There are many variations of this dish, which originally comes from Portugal. It's a hearty stew, perhaps the heartiest stew there is, and includes black beans, beef, and pork as it's staples. As with most stews and 'one pot' dishes, it's roots are embedded in quantity and necessity. Therefore the cheaper cuts of pork and beef are often used. We chose to leave out the beef, and include white beans. Equality, yeah. As a dish for cyclists, this might be unbeatable. The proteins from the beans and meat are plentiful, it's a true stew - so it has magical warming powers if you find yourself out on a damp or cold ride, and it leaves you with that wonderful feeling of being completely full and satisfied, but not uncomfortably full. Furthermore, and please forgive us for being uncouth, beans means flatchulence, and on a cold day, that warming methane floating, trapped inside your lycra has warming qualities which shouldn't be underestimated.
Ingredients: We followed Jack Monroe's take on this classic, which feeds 4 and requires; 2 garlic cloves, 1 large onion, 2 carrots, 100g streaky bacon, 300g sausages, 400g black beans, 300g cannelloni beans, 100g tomato puree, 400ml chicken broth, bay leaves, handful of parsley, and 1 large orange.
Method: The night before, thoroughly drain and soak the beans in cold water. On the night, chop the carrots, onion, and garlic, and fry in sunflower oil in a large pan or Dutch oven. Gently fry for 10mins, stirring occasionally. Add the meat, add the beans, and the chicken broth, and bring to an aggressive boil for 4mins. Then, add the sliced orange, cover, and leave at a gentle simmer for approx. 35mins. Check every 10mins for water level, add more if necessary.
Tips: Remove the cannelloni beans for a truer black colouring.
