Baião de Dois com Queijo de Coalho

📜 Ingredients

• •dried cowpeas2 cups, about 360 g (13 oz)🔁 dried black-eyed peas — They cook similarly, with a slightly different flavor.
• •waterenough to cover the dried cowpeas by 4 cm (1 1/2 in), then to replenish the broth
• •long-grain rice1 1/2 cups, about 270 g (9 1/2 oz)
• 🧄queijo de coalho250 g (9 oz), cut into 1.5 cm (1/2 in) cubes🔁 halloumi — It holds its shape better, but is saltier and has a different dairy flavor.
• 🧈manteiga de garrafa3 tablespoons🔁 clarified unsalted butter — It keeps the rice glossy but softens its distinctive aroma.
• •smoked calabresa sausage250 g (9 oz), thinly sliced into half-moons
• •onion1 large, finely diced
• •garlic4 cloves, chopped
• •tomatoes2 ripe, seeded and diced
• •green bell pepper1/2, finely diced
• •cilantro1/2 small bunch, chopped
• •black pepperto taste
• •saltto taste, adjusted at the end

👨‍🍳 Preparation

1. 1

   Rinse the dried cowpeas and soak them in water for 2 hours, if time allows. Drain, cover with fresh water, and cook in a pressure cooker for 12 to 15 minutes after it reaches pressure, or in a regular pot for 35 to 45 minutes, until tender but still intact. Set the beans and broth aside separately.

   Dried cowpeas cook faster than other beans; start checking early to keep the beans whole.

2. 2

   In the wide pot, heat 1 tablespoon of manteiga de garrafa over medium heat for 1 minute. Brown the calabresa sausage for 4 to 6 minutes, until it renders its fat and develops browned edges. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.

   Calabresa sausage is a popular variation; for a meatless baião, omit it and add 1 extra tablespoon of manteiga de garrafa.

3. 3

   In the same pot, add 1 more tablespoon of manteiga de garrafa, the onion, garlic, and green bell pepper. Sauté over medium heat for 5 to 7 minutes, until the onion is soft and fragrant. Add the tomatoes and cook for 3 minutes more, until they begin to break down.

   Keep the heat at medium so the garlic perfumes the dish without turning bitter.

4. 4

   Add the long-grain rice and stir for 1 to 2 minutes, until the grains are glossy. Add 3 cups of the hot bean broth, or enough to cover the rice with about 1 cm (3/8 in) of liquid, and return the calabresa sausage to the pot.

   If there is not enough bean broth, add hot water; the liquid must stay hot so the cooking is not interrupted.

5. 5

   Cover partially and cook over low heat for 12 to 16 minutes, until the rice has absorbed nearly all the broth and is tender. In the final 4 minutes, gently fold in the cooked cowpeas; if the pot dries before the rice is done, add small ladles of hot broth.

   Baião de dois should be moist and bound by its broth, not fluffy like party rice or soupy like a stew.

6. 6

   Turn off the heat. Stir in the final tablespoon of manteiga de garrafa, the cilantro, black pepper, and half the queijo de coalho. Cover and let rest for 5 minutes, until the cheese softens and the baião de dois settles.

   Warm the cheese only with the residual heat so it yields to the fork without melting completely.

7. 7

   Taste and adjust the salt only now. Serve topped with the remaining queijo de coalho, bringing the baião de dois to the table as a dish of gathering, so closely tied to the pots of the sertão and to Northeastern celebrations.

   A tomato salad or a serving of boiled cassava refreshes and rounds out the meal.