Vaca atolada
The name means cow stuck in the mud, and the picture is right: meaty beef ribs sunk in a thick stew of cassava that has half collapsed into the sauce. Vaca atolada comes from the cattle country of Minas Gerais and is a cold-night favourite at fazenda kitchens and comida mineira restaurants, served on its own or with white rice and a sharp pepper sauce. The ribs are browned, then braised slowly with onion, tomato, garlic and bay until the meat slips off the bone, and the cassava goes in for the last hour to thicken everything. People most often go wrong by adding the cassava at the start, so it dissolves completely; it should be soft but still in chunks. Cassava must be cooked right through and never eaten raw. Chef's tip: brown the ribs hard and deglaze the pan well; that dark crust is where most of the flavour comes from.






