ChatGPT's Feijoada

 Ingredients:

1 pound black beans, soaked overnight

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large onion, diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon cumin

8 ounces smoked sausage, sliced

8 ounces ham hock or bacon, diced

2 bay leaves

1 orange, juiced

Steamed white rice and orange wedges, to serve

Instructions:

Drain the soaked black beans and place them in a large saucepan. Add enough water to cover the beans by about 2 inches.

(Andre's commentary: Personally, I'm partial either to a Dutch oven, or a pressure cooker, simply because there's a lot of volume in this dish, and those vessels are big enough, but perhaps this could work with a large enough saucepan)

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.

(Actually, you know what? Scratch that. No saucepans. Pressure cooker, Dutch oven, or bust. You don't actually need a second pan. That creates two problems: 1: more dishes, and 2: you can't take advantage of the fond as easily. Do everything in one pan-- i.e., do this step first, before the beans start cooking-- for best results)

Stir in the tomato paste, paprika, dried thyme, salt, black pepper, and cumin. Cook for 2-3 minutes until fragrant.

(ChatGPT has officially lost its mind: tomato paste??? in feijoada?? Everything else looks okay, though) 

Add the sausage, ham hock, and bay leaves to the skillet. Cook for 5-7 minutes, until the sausage is lightly browned.

(This should definitely be done at the same time as the onions and garlic-- or better yet, even before the onions and garlic-- for maximum fond development. You can do this now, but then you won't be able to take advantage of Maillard browning, which requires dry heat, not wet heat.)

Transfer the sausage and ham hock mixture to the saucepan with the black beans. Stir in the orange juice.

(This really should be two steps: transferring the sausage and the hock is unnecessary because we're browning them in the same pan where the beans will be cooked. I'd be careful with the orange juice. It can be added, but go slowly, since it might be too sweet or too acidic for the dish. I'd much rather serve orange slices, wedges, etc. on the side than do this. If you want some acidity, add a touch of red vinegar to the beans.)

Bring the bean mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to low and let it simmer, covered, for 2-3 hours, or until the beans are tender and the stew has thickened.

(This is a stew, so this timeline is perfect: several hours, over very low heat, once the browning/dry heat phase is done. Let it reduce gently over time, and add an ounce or two of water at a time if you notice it getting too thick.)

Serve the feijoada hot with steamed white rice and orange wedges on the side.