Layered Beef, Bean and Cassava Bowl (Arrumadinho)
Arrumadinho Say it: ah-hoo-mah-DEEN-yoo
Arrumadinho is a Pernambuco appetizer built in small bowls or glasses with distinct layers: fluffy white rice, creamy black-eyed peas, thin slices of smoky carne de sol, toasted cassava meal, fried plantain and a bright tomato vinagrete. The name means 'little arranged one,' and the pleasure is in the contrast—savory, crisp, sweet and tangy in every spoonful. It is served at casual gatherings and botecos, often with cold beer, and turns everyday Northeast Brazilian ingredients into a colorful, generous plate.
Layered Beef, Bean and Cassava Bowl (Arrumadinho)
Arrumadinho
Pronounced ah-hoo-mah-DEEN-yoo
- Serves
- 4
- Prep
- 30 min
- Cook
- 45 min
- Total
- 1 hr 15 min
- Level
- Medium
Also nut-free and egg-free.
Allergens: contains milk. Check labels on packaged ingredients.
Ingredients
Amounts are scaled. Cooking times and pan sizes stay the same.
For the black-eyed peas
For the rice
For the carne de sol
For the cassava meal
For the plantains
For the vinagrete
Method
If using dried black-eyed peas, soak them in plenty of water for 4 hours, then drain. Heat the olive oil in a medium pot over medium heat and cook the onion and garlic until soft and fragrant, about 3 minutes.
Add the peas, bay leaf, salt and water; bring to a simmer. Cook uncovered until the peas are tender and creamy but still intact, 25–30 minutes for dried peas or about 10 minutes for canned; add a splash of water if the pot dries out.
For the rice, heat the olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat and cook the onion and garlic until translucent, about 3 minutes. Stir in the rice and salt for 1 minute, add the hot water, cover and simmer over low heat until the water is absorbed and the rice is fluffy, 15–18 minutes; fluff with a fork.
Pat the carne de sol dry and season with black pepper. Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat and cook the meat until browned on both sides and just cooked through, 3–4 minutes per side. Rest for 5 minutes, then slice thinly against the grain.
For the cassava meal, melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat and cook the onion and garlic until golden, about 4 minutes. Add the cassava meal and salt and toast, stirring constantly, until the mixture is golden and crisp, 3–4 minutes; remove from the heat.
Fry the plantains in the vegetable oil over medium heat until golden and caramelized at the edges, 2–3 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels and sprinkle with salt.
Combine the tomatoes, onion, vinegar, olive oil, parsley, salt and pepper for the vinagrete; let stand for 10 minutes so the flavors mingle.
To serve, spoon warm rice into 4 small bowls or glasses, then layer with black-eyed peas, sliced carne de sol, cassava meal, fried plantain and a spoonful of vinagrete. Serve immediately so the cassava meal and plantains stay crisp.
Regional variants
Some cooks use charque (dried beef) in place of carne de sol, or add cooked cassava to the layers for a heartier bowl.
Cook's notes
- Soak carne de sol overnight in cold water, changing the water 2–3 times, to tame its salt; if using the fresh-beef substitute, rinse well after salting.
- Cook the beans until creamy but intact; they should hold their shape under the layered toppings.
- Assemble just before serving so the cassava meal and fried plantains keep their contrast.
Serve with
Serve as an appetizer with cold beer, a lime caipirinha or guaraná.
Make ahead and storage
Cook the peas, rice, meat, cassava meal and vinagrete up to 1 day ahead and refrigerate separately; fry the plantains just before serving and assemble at the last minute.
