New England Feijoada

This is my take on the succulent Portuguese bean stew of the same name. Being a New Englander, I could not resist making it slightly sweet, but the spirit of the authentic thing shines through. I would have loved to use some tawny port instead of sherry, but that was all I had.

Initially, I made the stew in a slow cooker; but this dried out the linguica. I have not yet tried it out on range-top, but I have a very good idea of how it should come out. All in all, I am quite pleased with this excellent winter stew.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 lb. dry black beans, soaked overnight
  
• 2 lbs oxtail, trimmed
  
• 1 lb. linguica, cut on a bias into 1/3" rounds
• 1 large onion, diced
• 3 large cloves garlic, crushed
• 1/2 cup pitted prunes
• 1/4 cup tawny port or sherry
  
• 7 cups water
• Olive oil for sauté

DIRECTIONS

1. In a heavy pot, brown the oxtail over medium-high heat until seared on both sides, about 2 minutes per side. Remove and set aside.
   
2. Reduce heat to medium-low; add olive oil. Sauté onions and garlic until caramelized, about 10 minutes, turning frequently.
   
3. Add the port and scrape the bottom of the pan with a spatula. (If using a nonstick pot, be sure to use a plastic spatula.) This should free up all browned bits from the oxtail and the onions.
   
4. Add all remaining ingredients to the pot, and simmer on medium-low for 1 1/2 hours or until beans are tender.

Serve with white rice.