Feijoada (Brazilian Beans)

3 cups pinto beans

1 lb bacon

2 garlic cloves, chopped (can add more if desired)

1 onion, chopped

2/3 Hillshire Farm “U” shaped sausage link (you choose the flavor), cubed

1. Sort the beans by taking out all the dark shriveled ones.  Rinse the remaining beans, set aside. 

2. Fry the bacon and crumble it.  Set aside.  In the bacon grease cook the garlic cloves, the onion and the cubed sausage.  After these ingredients are cooked, they may need to be rinsed or drained.  Do so if necessary. 

3. Combine the beans, crumbled bacon, and cooked garlic, onion, and sausage in a pressure cooker.  Fill the pressure cooker with enough water to cover the ingredients with two inches of water.  Cook on high for about 15 minutes or until the top of the pressure cooker starts to rock intensely.  Turn the heat down a little to medium high and cook for another 30 minutes.  The top should be rocking steadily throughout the 30 minutes.  Open the pressure cooker to make sure it’s not burning and there’s enough water.  Add the following:

1 ½ tsp garlic salt

1-2 tsp beef bullion

1 tsp chicken bullion

Salt, if necessary (depending on the flavor of sausage you choose)

Enough water to cover the ingredients in 1 ½ inches of water

Cook for about 20 more minutes.   Check.  If it needs to cook longer, add water as needed so it doesn’t dry out.  Serve over rice.  Yum, Yum!

*note: this recipe can also be adapted to be cooked in a crock pot.  Just put the beans and ALL the seasonings in the slow cooker and cover with 1-2 inches water.  Cook for 8-10 hours on medium.  Add the meat in the last hours and throw in any extra seasoning you think it could use.  

Source: Brittany Harmon