Alentejo-Style Bean Stew with Meat and Sausages

Butter beans, beef, cabbage and sausages in a richly reduced sauce. This Alentejo-inspired bean stew is cooked over low heat, with the beans added at the end to keep them whole.

Estimated yield: 4 to 6 people.
Preparation time: about 25 minutes.
Cooking time: about 1 hour and 45 minutes, depending on the meat, with the beans already cooked.
Resting time: 5 minutes.

Ingredients

• 600 g cooked and drained butter beans
• 400 g stewing beef, cut into cubes
• 100 g diced bacon
• 1 Alentejo Wine Chouriço
• 1 small farinheira
• 400 g pointed cabbage, cut into wide strips
• 2 carrots, sliced
• 1 large onion
• 3 garlic cloves
• 150 g chopped peeled tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon red pepper paste
• 100 ml white wine
• 3 tablespoons of Cobrançosa Single-Varietal Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 bay leaf
• 300 ml hot water, plus more if needed
• Salt and black pepper, to taste
• Fresh coriander, to taste
• 4 to 6 slices of Traditional Alentejo Wood-Fired Bread, to serve

Method

1. Prepare the ingredients.
   Chop the onion and garlic, slice the carrots and cut the cabbage into wide strips. Drain the beans and set aside.
2. Make the sautéed base.
   Heat the olive oil in a wide pan. Add the onion, garlic and bay leaf and cook over medium-low heat for about 5 minutes. Add the tomato and red pepper paste and cook for another 5 minutes.
3. Braise the meat.
   Add the bacon and meat and stir well into the sautéed mixture. Pour in the white wine and boil for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the 300 ml of hot water, cover and cook over low heat for about 60 to 90 minutes, until the meat yields easily to a fork. Add a little more hot water at a time if the sauce starts to dry out.
4. Cook the vegetables.
   While the meat is braising, cook the carrot and cabbage separately in a pan of boiling water. Remove each vegetable as soon as it is tender but still holds its shape, then drain well. Allow about 8 to 12 minutes for the cabbage; check the carrot with a fork.
5. Prepare the sausages.
   Cook the chouriço and farinheira separately in gently simmering water for about 8 to 12 minutes, depending on their thickness. Remove, leave to rest briefly, then cut into slices.
6. Add the beans and vegetables.
   When the meat is tender, add the beans, carrot and cabbage. Stir gently without breaking up the beans and simmer for 5 to 8 minutes. Add the sausage slices in the last few minutes, just to heat them through.
7. Adjust the seasoning and serve.
   Adjust the salt and pepper after adding the cured sausages. Leave to rest for 5 minutes and serve with fresh coriander, if you like, and sliced Alentejo bread on the side.

Tips for a rich sauce

The meat should be tender before you add the beans. If the sauce is too runny, let it reduce a little with the pot uncovered before adding the remaining ingredients.

Add the farinheira at the end and fold in carefully to keep the slices whole. If the stew thickens as it rests, loosen the sauce with a little hot water.

Pairing

Serve with EA Tinto 2022 – Alentejo Regional Wine, from Fundação Eugénio de Almeida. A red wine to accompany the braised meat, cured sausages and pepper sauce.

Preparing ahead and storing

You can make the stew the day before. Divide it among shallow containers, cool quickly and store in the refrigerator. Reheat until piping hot throughout, adding a little water if the sauce is thick.

To freeze, divide into portions. Thaw in the refrigerator before reheating.

Frequently asked questions

Can I use red kidney beans?

Yes. Add it already cooked and drained at the same stage of preparation. The texture will differ from that of butter beans.

How do I stop the stew from becoming too salty?

Adjust the salt only after adding the cured sausages. The pepper paste also adds seasoning.

The meat is still tough. Should I add the beans now?

No. Continue braising the meat over low heat, with the pot covered, adding hot water if needed. Add the beans only when the meat yields easily to a fork.

How do I stop the farinheira from bursting?

Keep the water at a gentle simmer, without bringing it to a rolling boil. Let the farinheira rest for a little while before slicing it, and add it to the pot only at the end.

Another one-pot dish

Also try the Aljustrel Cuttlefish Stew with White Beans.

Source and adaptations

Adapted by Herdade do Estacal from NCultura’s Alentejo-style bean stew, with wine chouriço and farinheira sausage, adjusted quantities and vegetables cooked separately. Yield and timings are estimates.

Illustrative image.