Feijão Tropeiro with Crispy Torresmo and Fried Egg

Method

1. Pick over and rinse the beans, then soak them in three times their volume of cold water for 8 h.

   Add in this stepDried carioca beans (or pinto beans) 100 g

2. Put the soaked beans in a 18 cm pot with the bay leaf, some whole garlic cloves and some of the salt, and cover with water by 4 cm. Bring to the boil on high heat, then simmer on medium-low heat for 40 min, until a bean squashes between your fingers but holds its shape. Drain thoroughly.

   Add in this stepBay leaf 1Garlic cloves 0.9Salt ¼ tsp

   high heat→medium-low heat

3. Cut the pork belly into 1.5 cm cubes, pat them very dry with kitchen paper and sprinkle with some of the salt. Put them in a cold, dry 26 cm frying pan and cook on medium-low heat for 17 min, stirring often, so plenty of fat renders out and the cubes turn golden. Then turn up to high heat and fry for 3 min until the skin puffs, crackles and turns crisp. It spits a lot: use a splatter guard and keep your face back. Lift onto kitchen paper.

   Add in this stepSkin-on pork belly 120 gSalt ⅛ tsp

   medium-low heat→high heat

4. Spoon about 2 tablespoons of the pork fat into a small bowl and set aside. In the fat left in the pan, cook the sausage, cut into half-moons, on medium heat for 4 min until browned, then lift out.

   Add in this stepSmoked sausage (linguiça calabresa) 100 g

   medium heat

5. Melt the butter in a small pan, add the cassava flour and toast on medium-low heat for 4 min, stirring constantly, until nutty-smelling and pale golden.

   Add in this stepButter 15 gCassava flour (farinha de mandioca) 60 g

   medium-low heat

6. Put the large pan back on medium heat and cook the rest of the garlic, chopped, with the onion for 4 min. Add the couve, sliced into very thin ribbons, and toss for just 1 min to keep it bright green.

   Add in this stepOnion 1Garlic cloves 2⅛Couve (collard greens) or kale 60 g

   medium heat

7. Add the beans, sausage and half the torresmo and fold gently on medium heat for 3 min until hot, then add the buttery cassava flour a little at a time, folding until moist and crumbly. Season with the rest of the salt and pepper and fold in the spring onion and parsley.

   Add in this stepSalt ¼ tspBlack pepper to tasteSpring onion 2Flat-leaf parsley 2 tbsp

   medium heat

8. Heat the reserved pork fat in a small pan, crack in the eggs and fry on medium heat for 2 min 30 sec, spooning the hot fat over the whites, until the edges are lacy and crisp and the yolks still soft. Plate the tropeiro and top with the fried eggs and the rest of the torresmo.

   Add in this stepEggs 2

   medium heat