Farofa (Cassava Flour, Bacon and Calabrese)

When a perfectly cooked cut of meat is placed on a plate, it is surrounded by delicious juices. Now the science here is that these are made up of a lot of different things; water, fat, connective tissue that has become gelatinous, a protein called Myoglobin (it helps the oxygen in the blood get into the muscle) and, of course, residue from the herbs and spices used in the cooking process. But what we’re interested in, is the flavors. And what farofa (cassava flour, bacon and Calabrese) does, is, absorb those juices for you to savor.

When it comes to cooking meat, the South Americans have it down to a science. They certainly know how to get the most from any meat product, and how to serve it in the best possible way. I’m from England, so, I grew up with meat and potatoes. The potatoes as a source of carbs, and something to absorb the juices from the meat. Well, farofa does that, and some. Firstly, being flour based, it absorbs any liquid. Being that it’s flour cooked with onion, bacon, garlic and Calabrese, it brings it’s own flavors to the table. The Calabrese can be substituted for any pork sausage Which means, it’s not just an absorbent, but something that can be sprinkled on as a flavor enhancer.

And there’s more. Because it’s flour based, it can be used as a thickener when cooking too. Add some to savory black beans, to thicken them up. Farofa is regional dependent, very much like chili in Mexico or curry in India, each region, city, and, sometimes family has it’s own recipe, passed down. The common elements are a smoky meat or sausage cooked up in a pan with onions and garlic, and cassava flour added, as the flour toasts, it absorbs the flavors of meat, and creates it’s own in the toasting process. What I have here is a simple, authentic Farofa. The smokiness of the sausage, bacon and the toasted cassava flour will turn this into a side as much as a topping.

As I had mentioned, this farofa is simple. The toasted flour will be the absorbent, and added texture, and the main flavor component will be the bacon and Calabrese. Because, even though bacon isn’t the healthiest of foods, it makes everything better, as does the Calabrese sausage, bringing the spicy pork flavors. Some finely diced onions and garlic will round out the list. The reason I keep it simple is that it’s not the star of the plate, it’s just an enhancer.

It starts by putting the whole Calabrese sausage in a preheated pan, let it brown off a bit, it’ll be easier to slice up. Now cut into 1/4 thick slices and add the diced bacon rashers. Allow them to cook a bit to render down the fat. The bacon has to be soft not crispy. and the Calabrese will be par cooked Now add the diced onions and garlic, allow them to cook and brown a bit in the rendered fat. This whole browning process is called the Maillard reaction, named after a French scientist. The boring part is the reaction of amino acids and sugars when heated. The good part is the infinite flavors and textures that come from it. It’s what makes delicious food, well, delicious.

When the onions are cooked, add the cassava flour. The idea is to let it absorb the liquids in the pan, and then toast a bit. Cover the base of the pan with and even layer. Allow to sit while it toasts a bit before moving around some more. Keep doing this process till it’s all toasted and has a darker color.

And, that is really it. Farofa (cassava flour, bacon and Calabrese). Allow to cool and put into an air tight container, it’ll be good for about a week in the fridge. Just warm it up a little before use, to release the aroma and taste. Use as you like, enjoy, and, thanks for reading