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Rubacão
Rice with cowpeas and dried beef
Rubacão: Paraíba rice with fresh cowpeas, dried beef, bacon, coalho cheese and cream
Paraíba's cousin of baião de dois, rubacão (also spelt rubação) is cooked for long family lunches in João Pessoa and Campina Grande, and it is a fixture of the São João season in June. Rice and freshly shelled green cowpeas (feijão verde) cook together with dried beef and smoky bacon, then coalho cheese and cream are folded through so the pot turns soft, creamy and stretchy, salty from the meat and sweet from the beans. Serve it on its own with a tomato salad and pepper sauce; it is a meal in one pot. If you use charque or carne seca, it needs soaking overnight in the fridge. The pitfall to avoid is adding the cheese while the pot is on the flame, which turns it rubbery; fold it in off the heat and let the steam soften it. Chef's tip: save the bean cooking water and use it to cook the rice; it gives the dish its earthy colour and flavour.
- Total time
- 65 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
- 10 ½ oz carne seca or charque (dried salted beef)soaked overnight in the fridge, water changed 3 times, cut in 1.5 cm cubes
- 10 ½ oz fresh green cowpeas (feijão verde)or frozen black-eyed peas
- 1.2 litres water
- 4 oz smoked bacondiced
- 1 onionfinely chopped
- 3 cloves garliccrushed
- 1 tomatochopped
- 10 ½ oz long-grain white ricerinsed
- ½ tsp saltonly if needed
- 7 oz coalho cheesecut into 1.5 cm cubes, or halloumi
- ¾ cup single cream
- 3 tbsp fresh corianderchopped
- 3 spring onionssliced
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Method
0/8 doneStep 1: Simmer 10 ½ oz carne seca or charque (dried salted beef) in fresh water for 20 minutes, then drain. This finishes the desalting and softens it.
20 minStep 2: Put 10 ½ oz fresh green cowpeas (feijão verde) in a pan with 1.2 litres water, bring to the boil and simmer on a medium heat for 12–15 minutes until just tender. Drain, keeping the cooking liquid.
15 minStep 3: In a heavy pot over a medium heat, fry 4 oz smoked bacon for 5 minutes until the fat runs, then add the beef and fry for 5 minutes more until browned at the edges.
10 minStep 5: Stir in 10 ½ oz long-grain white rice and toast for 1 minute until every grain is glossy. Add the beans and 750 ml of the bean water, taste and add ½ tsp salt if needed.
2 minStep 6: Bring to the boil, cover and cook on a low heat for 18 minutes until the rice is tender and the liquid absorbed; it should still look moist.
18 minStep 7: Take the pot off the heat, pour in ¾ cup single cream, scatter over 7 oz coalho cheese and fold gently. Cover and leave for 5 minutes until the cheese softens and the rice turns creamy.
5 minStep 8: Fold through 3 tbsp fresh coriander and 3 spring onions and serve from the pot.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 590 kcal
- Protein
- 34 g
- Carbs
- 50 g
- Fat
- 27 g
- Fibre
- 6 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does rubacão take?
- About 65 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 45 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 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 onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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