Buchada de bode

Ingredients

Offal and stomach

• 1goat stomach, whole
• 1set of goat offal: liver, heart, kidneys, lungs
• goat intestines, cleaned
• coarse salt, for scrubbing
• juice of 6 limes
• vinegar, for washing
• flour, for scrubbing

Seasoning

• 1 headof garlic, crushed
• 3onions, finely chopped
• 2 bunchescoriander, chopped
• 2 bunchesspring onion, chopped
• 3tomatoes, chopped
• 2 tablespoonscoloriau or paprika
• 2bay leaves
• 1 tablespooncumin
• salt and black pepper
• 1chilli, chopped

To cook

• 2 litreswater
• 3 tablespoonsoil
• cotton thread, for sewing

To serve

• pirao, cassava flour porridge
• plain white rice
• farofa

Directions

1. Use it within a day of collecting it. Turn the stomach completely inside out. Use a blunt knife and work over a sink. Rub it hard with coarse salt all over. Rinse it and repeat the whole process. Give it at least two hours in that acid bath.
2. Keep going until it is, however long that takes. Turn each length inside out and scrape it. Rinse them under running water repeatedly. Soak them in vinegar water as well. Wash the liver, heart, kidneys and lungs thoroughly. Remove any tubes, membranes and hard parts. Soak the kidneys separately in lime water. Kidneys carry a strong smell that needs drawing out.
3. Cut everything into small even dice. Aim for pieces about one centimetre across. Chop the cleaned intestines into short lengths. Put all the chopped offal in a large bowl. Add the crushed garlic and the chopped onions. Add the coriander, spring onion and tomatoes. Add the coloriau, cumin and chopped chilli.
4. Season it heavily with salt and black pepper. Squeeze in the juice of several limes. Mix it all through thoroughly with your hands. Let it sit for an hour to take up the flavours. Filling and sewing the stomach takes care. Lay the cleaned stomach out flat. Spoon the seasoned offal mixture inside it. Fill it about three quarters full only. Use small close stitches all along the edge.
5. Check the whole seam for any gaps. Cooking it is slow and takes most of an afternoon. Heat the oil in a very large heavy pot. Brown the filled stomach lightly on both sides. Add the water and the bay leaves. Bring it up to a gentle simmer.
6. Cover it and lower the heat right down. Let it cook for about three hours. Turn it once or twice during that time. Top up the water if it drops too far. It should stay mostly covered throughout. Ladle some of the hot broth into a pan. Sprinkle cassava flour in slowly while whisking.
7. Whisk constantly to keep it smooth. It thickens into a soft porridge within minutes. Season it with salt and serve it hot. Serving it is done hot and cut at the table. Lift the buchada out onto a large board. Cut it into thick slices across. Serve it with pirao, rice and farofa. It keeps two days in the refrigerator.

Technique

• The sertao is the dry interior of northeastern Brazil, where goats are farmed because cattle cannot survive the conditions.
• Pirao, a porridge of cassava flour whisked into the cooking broth, is the traditional accompaniment.

Substitutions

• Lamb stomach and offal can be used in place of goat where goat is unavailable.
• Several small sewn parcels are easier to handle than one whole stomach.

Variations

• Some cooks add rice to the filling to stretch it further.
• A version cooked as a stew without the stomach casing is called sarapatel.
• Similar stuffed stomach dishes are made across the Mediterranean and Scotland.

History

A dish of the Northeastern sertao where nothing of the goat is wasted; served with pirao and rice at fairs and festivals.

Frequently asked questions

What is Buchada de bode?

Buchada de bode is a main from Brazil: goat offal chopped, seasoned and cooked inside the cleaned stomach. A dish of the Northeastern sertao where nothing of the goat is wasted; served with pirao and rice at fairs and festivals.

How long does Buchada de bode take to make?

Buchada de bode takes 3 hours plus soaking of preparation and 3 hours of cooking. The recipe makes serves 8. It is rated hard to make.

What can I substitute in Buchada de bode?

Yes, within limits. Lamb stomach and offal can be used in place of goat where goat is unavailable. Several small sewn parcels are easier to handle than one whole stomach.

What is the most important thing to get right in Buchada de bode?

Use it within a day of collecting it. Turn the stomach completely inside out. Use a blunt knife and work over a sink. Rub it hard with coarse salt all over. Rinse it and repeat the whole process. Give it at least two hours in that acid bath.