With all of the World Cup excitement, I’ve been getting more and more curious about Brazilian flavors and Brazilian cooking. McCormick’s Flavor Forecast had already put the spotlight on Brazil’s dynamic cuisine and melting pot culture with their “Charmed by Brazil” trend, so when they offered to send me a selection of spices as inspiration to create a Brazilian-inspired recipe, it was just the nudge I needed.
I knew I wanted to add the zesty flavor of Bahian seasoning blend which is a staple in so many Brazilian recipes, and I decided to make a slow-cooked meaty stew which will be especially delicious in the cold winter months to come.
I used a combination of chorizo sausage, ham and beef cubes to make my stew. I heated and browned the meat, and I decided to slow cook the meal to make sure everything was really tender by dinnertime.
Black beans are a big part of this, so there are three cans. (Yes, I could have soaked dried beans and went that route, but I’m a lazy cook.)
I added some chopped onions and minced garlic along with some water.
Then it was time for the most important part: the seasoning. I made a Bahian seasoning blend by using red pepper, white pepper, oregano and ground cumin. This is the basic Bahian seasoning blend recipe, but feel free to adjust that to taste. (I did.)
Bahian Seasoning Blend
1/4 tsp McCormick red pepper
1/2 tsp McCormick ground white pepper
1 tsp McCormick oregano
1 tsp McCormick ground cumin
Then all that was left was to let the slow cooker do its thing all day.
Brazilian-Inspired Black Bean Stew
Ingredients
- ½ lb chorizo sausage thinly sliced
- ½ lb smoked ham diced
- 1 lb stew beef chopped in small cubes
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 3 15 oz cans black beans drained and rinsed (divided)
- 2 cups water divided
- ½ large onion diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 4 oz can chopped green chiles
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground white pepper
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon ground red pepper
Instructions
- Fry sausage and ham in olive oil over medium-high heat for about three minutes. Add stew beef and continue cooking until beef is browned. Transfer meat and drippings into slow cooker.
- Add one cup of water and two cans black beans.
- Blend remaining cup of water and third can of beans in food processor or blender until smooth.Add to slow cooker. Add remaining ingredients, and cook on low for at least six hours.
Nutrition
I served it with some traditional Brazilian cheese bread and the whole meal was delicious! Enjoy!
