I found this sauce in my friend Maricel Presilla’s book, Gran Cocina Latina: The Food of Latin America (Norton 2012) and include it here to accompany the feijoada. Maricel says, “The tang of fresh limes and heat of the fiery malagueta peppers in this simple table sauce give a muchneeded jolt of brightness to the dark, earthy flavors of a feijoada.”
Ingredients
- 16 pickled malagueta or cumari peppers*, lightly crushed with the side of a knife
- 1 small yellow onion (about 4 ounces), very finely chopped
- 6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 2 scallions, white part only, finely chopped (about 2 tablespoons)
- ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
- Juice of 4 or 5 large limes (about ½ cup)
- 2 teaspoons salt, or to taste
Preparation
Place all ingredients in a small bowl and mix to blend. Let rest for a few minutes before serving to let the flavors meld. The sauce can be prepared the day before and refrigerated, covered with plastic film.
* Both peppers can be found in jars at Gol Brazilian Supermarket (see Resources). They are the small, red-hot peppers found in bottles on the tables of Fogo Brazilian BBQ.
