Recipe time - Feijoada.

This is the national dish of Brasil, one that every household has their own recipe for. Some add bacon or chicken, others include various parts of a pig such as offal or hocks, and it can also be made as a vegetarian or side dish by totally leaving out the meat. It takes a long time to cook, so much so that many restaurants will only serve it one day a week so they can prepare it properly - kind of the equivalent of our Sunday roast! This is roughly how I do it, although it changes every time.

Soak some black beans in plenty of water overnight, then rinse and bring to the boil in fresh water. They need 10 minutes on a fast boil and then 50 minutes simmering.

Meanwhile brown some stewing steak (you should know by now that I don't specify amounts, just use as much as you would use in a casserole etc for the number of people you need to serve!) in oil or butter in a large oven and hob proof pan. Add a sliced onion, garlic to taste, couple of bay leaves, a few chopped tomatoes (tinned will do), fresh ground black pepper and the drained beans. Top up with enough stock to just cover the meat and chuck in a low-ish oven (a slow cooker would probably work as well, although I don't have one so can't confirm) for at least 3 hours.

Half way through add a Mattesons garlic sausage cut into chunks, but any spicy or highly flavoured raw or cooked sausage also works. Check the moisture levels and stir every hour or so. Season with salt at the end, and I add the inevitable chillies then too.

Traditionally this is served with rice, sauteed spinach or spring greens, fresh parsley, slices of orange and a manioc side dish called "farofa". Wash down with plenty of cold lager (Brahma is an excellent Brasilian one that you can get over here) and don't forget to make a double portion to freeze!