581571 Fri Dec 19 23:32:53 -0800 2008 26 27 General Chowhounding Topics 0 4261404 I am pretty fascinated with this state of Brasil just inland from Rio de Janeiro since having a special dinner put on by chowhounder streetgourmetla. Minas Gerais means general mines in Portuguese and it was the center of their mining activity in the country during their colonial rule. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minas_Gerais I've been scouring the portuguese webpages to get an idea of what are some of the typical dishes are outside of what we had that evening [Frango com Quiabo, Costelinhas, Feijao Tropeiro] Here is a restaurant in Sao Paulo that offers a great menu: http://www.consuladomineiro.com.br/cardapio.asp I like the name - Mineiran Consulate! Here is a blogger's pictures of the dishes served there: http://www.interney.net/blogs/guloseima/2007/12/13/trivial_mineiro/ From this we can add: -TuTu a mineira - which is essentially the pureed form of Feijao Tropeiro - Vaca Atolada - beef ribs stewed with tomatoes and yuca - Carne do sol - fried dried beef - interestingly similar to machaca. - Leitão à Pururuca - this is lechon - Frango com pequi - Pequi fruit with rice and chicken If you know anything about Minas Gerais please add! Fri Dec 19 23:32:53 -0800 2008 14086 kare_raisu 1 4263847 Here's another typical menu: http://www.encontromineiro.com.br/cardapio.html Sun Dec 21 10:04:59 -0800 2008 4261404 14086 kare_raisu 1 4263975 Frango ou molho pardo is another definitive dish in mineiro cooking.When the chicken is slaughtered, the blood drips into a bowl with vinegar to prevent it from clotting, reserved for making the sauce.The plucked chicken is prepped, cooked, and then the bloood sauce.Very ritualistic. Ora-pro-nobis(Latin for pray for us)an herb that grows wild in Minas.Cooked with sundried beef, or another meat. farofa de couve-kale farofa canjiquinha-yellow dried sweet corn-found in Brazilian markets and cooked with pork mexidinho-mixed leftovers maneco com jaleco-sauteed pork, cornmeal and kale peru da roça-countrystyle turkey bolo de surubim-fish pie arroz doce mineiro mineiro de botas doce de abobora dobradinha com feijao branco-tripe with white beans mocoto-calf's foot Brazilian style dourado assado-whole dorado baked galinhada rabada-oxtail Sun Dec 21 11:02:12 -0800 2008 4261404 128722 streetgourmetla 2 4264069 "pardo" is the Portuguese word for Mestizo -verdade? Dude, have you set a date for that prato? Sun Dec 21 11:47:17 -0800 2008 4263975 14086 kare_raisu 3 4264106 In Spanish, "pardo" is the color brown when applied to cows and horses. I thought it was the same for Portuguese. I've never heard the term applied to people in Brazil. Sun Dec 21 12:02:00 -0800 2008 4264069 36661 Sam Fujisaka 4 4264534 Check this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pardo Sun Dec 21 16:19:28 -0800 2008 4264106 14086 kare_raisu 3 4264113 Molho pardo is brown sauce, as is appears after cooking. I need to speak with Natalia soon! Sun Dec 21 12:05:18 -0800 2008 4264069 128722 streetgourmetla 4 4277099 Northern counterpart to this Minas dish: Galinha de Cabidela http://www.nacionalgas.com.br/nacionalvc-receitas-galinhaacabidela.asp http://www.receitastipicas.com/receitas/galinha-de-cabidela-paraibana.html Sat Dec 27 22:50:34 -0800 2008 4264113 14086 kare_raisu 1 4265347 cool minas site with Frango ao Molho Pardo http://sites.uai.com.br/guiagastronomia/tiradentes_frangoaomolhopardo.htm Mon Dec 22 02:33:16 -0800 2008 4261404 14086 kare_raisu 2 4304128 TV Globo International (US, Europe, and Japan) broadcasts a weekly program Terra de Minas from an afiliate which explores Minas Gerais and every week presents a new recipe. Even when I had Globo I never managed to watch it regularly (early Saturday East Cost), so definitely need a Tivo. However, Globo publishes all the recipes on their web site (in Portuguese) which is a good source. I have always wanted to try some of the more unusual ones, translate them and post it on a blog, but just haven't gotten around. http://globominas.globo.com/GloboMinas/Entretenimento/TerraDeMinas/0,,9593,00.html Web site recipes are usually in common (metric) measurements, but if you ever work with traditional cookbooks you will run into what are called "medidas caseiras." For instance "colher de cha/cafe/sopa" (tea/coffee/soup spoon) or prato fundo (flat bowl), xicara de cha (tea cup), copo [americano] (you would think our 8 oz cup, but usually less). Cook books and references such as the site below are useful, although I have seen cases where the conversions are far off. You can also buy the various sizes in Brazil. http://www.skopein.com.br/nutrilibra/index.php?menu=4 Wed Jan 07 09:53:40 -0800 2009 4265347 12962 itaunas 3 4304583 xicara de cha, yeah, there is a woman on Globo who does these 30 second segments and gives the recipes often with these terms.Gracinha! De onde voce e?Tenho mulher paulista. Wed Jan 07 11:32:30 -0800 2009 4304128 128722 streetgourmetla 1 4266137 I spent a couple of days in Belo Horizonte, the capital of Minas Gerais, on business a few years back and have great memories of the food, though I couldn't name a single dish - I just followed the lead of my local (São Paulo-based) colleagues on what to order. I also remember a fun local nightclub where they bring a full bottle of Johnnie Walker Black to the table with marked measuring tape on the side. You just help yourself and at the end of the evening pay based on how far down the level has gone. Mon Dec 22 10:01:53 -0800 2008 4261404 14386 BobB 1 4269633 side note from the NORDESTE do Brasil - an aquiantance from Recife mentioned this dish to me last night - it seems like an offals lovers dream dish made from all the innards of the pig in Brasil but of goat and lamb elsewhere - india and portugal http://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarapatel Tue Dec 23 13:44:07 -0800 2008 4261404 14086 kare_raisu 2 4270660 Some more references to Nordeste cuisine. Great blog: http://marcelokatsuki.folha.blog.uol.com.br/arch2007-11-04_2007-11-10.html#2007_11-05_00_20_41-10901658-0 Mentioning this center of Northeastern Traditions in Sao Paulo - so cool http://www.ctn.org.br/culinaria/index.php?n=45 Wed Dec 24 00:54:06 -0800 2008 4269633 14086 kare_raisu 2 4270663 Another amazing innard dish from the northeast BUCHADA DO BODA: A Goat innard dish http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1020/1152875238_4928947b95.jpg%3Fv%3D0&imgrefurl=http://www.flickr.com/photos/jucreciocarringa/1152875238/&usg=__yWFIwnm69Uhu3D1JB2X4kFu_CGc=&h=371&w=500&sz=166&hl=en&start=7&um=1&tbnid=zkBTn9ildt8ytM:&tbnh=96&tbnw=130&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dbuchada%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US:official%26sa%3DN Wed Dec 24 00:57:56 -0800 2008 4269633 14086 kare_raisu 2 4270668 I am eating here when I get to Sao Paulo: Amazing menu for both offal cuisine and cachacas by region! http://www.mocoto.com.br/especialidades.html Regional Cuisine in Sao Paulo: http://www.aboutsaopaulo.com/restaurants/brazilian.html Recipes from Interior of Northeast Cuisine! http://www.techs.com.br/users/freibeto/recnorde.htm Look out Minas - you got a competitor! Wed Dec 24 01:07:57 -0800 2008 4269633 14086 kare_raisu 3 4271004 When spaeking of Nordeste, you've got to remember that Nordeste is a broad area, including many cuisines.You've got the cuisine of Bahia, the greatest of that region, then Pernambuco, Rio Grande do Norte, etc. with their own unique cuisines and dishes. Sao Paulo has many greta Nordeste retaurants, even some specializing in cozinho pernambucano, but many have dishes from throughout that region like at Colher de Pau.Sao Paulo is like Mexico City in that it features outstanding restaurants featuring cuisine all over the country. Wed Dec 24 07:14:34 -0800 2008 4270668 128722 streetgourmetla 4 4277071 These are the states of Nordeste: 1 Alagoas 2 Bahia 3 Ceará 4 Maranhão 5 Paraíba 6 Piauí 7 Pernambuco 8 Rio Grande do Norte 9 Sergipe The best list I have found yet of what seems as Pernambuco specific cozinha tipica: http://74.125.95.132/search?q=cache:ZxJGWWy5ZAsJ:www.marolinda.com.br/pdf/CULT%2520HOTEL%2520COMIDAS%2520T%C3%8DPICAS%2520DO%2520RECIFE.pdf+pratos+t%C3%ADpicos+do+sert%C3%A3o+nordestino&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=3&gl=us&client=firefox-a Good Overview of Nordeste cuisine, describing the contrasts: http://lazer.hsw.uol.com.br/cozinha-brasileira-nordeste.htm Sat Dec 27 22:23:00 -0800 2008 4271004 14086 kare_raisu 4 4277093 The offal trifecta of the NE, centered on the sertão of Pernambuco: 1. Panelada (Beef offal and hoolves) http://www.nacionalgas.com.br/nacionalvc-receitas-panelada.asp 2. Sarapatel (Pork offal and blood, as vezes lamb) 3. Buchada do Bode (Goat innard) http://www.overmundo.com.br/guia/panelada-buchada-e-sarapatel Sat Dec 27 22:44:35 -0800 2008 4271004 14086 kare_raisu 3 4277647 Brasileiro Food Blog: http://josimarmelo.blog.uol.com.br/ Mention of Mocoto, gostinho de Sertao: http://marcelokatsuki.folha.blog.uol.com.br/arch2007-04-01_2007-04-07.html#2007_04-02_00_33_46-10901658-0 Sun Dec 28 10:15:16 -0800 2008 4270668 14086 kare_raisu 1 4272493 Back to Minas! http://www.deliciasdacozinhamineira.com.br/ Thu Dec 25 01:14:37 -0800 2008 4261404 14086 kare_raisu 1 4279125 Sidenote! What looks to be a great Brazilian Gastronomic Film! http://www.estomagoofilme.com.br/english/index.htm Mon Dec 29 01:31:06 -0800 2008 4261404 14086 kare_raisu 1 4303915 kare_raisu what a great idea to stir some interest here on chowhound in culinaria mineira. Although its perhaps the cusine which draws the most influence from Portugal -- even though the South is more European (for instance Minas has more salt cod recipes than any other state and pork is the most common meat, use of couve), the wide variety of industries: coffee plantations, mining and steel, charcoal production, garmet industry has brought a lot of different influences. It borders so many other states and shares influences and plates with those states (vaca atolda is quite common in goias too, mato grosso fresh fish and green bananas in stew, many mineiras make a version of the moqueca capixaba, mineiras love to make polenta baiana, polenta in SP is made with salt in Minas Gerais its angu w/o salt...). Sao Paulo obviously has the most international influence, the Northeast African, North Indigenous... but the food from Minas has a lot of influences. Its also a good cusine for North American based hounds to learn -- Minas Gerais has exported many Brazilians particularly to the East Coast, so their ingredients and traditions (although many restaurants do quite weak dishes) are alive. For those visiting Brazil you can find restaurants featuring its food in any major city, although something worth seeking out in Minas itself is food made on the Fogao a Lenha (wood stove). Its not the only part of Brazil to use wood as a cooking fuel, but its the most known for keeping this tradition and some households keep a stove/oven burning from morning to night making coffee, cooking, baking. Traditional "doces" or sweets, both in bar and paste form, are often made in a "tacha" over a different type of wood stove. You have to see for yourself if it makes a difference! There is no guarantee that any restaurant with "Fogao a lenha" in its name actually cooks on a woodstove, but in some of the more touristic cities Ouro Preto, Tiradentes, or Dimantino a tour guide or agency might be able to arrange a local household to make a meal. Minas Gerais was the second state to plant coffee after Sao Paulo and produces some of the best coffees today. It plays a huge role in the mineiro daily routine, being served more often than a sit down meal (traditionally the head of the household would drink the first pass along with male workers, then water was run through the grounds again to be served to women/children sometimes with milk). Broa (sweeter than Portuguese broa) corn bread is a Minas specialty and often served with coffee. There are lots of little savory, light, and sweet biscuits made in MG which are great with coffee. Fresh Cheese and Goiabada cascao (guava paste in loaves)... sonhos mineiros (fried balls) stuffed with goiabada or doce de leite are things to seek out! In my experience Cachaca is mostly called pinga in Minas... and they prefer a white (eg not barrel aged) "branquinha." There are lots of little regional cachacas which are good, they export some artesenal cachacas to Europe (most expensive ones in the US seem to be fancied labeled from large plants but not true artesanal cachaca), and even Lula's Vice President (who is from Minas) sells a cachaca from his plantation. There are lots of home-made liquers from various fruits, try licor de jabuticaba for a particularly mineiro one. Lambari are little fresh water fish fried whole which are great bar food. Frying sausages (linguica) are very common, I think frango a passarinho may have originated from minas. Torresmos (their version of chicarron) are great finger food. I tend to think of carne seca as more associated with Minas and Carne de Sol with the Northeast, but both are common bar food "porcoes." Different things are used as a thickening agent -- quiabo in frango c/quiabo, yuca in vaca atolada and caldo de pinto, yuca flour in Tutu a Mineira, potato in caldo verde (a bit different than the portuguese) and often served with oxtail, grits in canjiquinha (this is also popular in the northeast) and corn meal in the similar mingao de couve. Meats which provide some gelatin are also popular for stews mocoto (very popular in minas, but also big in the northeast) and I have had stewed chicken feet with yuca or potatoes. One Minas tradition is galinha caipira (fowl) stewed with very minimal spices and thickened with a special corn flour just mixed in with the broth when served -- this is given to women a lot after giving birth. Yuca flour stuffings are also very common pork loin with farofa, stuffed chicken... There are some special greens -- taioba, in minas they make a lot of use of squash (abobora), jilo is more popular there than other places, maxixe (more from the north)... Just about everything is seasoned with tempero mineiro and tempero verde (eg lots of garlic, salt, onions, green peppers, green onions, parsley or cilantro, maybe paprika or aciote). Along the lines of sarapatel you might look into Sarrabulho mineiro, which comes from the food of Portugal and uses pork blood. Wed Jan 07 09:10:45 -0800 2009 4261404 12962 itaunas 1 4304362 For Tutu a Mineira, you are correct that it uses similar ingredients and garnishes as Feijao Tropeiro, but I would consider the two plates very different. One is essentially a farofa -- the yuca flour is used to just take the excess moisture out, the other is a stew thickened with yuca flour. Both can be made with red or black beans, although feijao tropeiro a bit less common with black. Torresmos are common in both, linguica too (perhaps heavier in the tropeiro), and collards. Some folks like to put plantains in feijao tropeiro, which you would never see in tutu. Eggs are common with both, but always used as a garnish for tutu. Other pork bits are good with both ("country style" ribs/shoulder good for tropeiro, small spare ribs for tutu). Here in Boston the restaurants cut corners with both. PB Restaurant probably has the best tropeiro, although they are currently up for sale (Oasis is ok). Cafe Brazil might be the best bet for Tutu, but I haven't had it for a while. Tropeiro doesn't have a long shelf life... Feijao batido (pureed beans) is often served with canjiquinha -- you put the canjiquinha on the plate and the beans in the middle, then some drops or chopped peppers. Some folks like to use conserved pequi or the oil with it. Wed Jan 07 10:37:56 -0800 2009 4261404 12962 itaunas 2 4306526 I was looking forward to your response itaunas! :) How is Tutu different from a Virado? As a farofa style dish would Feijao tropeiro always be considered a side dish rather than a focus? Would tutu also be considered a side? Interesting about the plantains in the tropeiro - is that the only rift you have seen? Do the red beans have a special name in Brasil? What is the closest bean equivalent in the US market? Thu Jan 08 00:00:05 -0800 2009 4304362 14086 kare_raisu 3 4310279 kare_raisu, streetgourmet might know more about virado a paulista than I do. Its certainly related to tutu. With virado I have had the beans served where they weren't blended, but not tutu where the beans are never whole, and more often w/o couve . It also seems more common to serve it sort of like a bandeja paisa with fried egg, couve, torresmos on the side. I also have never had virado with black beans. Lastly, I have seen some recipes which don't use farinha de mandioca for thickening, but rather that flaked corn flour/meal I mentioned with the galinha caipira. The (not so ripe) plantain is the major variation I have seen. Country or Spare pork ribs, maybe carne de sol... and sometimes shredded carrot. Many mineiros are happy to eat a fried egg, rice and seasoned beans for dinner... so feijao tropeiro could certainly be a main dish, but wouldn't be served as one. Its made like a farofa, but more substantial. You wouldn't throw it over grilled meat or likely mix it up with rice, but there are other substantial farofas -- chicken gizzards makes a nice one. Tutu is more commonly listed as a main dish on menus, but keep in mind that at Brazilian restaurants you serve foods, so most people would order something else to share. Not that tutu is made basically a "pirao," so they are both made like common accompanying items but more substantial. Names for related beans feijao carioca/carioquinha (colored like pinto, sometimes smaller), feijao roxa (roxinha,rosadinha pinkish beans), feijao vermelho. Sometimes it might just be labeled feijao comun. Here in the states see if you can get carioca or other brazilian beans that look like pintos such as mulatinho. Pintos from goya work decently, with pink or red beans you need to be careful because some are too sweet, but we get some nice salvadoran beans around here and others which are worth playing around with. If you can make it to a Northeast Market in a big city, its definitely worth it for the fresh beans -- feijao de corda, feijao verde (called green beans, but in a pod), feijao frade (black eyed peas, used for acaraje) just be careful to scope out the neighborhoods first (Rio's has gotten a lot more welcoming and is a good place to try sarapatel, but not much produce when I was last there). Try making baio de dois (the northeast's version of moros y cristianos) with fresh beans for a real treat (its mostly made with dried mulatinho). Fri Jan 09 06:29:31 -0800 2009 4306526 12962 itaunas 4 4313177 Yes, i thought that was interesting that they were using what appeared to be corn flakes to thicken or soak up the beans. What about the Brazilian Padaria? Panaderias are pretty common here in the West and Southwest of the US - Conchas, Empandas and Puerquitos etc are pretty well known. What are some of the baked goods you should be on the look out for? Sat Jan 10 02:01:38 -0800 2009 4310279 14086 kare_raisu