Portuguese Beans with Linguica
This is the time of year my dad put together a big lunch for his customers, farmers and ranchers. (First published December 2013.) He would do most of the food preparation himself. Yep, there could be a huge crowd. One item on the menu was Portuguese beans. So, the question is do I have my dad’s recipe or his mother’s recipe? Or are the recipes the same? Anyway, get your pound of pintos soaking, and don’t eat the last of the linguica!
Why am I thinking about these beans? Aside from the thoughts of the yearly luncheon, my brother made another batch of linguica. He is still working to perfect the recipe! And someone shared her prepared Portuguese beans and linguica with me recently. Just delicious Melissa! Let me see how my dad’s recipe compares!
One thing our family has in common we’re not collectors. Not that we aren’t sentimental. Each item we place about our homes is treasured and often has a meaningful history. Okay, there is one exception for me! Cookbooks! I treasure each … And mention to family, you know those words that make children go “mom,” when I’m gone please find a special place for these. The latest addition to my collection is My Portugal by George Mendes. It’s a beautiful book actually worthy of a coffee table. Yep, this recipe, at least the ingredients, was inspired by My Portugal. I never follow the directions of recipes. My mother would have said I never follow any directions!
This is a pretty easy recipe … There is no wrong here. A soup with mainly vegetables and just the right amount of linguica (or chourico) to give it that special flavor. Adding stale crusty bread soaks up the liquids and this soup becomes more stew-like. I love it! And when I want to be really decadent I add butter to the chunks of bread before smothering with the soup. Yikes!
Full of flavor and minimal ingredients make this one of my favorites meals. Beans are very much a staple in my kitchen. In fact, if you type beans in the Search Box above you’ll have meals for days. (Or click on beans in the category section.) My children never thought of beans as a penny saver meal but definitely this was part of it in the day. Beans were often underrated but today we know of the excellent nutritional benefits with the rise in vegetarian and vegan diets.
What a surprise! My first bite … between fudge and brownie … Not too sweet chocolate flavor with roasted nuts. Chocolate Salami is an Italian and Portuguese favorite. But I have to admit while I lean to the Portuguese side I did add Amaretto instead of Port. Your choice of liqueurs is extensive. Just make it something that goes with chocolate and coffee. Exactly … What doesn’t? Not into a liqueur? Just add a little more coffee in its place.
This simple main dish can become your breakfast omelet too. Use your favorite greens, kale here but spinach for a milder flavor. Any of the greens will do. This is one of those quick recipes that will have your family eating in 20-30 minutes. Can easily become a soup by adding a vegetable broth. Very versatile.
A family recipe I would have never tasted if it weren’t for Margie. Margie put together a family gathering (yesterday) … Through ancestry.com she found my brother (and then me), and Marie (her family) and many others. Now, I’m not advocating family searches. But in our case, my brother & me, we were curious. My father’s father died at a young age and dad just slipped into the Willitts and Perry families. Dan & I heard very little about dad’s other side of the family. Not for the reason that perhaps you might guess. It was a matter of life getting in the way. So when we heard from Margie we were excited … as excited as she was!
Margaret Costa’s beans to be exact! Margaret is my second cousin and I’m hoping she’ll forgive me for tweaking her recipe just a bit. Honestly, I just don’t cook for 10 to 20 people like Margaret did regularly. Again, the recipe calls for cinnamon. I’ve been questioned about the use of this spice in Portuguese bean recipes. I can assure you this spice was added to these recipes long before I began to cook. I explain the use on regional cooking to a fallback when other spices weren’t available. The originators of many of my Portuguese recipes are no longer living, and I just have no one to ask why they used cinnamon so liberally. It’s like all those photos with unrecognizable people. Why didn’t I ask when I could? I hope you will enjoy this very simple chili bean recipe that’s all about spices.