Linguica & beans

FULL RECIPE

1. Slice linguica and of chourico (1/2 inch discs)

You can really use any combination or amount of linguica and/or chourico for this recipe. Both types of sausage are made from pork, but depending on who you ask, there are a few differences between them: some say chourico is spicer, while others say linguica is brighter in color, or that one is fattier than the other. And while this recipe uses Portuguese chourico, which is smoked, you could also use a Spanish (cured) or Mexican (fresh) chorizo.

In any case, what's nice about this recipe is all of these sausages bring so much flavor that you don't necessarily need to add any other spices or seasonings except for salt (unless you want to, of course). If you're using a fresh chorizo, you might find that you get more consistent discs if you cook the sausage whole, then cut them afterwards.

Linguica and chourico from Amaral's

2. Dice onion and garlic

Dice onion and garlic uniformly into about 1/2 inch pieces.

3. Heat oil over medium, add linguica and chourico

On medium heat, all olive oil to pan. Once hot, add linguica and chourico.

A heavy-bottomed pot or a dutch oven, is ideal for this recipe because it'll heat more evenly than something with a thin bottom, and is best suited for longer cooking times.

Ssssssss

Cook linguica and chourico until browned, working in batches if needed. Working in batches will prevent crowding the pan so that the sausage is browned more evenly (a crowded pan leads to less maillard reaction aka browning).

4. Add onion and garlic

Let everything cook together for 5-10 minutes, until the onions begin turning translucent.

5. Add tomato paste

Clear a space in the middle of the pot so that the tomato paste can cook directly on the bottom. Add your tomato paste and mix it thoroughly and let it cook for a few minutes, until the paste turns from bright red to a glossy maroon. This process of carmelization concentrates the sugars and glutamates that live in the paste, and will give the dish a heartier, more vibrant flavor.

Once the paste darkens, add your liquid and stir until there are no more chunks of paste. The color of your liquid should be a deep red.

6. Add beans

This recipe uses canned beans. You can use fresh, but you'll need to cook them first.

7. Add liquid

Depending on your pot, 3 cups of liquid should be enough liquid to cover the ingredients, but you may need to adjust the amount accordingly. If it looks too soupy, let the stew simmer with the lid off so it can reduce. If it doesn't look soupy enough, add more liquid and leave covered. In the end, the consistency is up to you, and if you want this to be a soup, be our guest

8. Simmer 30 minutes to an hour.

You could simmer for longer, but the longer it goes for, the more the sausage and beans break down. Keep cooking until you're ready to eat or the smell is too good to ignore.

Optionally, add hearty greens to the pot during the last 20 minutes, like kale, spinach, collard greens.

Oh yeah, it's all coming together now

Extras

A simple recipe lends itself to creativity. Below are some of the ways that we've switched it up while making this.

Veggies

I know, I know - there's no green whatsoever in this recipe. However, it's easy to add veg to this dish:

• Add a hearty green, like kale, spinach, or collard greens to the pot during the last 20 minutes
• Saute some cauliflower, leek, or red peppers with the onions and garlic
• Don't forget that potatoes are botanically classified as a vegetable

Carbs

This recipe is friendly to a number of starches:

• Potatoes (also a vegetable), whether a bed of mashed potatoes or crispy oven fried potatoes
• Rice
• A hunk of bread torn from a fresh loaf of sourdough or Portuguese sweet bread