil, and reheat it if necessary. It must be very hot. When it's reached the right temperature, pour it over the pork, making sure to cover all the skin. This will cause the skin to expand and become crispy, like pork rinds. Let the roast cool and drain for about 10 minutes, then bring to the table or buffet.


Recipe translated and adapted from uol.com.br.

BEEF CUTS - Costela (Back Ribs)

barbequed back ribs

One of the most flavorful cuts of beef, large meaty back ribs (known as costela in Portuguese) are a favorite cut of meat in a traditional Brazilian churrasco. Churrasco can mean simply "grilled meat" but it more commonly means a prolonged weekend meal for family and friends consisting of a number of meats grilled over wood or charcoal, outdoors, accompanied by numerous appetizers and canapes, side dishes, relishes and pickles, and lots and lots of icy Brazilian lager-style beer.

Technically, a butcher will tell you that back ribs are cut from the carcass' 6th through 13th ribs (the largest ones). The smaller ribs that are closer to the animal's frontquarters are the short ribs. Normally back ribs are available only in specialty butcher shops and even there might have to be be pre-ordered. One can purchase an entire rack of back ribs, but that's a serious quantity of meat - some of the ribs are 18 inches (45 cm) long and a whole rack contains 6 or 7 ribs. The sheer size of a rack of beef ribs means that it's quite complicated to cook, whether in an oven or on a grill. Most people order a portion of a rack only - 2 or 3 ribs.

In Brazil, back ribs are a highly desired cut of beef, and are consequently one of the more expensive cuts. In North America the ribs are valued less and because they surround the ribeye they are often "leftovers" in the butchering process, and can be picked up relatively inexpensively.

If being grilled, back ribs must be allowed to cook until well done, since rare or medium-cooked ribs are not tender at all and, though flavorful, can be too chewy to enjoy. It's the long cooking that tenderizes the meat.

Alternatively, back ribs can be cooked in the oven and there benefit from the presence of moisture to help them become tender. Back ribs, like their cousins the short ribs, take marvelously to the braising process, in which meat is cooked with liquid at a relatively low temperature, for a long time. Or the ribs can be roasted covered, which allows the trapped steam to aid in the tenderizing process. Either technique will result in tender, fall-off-the-bone ribs.

Coming up on Flavors of Brazil - some ideas on how to cook back ribs Brazilian style. Stay tuned.

Probably Not a Great Idea - Brazil's Goat Fondue

Fondue, being of Swiss origin, is often thought of as a perfect cold-weather food. In its three major varieties - beef, cheese, chocolate - it's warming and filling in the way that a proper wintertime food should be. Dipping crusty French bread into a bubbling bowl of melted cheese with white wine is a sure way to warm anyone up literally and figuratively.

Brazil's currently in the middle of their Southern Hemisphere winter and according to a recent article in the Folha de S. Paulo newspaper an inn owner in the north-eastern state of Pernambuco (where, as the article points out, it gets as cold as 12C or 53F!) has come up with a uniquely Brazilian take on fondue.

Pedro de Oliveira Junior owns the Baixa Verde inn, located in the town of Triunfo, Pernambuco. The town sits in the interior highlands of Pernambuco, at an altitude of 1000 meters, or just under 4000 ft. Apparently Sr. Oliveira recently had a fondue revelation - he is quoted in the newspaper as saying, "Because it's so cold in our region - we have had days that go as low as 12V - we've always featured cheese fondue, chocolate fondue, other types. So one day I said to myself, 'Why not goat? since everyone in our neighborhood raises goats.'"

Goat meat has many virtues and is a meat that deserves to be more well-known in large parts of the world where it's not currently part of the diet. It is very flavorful, and quite healthy. But it seems to us at Flavors of Brazil that goat fondue isn't something that's going to set the gastronomic world on fire. Goat meat requires long cooking, usually braising, to make it tender. Undercooked, it can be extremely tough. A quick dip in boiling oil, a la beef fondue, really isn't enough to tenderize a piece of goat meat, nor to mellow its strong taste.

However, until we've had a chance to sample goat fondue, we'll reserve finally judgment. Best of luck in the meantime to Sr. Oliveira for his initiative and creativy.

RECIPE - Wild boar Spadaccino (Javali Spadiccino)

This surprising recipe for wild boar in a red wine and bitter chocolate sauce is adapted from one created in the kitchens of well-known São Paulo restaurant Spadiccino. The restaurant invented the dish last year in  homage to the Tuscan setting of a wildly popular Brazilian telenovela (nightly TV soap opera) Passione. Spadaccino's dish, which was inspired by a traditional Tuscan preparation for wild boar, substituted file mignon for the boar. The recipe below is closer to the original as it replaces the milder beef with the stronger flavors of wild boar. Flavors of Brazil feels that the subtle taste of lean beef just isn't assertive enough to stand up to the flavors of bitter chocolate and a big red wine. Wild boar is up to the task however, and can hold its own in this dish.
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RECIPE - Wild boar Spadaccino (Javali Spadiccino)
Serves 6

2 lbs (1 kg) boneless wild boar, cut from leg or shoulder, in 2 inch (4 cm) cubes
3 oz (90 gr) bitter chocolate (70% cacao), chopped
1 small stick celery, finely diced
1 medium carrot, finely diced
1 medium onion, finely diced
3 cloves garlic, crushed
3 sprigs fresh rosemary
1/2 cup (125 ml) seedless black raisins
dry red wine
extra-virgin olive oil
salt to taste
3 sprigs fresh rosemary for garnish
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In a large Ziploc-style plastic bag, combine the meat, celery, carrot, onion, garlic, rosemary and raisins. Add sufficient red wine to cover all, seal the bag and let marinade in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours or overnight.

When ready to cook, thoroughly drain the marinaded meat in a sieve or colander placed over a large mixing bowl, reserving the marinade. In a large heavy frying pan, cast-iron preferred, heat a small amount of olive oil, then add the drained meat. Cook until all surfaces of the meat are nicely browned. Reserve.

Remove the rosemary from the reserved marinade and discard. Heat the remaining marinade, including the diced vegetables and the raisins, in a large heavy saucepan, then add the browned meat. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and continue to cook the meat with the pan partly covered at a slow boil. From time to time add a small amount of additional red wine if required to keep the sauce from drying out. Cook for approximately 45 minutes, or until the meat is very tender.

Remove about 1/4 cup of sauce to a small saucepan. Over low heat, melt the bitter chocolate in the sauce, then return it to the meat, stirring thoroughly to blend. Season with salt to taste. Cook over very low heat for about 5 to 10 minutes (do not let it boil) until the flavors combine and the sauce is thick.

Serve immediately garnished with a few sprigs of rosemary, accompanied by boiled or roasted potatoes.

Cabrito - A Regional Meat Goes National in Brazil

For a number of historical, meteorological and geographical reasons, the foods and gastronomy of Brazil ranges widely from region to region. It's more than 2300 miles as the crow flies from Boa Vista, Brazil's northernmost state capital, to Porto Alegre, its southernmost (and it's much, much longer by road!). That's about the same distance as Minneapolis, MN, to San Jose, Costa Rica. It stands to reason that the traditional ingredients and culinary techniques of Boa Vista will not be much like those of Porto Alegre.

Historically, the northeastern region of Brazil has always been the only part of the country where a significant quantity of a meat called cabrito is consumed. In English we'd call this meat kid, since cabrito refers to meat from a young goat - though, because of the double meaning of kid in English, you're unlikely to hear many people say they roasted a kid last night, or that their favorite sandwich is a kidburger. In northeastern Brazil, however, cabrito is a highly-valued meat, and has always been one of the primary sources of animal protein. Its popularity has been due to at least two factors: historical ties to Portugal, where cabrito has long been consumed, and the hot, dry climate and  poor soil of the northeast, which means that goats are one of the few domesticated animals that can survive the harsh conditions.

Outside of the northeast, Brazilians haven't been known as big eaters of cabrito. This situation is rapidly changing, however, and in the big cities and small towns of southern Brazil, cabrito is enjoying a new wave of popularity. One of the reasons is the fact that regional Brazilian cuisines are increasingly being recognized outside their home base, and creative chefs everywhere in the country are using traditional regional cuisines as inspiration. The other reason is the nutritional qualities of cabrito itself. Goat meat is very low in fat - with a fat content of 2.75%, it's lower in fat than skinless chicken (3.75%) and much lower than beef, which comes in at an average of 17.4%. It's very low in cholesterol, and has high levels of calcium, iron, and valuable omega-3 and omega-6 oils.

If Brazilians outside the northeastern region haven't eaten much cabrito until recently, North Americans and Northern Europeans have eaten even less. The meat has always been popular, though, in traditional cuisines of Southern Europe, Asia, Africa, South America and the Caribbean. With increased immigration from those regions, cabrito (often labelled "goat") is becoming more available in butcher shops and ethnic markets in places like the USA, Canada, England or Germany. If you'd like to try cabrito, check for these shops in your city - you might particularly look for butcher shops that identify themselves as halal, which means meat slaughtered and prepared in the manner prescribed by Islamic law. Most halal butcher shops will have cabrito.

In the next couple of posts here on Flavors of Brazil, we'll provide some recipes for this tasty and very healthy meat. Brazilians in the country's northeast have been cooking cabrito for a long time, so they're very good at it. It's worth giving it a try. You just might like it (especially if you're fond of cabrito's animal cousin, lamb).

RECIPE - Alligator in Coconut Milk (Jacaré com Leite de Coco)

Since the past few posts here on Flavors of Brazil have concerned themselves with coconuts and alligators, when I spotted this recipe for alligator with coconut milk I knew it was perfect for inclusion in the blog. It is an adaptation of a recipe I found on a Brazilian food blog called Marido Sanduiche.

Alligator (or jacaré as it's called in Portuguese) is increasingly available fresh or frozen in supermarkets and butcher shops in Brazil. Most of it comes from the Pantanal, the world's largest wetlands sytem, and the majority of it is farmed. In North America it can be purchased fresh the southeastern USA and frozen in most metropolitan areas of the USA and Canada. Whether it's available at all in Europe or elsewhere, I'm afraid I can't say.

Alligator is an extremely healthy meat, and very adaptable to a large variety of cooking methods. It can successfully be substituted for other meats, particularly chicken or pork. Give it a try, you might just be surprised how much you like it.

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RECIPE - Alligator in Coconut Milk (Jacaré com Leite de Coco)

1 1/2 lb (750 gr) alligator meat, boneless
2 large limes
1 lb (450 gr) boiling potatoes, peeled and halved or quartered depending on size
1 medium onion, chopped
2 large tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
1 clove garlic
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup loosely-packed, chopped cilantro
1 cup (200 ml) coconut milk, home-made or canned
salt and pepper to taste
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Cut the alligator meat into 2 inch chunks or cubes. Place the meat in a large bowl with ice water to cover. Add the juice of one lime,and let sit for 30 minutes.

Drain the alligator meat. In another large bowl, combine the meat, the garlic, salt and pepper to taste, the juice of the other lemon and the olive oil. Toss thoroughly to coat all the meat with marinade. Refrigerate the meat in the marinade for two hours.

Heat a large, heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add the meat and the marinade and the chopped onion and stir-fry until the meat is lightly browned. Add the chopped tomato, half the coconut milk, then mix completely. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and cover the pan. Cook for 15 minutes, then add the potatoes and the other half of the coconut milk. Continue to cook for about 30 minutes or until the potatoes are cooked through and the alligator is tender. If the sauce is too thin, reduce quickly over high heat. Remove from heat.

Place in large serving bowl, sprinkling the chopped cilantro on top of the alligator and potato. Serve immediately, accompanied by white rice.

Eating Jacaré - Brazil's Farmed Alligator Meat

The swampy wetlands of southwestern Brazil known as the Pantanal are home to the world's largest single crocodilian population. These reptiles are called jacaré (pronounced zha-ka-RAY) in Portuguese, and it's estimated that there are up to 10 million of them living in the rivers and swamps of the Pantanal. Scientifically speaking they are a species of caiman, related to alligators and crocodiles but slightly different from either of those groups. Their scientific name is Caiman yacare and they are called Yacare Caimans in English.

Caimans tend to be smaller than their alligator or crocodile cousins, reaching 2 to 2.5 meters in adulthood. This smaller stature, fortunately, means they aren't large enough to harm or consume humans. They prey primarily on fish and birds and in turn are prey for jaguars and anacondas. As their meat is delicious and very healthy, they are also beginning to be "preyed upon" by humans who are looking for something exotic to put on the dinner table. Jacarés can successfully be grown in captivity, and the farming of jacarés for their meat is a growing business in the Pantanal. The practice is environmentally sustainable, and provides much-needed income to local inhabitants. It also is beginning to provide a new and exotic ingredient for chefs in the region and elsewhere in Brazil.

Jacaré is becoming a star attraction on restaurant menus in all major cities of Brazil, as chefs and nutritionists discover its nutritional and gastronomic qualities. The meat is very low in fat and cholesterol, and extremely high in protein. It's mild yet distinctive flavor takes well to flavorings, rubs and sauces and adapts itself to many Brazilian and non-Brazilian meat recipes. The chart below shows how many different cuts of meat come from a single jacaré and how little of the animal goes to waste. Additionally, there is great economic value in the skin of the animal, so the intense utilization of all parts of the animal further increase its environmental sustainability.

Alligator meat is available fresh in certain parts of the USA, notably Louisiana and Florida, and is available frozen in gourmet meat shops elsewhere in North America. In the next post on Flavors of Brazil, I'll print some recipes for jacaré that have been developed recently to bring this meat into the mainstream of contemporary Brazilian cuisine. Although jacaré and alligator are not exactly the same species, any recipe for one can successfully be made with the other.

Rodízio - A Guide to the Meats

One of the joys of dining at a Brazilian churrascaria that operates with the rodízio system is ogling the quantity and variety of cuts of meat that pass by your table. Passadores, as the meat servers are called, offer a seemingly unlimited number of cuts of meat, each presented on a large skewer and served to you for the asking. The only problem for non-Brazilian or the non-Portuguese speakera is that it's sometimes difficult to know exactly what's being offered. The passadores work rapidly so that the meat won't cool, and even if they had the language skills to name and describe what they have in French, or English, or Japanese, they don't have the time.

One option is to be brave and try everything that passes. The main problem with this approach is that one's limit of meat consumption is quickly reached, and some of the best choices might therefore go untasted. Another option is to stick to those cuts that are visually recognizable - a sausage is a sausage, and a skewer loaded with chicken hearts is unmistakeably what it is. Again, this limits your choices, particularly in cuts of beef since Brazilian cuts of beef don't correspond to North American or European ones. You'll never see a skewered T-bone or a Porterhouse sail by in a churrascaria.

To help a bit with this dilemma, Flavors of Brazil, with assistance and photos from Brazil's Gosto magazine, offers this visual and linguistic aid to some of the most common, and best, cuts of meats you're likely to find in a churrascaria that offers the rodízio system. This is only a sampling however, so be brave and try other things that look intriguing or smell appetizing. You may never find out what you ate, but you'll have gained a gustatory memory to take back home as a souvenir of your Brazilian churrascaria experience.

Churrascaria Cuts of Meat

1. Picanha - The most-desired cut of Brazilian beef, in or out of churrascarias. It's normally cut fairly thickly and skewered with three pieces pieces per skewer. It's sliced thinly and generally cooked from medium to well-done. Try to chose a piece that is still quite thick - if it's thin it's probably been returned to the fire a few times and will be less juicy.

2. Costela premium (prime rib) - The most fashionable cut currently in many churrascarias. It comes from the first five ribs of the animal and has a fine flavor because of the presence of bone. It has a very tender texture and is nicely marbled with fat.

3. Fraldinha (flank or skirt steak) - Formerly considered a second-grade cut of meat, this cut is now almost as valued as picanha. It is extremely juicy and is skewered on it's long axis which helps retain the juices. If you want your piece more well done, chose from either end of the cut where the meat is thinner. Chose a center slice for a piece that is more rare.

4. Bife ancho (rib eye) - Cut in the Argentinian style, this consists of two parts separated by a layer of fat. Always chose an exterior piece. The central portions are less juicy, but still have good flavor.

5. Costeleta de cordeiro (lamb chop) - All in a churrascaria is not beef. Brazilian lamb is juicy and flavorful and a small lamb chop is a nice change of pace in a churrascaria. Try to get a piece that is medium-rare to medium - well-done lamb chops can be overly dry.

6. Filet mignon - An extremely tender meat, as it comes from a muscle just below the lumbar vertebrae of the animal which contracts very little, even when the animal is moving. The only problem can be lack of fat, which makes the cut potentially dry. This cut should not be eaten well-done as it will then lose its charm.

RECIPE - Cachorro Quente - The Brazilian Hot Dog

You can find a hot dog, or a facsimile of one, in almost any corner of the world. But it's only in Brazil, at least in my own limited linguistic experience, where you find on a menu a literal translation of the English-language term "hot dog." In Brazil these little puppies are called "cachorro quente" which is pronounced ka-SHO-ho KEN-tche and which literally means "dog hot."

Hot dogs are tremendously popular in Brazil, and commercial streets are full of hot-dog stands which normally sell the dogs, soft drinks, french fries and most likely hamburgers as well. They're cheap, they're filling, and Brazilians love them as much as people do elsewhere in the world whether they're good for you or not. (They're not.)

Although the basic sausage in a hot dog doesn't vary much from region to region and country to country, how the hot dog is dressed and presented can differ in large degree from one city to another. In the USA there's the Chicago dog, midwestern Coneys, Los Angeleno chili dogs, Rhode Island's "New York System" etc. etc. etc. Montreal has its"steamé" and Berlin its currywurst. None of these however, in my opinion, outdo the Brazilian cachorro quente in sheer excess and extravagance - a "completo" almost literally has everything but the kitchen sink. Very early on weekend mornings, say 3 to 5 a.m., people leaving bars and clubs all over Brazil find their favorite hot dog vendor somewhere on the street - just a cart and maybe some small plastic stools - and stuff themselves before they head home to sleep it off. During big street parties like New Year's and Carnaval these vendors sell their hot dogs, and customers buy them, 24 hours a day.

This week, the reputable food section of the Folha de S. Paulo, the largest newspaper in São Paulo, featured the recipe for a typical Brazilian fully-dressed hot dog. If the cachorro quente is good enough for the gourmet section of this newspaper, it's good enough for Flavors of Brazil, so I'm providing the recipe here, in my own translation and adaptation. This dog is featured at a chain of fast food restaurants called General Prime Burger, and it's called the "cachorro quente turbinado" meaning "jet-propelled hot dog".

This is easy to make anywhere in the world, as none of the ingredients are exotic or difficult to source in most places. Next time there's a pool party, backyard bbq, or block party in your neighborhood, bring some Brazilian folk-culture along and serve "cachorros quentes."

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RECIPE - Cachorro Quente Turbinado

For the hot dog:
hot dog bun
hot dog, steamed or boiled
mashed potatoes (see recipe below)
crunchy bacon bits (see recipe below)
mayonnaise
vinagrete (see recipe below)
shoestring potatoes, commercially packaged

Cut the hot dog bun open from the top, but do not cut it into two. Fill it with mashed potatoes, push a hot dog into the potatoes, then top with bacon bits and shoestring potatoes. Serve with mayonnaise and vinagrete.

For the mashed potatoes:
2 medium boiling potatoes
1/2 cup sour cream or creme fraiche
1 Tbsp. butter
1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
ground nutmeg to taste
salt to taste

Boil the potatoes until very tender, then mash with masher or mixer. Add the cream, butter and olive oil then whip the potatoes until light. Add nutmeg and salt to taste.

For the bacon:
Two thick slices smoked bacon

Cut the bacon into small cubes. Fry until crisp, then drain on paper towels.


For the vinagrete:
1 medium tomato, seeded and diced
1/2 small onion, minced
2 Tbsp. vinegar
olive oil to taste
salt and pepper to taste
chopped parsley to taste

Mix the chopped tomato and onion in a small bowl. Add the vinegar and stir to mix. Add oil as desired, then salt and pepper. Mix again, then sprinkle the chopped parsley on top.

BEEF CUTS - Maminha

Since the butcher's art varies from country to country, each culinary culture similarly varies from all others in the way meat animals are butchered and the way the carcass is divided into cuts of meat. We've already discussed this topic previously here on Flavors of Brazil, talking about the Brazilian beef cuts picanha and cupim. These cuts of meat do not correspond directly to the cuts familiar to American and Canadian customers, which differ in turn from the cuts found in a British butcher shop, which have no connection to the say beef is cut for a Parisian boucherie, etc. etc. etc. So this is one more post in a Flavors of Brazil series about the way Brazilians cut their meat, in particular their beef, in an attempt to allow recipes and techniques of Brazilian meat cooking, some of the best in the world, to be exported around the world.

One of the best-loved and most common cuts of beef in this meat-mad country is called maminha. In North American terms, it would be part of the round - in particular, part of what is called "bottom round." This means it is cut from the part of the animal that sits on top of the rear legs. In other words, the hips and rumps. In this chart of Brazilian beef cuts, maminha is number 15.

This cut is particularly suited to grilling on a churrasqueira (charcoal or gas grill) when cut into steaks, into roasts when it is left whole and to stews when it is cubed. It's a very versatile cut, and one of the leanest beef cuts available. One well-known Brazilian food guide calls maminha "a filé mignon for the grill" as it shares the leanness and tenderness of the filé, but is suited for grilling, unlike the more-expensive filé. The guide goes on to recommend that the cut be left whole for roasting, and that it only be sliced (always across the grain) after cooking, and that it never be cooked more that medium, as it will turn tough and fibrous when overcooked.

Any Brazilian recipe for maminha can successfully be made in North America by substituting "bottom round roast" for whole-cut roasting and cubed for stews, or "bottom round steak" for grilling.

Feijoada - The Essential Ingredients

Although feijoada is often crowned with the title "Brazil's National Dish" it is not, in fact, a dish at all. Feijoada is a meal, in the same sense that Thanksgiving turkey dinner is not a dish but a meal. Just as one family might serve creamed pearl onions at Thanksgiving, while another family considers that heresy, and serves a broccoli casserole instead, the core ingredients of the Thanksgiving dinner rarely vary - turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, etc. Feijoada is exactly the same - there are a huge number of dishes that have made their way into a feijoada, but there is only a small number of dishes without which one cannot really call the meal a feijoada.

A true feijoada will consist, at the very least of:

Cuts of pork, including hocks, ears, and belly, cooked in black beans

Linguiça sausage cooked in black beans

Boiled white rice

 Peeled slices or cuts of fresh oranges

Farofa

Mineiro-style kale

 And to accompany this enormous repast, the traditional beverage of a feijoada:
Caipirinhas

Together, all these dishes constitute a proper feijoada, but other additional dishes may be added as desired. Note that the first two ingredients, the true core of a feijoada, are pork products cooked in black beans. Although in today's world, with today's sensibilities, vegetarian feijoadas do exist, the traditionalist Brazilian would refuse to call that concoction a feijoada at all. But if the 21st century universal compendium of food has allowed the entry of vegetarian haggis or a vegetarian pasty, then let's allow an exception for vegetarians to allow them to enjoy feijoada. However, truth be told, a true feijoada is a meal for carnivores only.

RECIPE - Fresh Ham Sandwich (Sanduiche de Pernil)

A few days ago, I wrote here on Flavors of Brazil about the success that Brazilian cookbooks had at the recent Gourmand World Cookbook Awards in Paris (you can read that article by clicking here). In that article, I mentioned that the first prize for cookbook photography went to a book entitled Brasil a Gosto, written by São Paulo chef Ana Luisa Trajano.

I thought it would be interesting to include a recipe of hers on Flavors of Brazil, and have chosen her Fresh Ham Sandwich. This recipe does not come from Brasil a Gosto, but is included in the series Cozinha Regional Brasileira by Abril Editora. I've translated and adapted it for North American kitchens.

This recipe is Ana Luisa's version of a São Paulo luncheonette classic - the Fresh Ham Sandwich, or Sanduiche de Pernil, as it's called in Portuguese. It is made from fresh ham, or pork leg (uncured and unsmoked). This cut of pork is called pernil in Brazil, but can easily be purchased in North America under the name fresh ham, or pork leg.

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RECIPE - Fresh Ham Sandwich (Sanduiche de Pernil)

1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
2 medium onions, cut into quarters
2 carrots, cut into thick rounds
2 sticks celery with leaves, chopped
2 heads of garlic
2 bay leaves
4 sprigs fresh thyme
salt and pepper to taste
1 fresh ham (approx 6 lbs. - 3 kgs.)
1 1/2 cup dry white wine
good quality kaiser rolls, French or Italian rolls for sandwiches
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In a large, heavy saucepan heat the olive oil over medium heat, then saute the vegetables with the bay leaves, thyme, and salt and pepper to taste. Add the white wine, and continue cooking over medium heat, until the wine reduces slightly. Remove from heat, cool, and reserve.

Using a knife-sharpening steel, make holes in the surface of the fresh ham to allow the marinade to penetrate into the meat. Pour half of the vegetable/wine marinade over the ham, turning the ham in the liquid to ensure that the marinade penetrates as much as possible. Place the ham in a large bowl or glass container, and refrigerate in the marinade for 24 hours.

The next day, in a large non-stick frying pan with a small amount of olive oil, brown the ham well on all sides. When browned, place the ham in a roasting pan, and pour the remaining half of the marinade over the meat. Place in a pre-heated 350 degree (moderate) oven, and roast for approximately 2.5 hours, basting the ham with pan juices every thirty minutes. Remove from oven and let cool completely.

To construct the sandwiches, thinly slice the cooled ham. On a roll, prepared as desired with butter, mayonnaise or mustard, add two or three slices of ham. Serve with potato chips or a side salad.