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Tropeiro
This recipe appeared in our Early Spring 2025 issue.

Tropeiro
Gather these ingredients
- 1 lb dry carioca beans (substitute: pinto beans), rinsed
- 2 bay leaves, dried or fresh
- 6 cups of water
- 1 bunch collard greens, rinsed and dried
- 4 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
- 14 oz. calabresa sausage, sliced substitute: chorizo, smoked kielbasa or any other smoked sausage
- ½ lb. thick sliced bacon, diced
- 1 large onion, sliced
- 6 cloves of garlic, minced and divided
- 1 cups (up to 1 1/2 cups) toasted manioc flour 8 to 10 minutes at 375°
- Fresh parsley
- Green onions
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Chop parsley and green onions to preferred taste and texture, and set aside for garnish. Cook beans with bay leaf and water. If you have a pressure cooker, use it—it will save lots of time. Drain, discard bay leaf and set aside. Remove the stems of the collard greens leaves. Then, stack a few leaves on top of each other and roll that stack into a cylinder. Using a chef knife, slice the collard greens into thin strips. Repeat with all the leaves and set aside.
- Add 1 Tbsp. of oil to a medium-sized skillet and place it over medium heat. Whisk the eggs in a bowl and add them to the pan. Cook, stirring gently, until they are scrambled. Reserve. Heat 2 Tbsp. of olive oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add 3 cloves of garlic and cook, stirring often, until golden and fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the collard greens and cook until withered, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and reserve. Using that same pan, over medium heat, heat 1 Tbsp. of olive oil and brown the sausage until it starts to get crispy, about 5 minutes. Remove from the pan and reserve. Discard the fat.
- In the same pan, add the bacon and fry until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Stir in the onions and remaining garlic, cooking until translucent (about 3 more minutes). Add the drained beans and the sausage and cook for a minute, letting the beans soak up all those amazing flavors. Then, add the eggs and the collard greens, stirring until everything is well combined. Season generously with salt and pepper. Then, add the manioc flour (to taste), a handful at a time, stirring until it is moist and incorporated into the dish. Serve with steamed white rice.