France has Cassoulet. Brazil double dog dares with Fejoada (fay-zzzhwa-dah)…read more
I asked the hotel receptionist where to go for Fejoada.
She pointed me to Bolinha. It is the weekend and the ubiquitous Brazilian dish is their signature buffet. So everything came to the table! The 10 cuts of meat include bacon, pork chop, oxtail, pig ear, beef tongue, linguica, brisket, ham hock, and pork knuckles. The broth is brimming with collagen--so they offer salsa, hot sauce, and fresh orange slices to resuscitate your palette.
Thicken the broth with toasted nut flour if you wish.
There's fried sweet banana and yucca, pork rinds and crispy bacon on the side, perfect rice and shredded collard greens.
Assuage your guilt with shots of house caipirinha. Think a sweeter margarita on the rocks...
The very patient and sweet maitre'd offered me dessert. He's thinks he is so funny!
While I have no reference to compare this example to others as it was my first taste of Fejoada, the standard is set immensely high.
Not cheap at R150 total bill ($40). But this memory has been seared indelibly into my food coma'd brain. And now I understand why they have such a light dinner.
Time for a siesta to recover.
!!! Bring a translator (Google translate is pretty good) if you don't speak Portuguese. Inhouse WiFi available.