Slow Cooker Brazilian Black Bean and Pork Stew
02
This recipe is pretty perfect for people like us, though. The prep can be done the night before and the cook time is long. You don’t need to sear the meat (although, by all means, if you want to, go ahead and do it in the bacon fat), so in the morning you really just need to piece everything together. You could probably assemble the whole thing and just stick the insert in the fridge overnight but I will admit I haven’t tried that yet. Instead, what I do is make the bacon/onion/broth mixture and put that in the insert. I also cut up the roast and kielbasa. The next day all I need to do is stir in the beans (which don’t even need to soak overnight) and meat. Even a mom looking for one kid’s missing shoe while the other kid is yelling because he had to be the second to get his teeth brushed can pull it together.
Although most people eat stew in the cooler months, I thought this one worked pretty well even when it was warmer out. It’s a good summer/fall straddler recipe, especially since tomatoes are still good (and the peppers we’d given up on in our garden have literally just started to grow). I think just adding the simple “hot sauce” (which is really more of a relish) to the top brightens this meal up a lot and makes it feel a little less heavy. We’re all big fans of this recipe, which is good because it makes a ton. 🙂 I always freeze much of it (after leaving some for lunch leftovers the next day) and it holds up well.
Slow Cooker Brazilian Black Bean and Pork Stew
Adapted from Slow Cooker Revolution
6 oz. bacon, chopped
3 onions, finely diced
1/4 cup tomato paste
8 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp. chili powder
2 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. ground coriander
1 cup water
4 cups chicken broth
1 lb. dried black beans, picked over and rinsed
12-16 oz. kielbasa sausage, halved lengthwise and sliced 1/2-inch thick
2 bay leaves
1 (3 lb.) boneless pork loin roast, cut into 1-inch chunks
kosher salt
fresh ground black pepper
For Brazilian Hot Sauce:
2 large tomatoes, finely chopped
1 onion, minced
1 green pepper, minced
1 jalapeño, minced
1/3 cup white wine vinegar
3 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp. cilantro, minced
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
Limes for serving (optional)
Cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium-high heat until crisp. Stir in the onions, tomato paste, garlic, chili powder, cumin, and coriander. Cook until onions are softened, about 8 minutes. Stir in the water and scrape up any browned bits. Transfer to the slow cooker.
Stir the broth, beans, kielbasa, and bay leaves into the slow cooker. Season the pork with salt and pepper and nestle in. Cover and cook on low for 9-11 hours (or on high for 5-7 hours), until pork is tender and beans are cooked.
Let the stew settle for 5 minutes before skimming fat from the surface with a large spoon. Remove and discard bay leaves. Season the stew with salt and pepper to taste (you can also add some hot chicken broth to the stew if you feel it needs it).
Make the hot sauce by combining all the ingredients in a bowl and lightly mixing. Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes, if you have the time (sauce can also be made up to 3 days prior and refrigerated). Serve the Brazilian hot sauce with the stew.
DUDE what is the deal with being first? This morning there were hysterical tears because I buckled the baby in his carseat first….in the house…before we got to the car.
Nice to know that’s not going away anytime soon 😉
We’re starting to experience some cold cold cold weather, so this sounds perfect right about now!