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Picadinho carioca
Picadinho: Rio's diced beef stew with rice, fried egg, farofa and banana
Diced small and simmered in a glossy tomato gravy, picadinho is the plate Rio de Janeiro orders at lunch counters and old bars in Centro, and the one cariocas cook at home when they want comfort. The tender cubes of beef come with white rice, a fried egg with a runny yolk, farofa and slices of banana, and every forkful mixes a bit of everything: savoury, sweet, crisp and soft. The everyday mistake is crowding the pan, so the beef boils grey instead of browning; fry it in batches. Cook the eggs until the whites are fully set; if you are serving pregnant women, young children or older people, cook the yolks firm too. Chef's tip: cut the beef into 1.5 cm cubes; any larger and it is a stew, any smaller and it dries out.
- Total time
- 65 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the picadinho
To serve
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Method
0/9 doneStep 1: Season 1 ¾ lb beef rump or topside with 1 ½ tsp salt and ½ tsp ground black pepper.
Step 2: Heat 3 tbsp vegetable oil in a heavy pan over a high heat and brown the beef in three batches for 3–4 minutes each until well coloured. Lift out.
12 minStep 3: Lower the heat to medium, add 1 onion and 4 cloves garlic and cook for 5 minutes until soft.
5 minStep 4: Stir in 3 tomatoes and 1 tbsp tomato paste and cook for 5 minutes until jammy.
5 minStep 5: Return the beef with 1 ¼ cups beef stock and 1 bay leaf, cover and simmer on a low heat for 30 minutes until the beef is tender and the sauce is thick enough to coat a spoon.
30 minStep 6: Meanwhile, warm 2 tbsp olive oil in a frying pan over a medium heat and toast 4 oz farinha de mandioca for 4–5 minutes, stirring, until golden. Tip out.
5 minStep 7: Heat 1 ½ tbsp vegetable oil in the same pan and fry 2 bananas for 2 minutes a side until golden.
4 minStep 8: Add the rest of 1 ½ tbsp vegetable oil and fry 4 eggs on a medium heat for 3–4 minutes until the whites are completely set and the edges are crisp.
4 minStep 9: Stir 3 tbsp fresh parsley into the picadinho and serve with white rice, the farofa, banana and a fried egg on each plate.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 640 kcal
- Protein
- 50 g
- Carbs
- 40 g
- Fat
- 31 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does picadinho carioca take?
- About 65 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 45 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of ground black pepper?
- Black peppercorns, freshly ground, same amount.
- What can I use instead of onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
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