(No Ratings Yet)
Loading...Sarapatel is a bold Northeastern Brazilian stew built on pork liver, heart, and shoulder, with a touch of blood and a bracing splash of vinegar. Brought to Brazil by Portuguese colonizers, it transforms humble organ meats into a deeply savory, slightly tangy dish beloved from Recife to Salvador. Always serve with rice, couve mineira, and a sprinkle of farofa for the full experience.
Prep Time25 mins
Cook Time75 mins
Total Time100 mins
Servings6
Yield6 servings
Nutrition Facts
Per serving (estimated)
- 445 kcalCalories
- 22 gFat
- 7 gSaturated Fat
- 9 gCarbs
- 2 gFiber
- 3 gSugar
- 42 gProtein
- 640 mgSodium
- 720 mgPotassium
- 48 mgCalcium
- 13 mgIron
- 22 mgVitamin C
- 5500 mcgVitamin A
Ingredients
For the pork and organs
- 1 lb (450 g) pork liver, trimmed of membranes
- 1/2 lb (225 g) pork heart, trimmed and cubed
- 1 lb (450 g) pork shoulder, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1 cup fresh or coagulated pork blood
- 1/2 cup white vinegar, divided
- 2 tablespoons coarse salt, for soaking the organs
For the stew base
- 3 tablespoons pork lard or vegetable oil
- 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
- 1 green bell pepper, chopped
- 6 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 ripe tomatoes, chopped (or 1 tablespoon tomato paste)
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 bay leaves
For simmering and finishing
- 1 1/2 cups water or warm pork stock
- 1 teaspoon fine salt, plus more to taste
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
- Steamed white rice, couve mineira, and farofa, for serving
Directions
- Soak the pork liver and heart in a bowl of cold water with 1/4 cup of the vinegar and the coarse salt for 30 minutes to draw out impurities. Drain, rinse, pat dry, and dice the liver into 1-inch pieces.
- Heat the lard in a heavy pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the pork shoulder and brown on all sides, about 6-7 minutes, then transfer to a plate.
- In the same pot, sauté the onion and bell pepper until softened and lightly golden, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
- Add the tomatoes, cumin, black pepper, bay leaves, and 1 teaspoon fine salt. Cook, pressing the tomatoes, until they break down into a thick base, about 4-5 minutes.
- Return the browned pork shoulder and any juices to the pot, then add the diced liver and heart, the remaining 1/4 cup vinegar, and the stock. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low.
- Cover and simmer gently for 50-60 minutes, until the organs and pork are fork-tender, stirring occasionally and adding a splash of water if the stew looks dry.
- If using coagulated blood, crumble it into the pot; if using fresh blood, whisk it with a ladle of hot broth to temper before stirring into the stew. Simmer uncovered for 12-15 minutes more so the flavors meld and the broth darkens slightly.
- Taste and adjust with additional salt, vinegar, or black pepper as desired. Stir in the parsley and cilantro, discard the bay leaves, and remove from heat.
- Ladle the sarapatel into bowls and serve hot with steamed white rice, sautéed collard greens (couve mineira), and farofa on the side.
Cook’s Notes
- Soaking the organs in salted vinegar water is nonnegotiable: it cleans, softens, and mellows the liver before cooking.
- Fresh pork blood is traditional but hard to find outside Brazilian or Portuguese markets; frozen coagulated blood or blood sausage crumbled into chunks is a fine substitute.
- Sarapatel tastes even better the next day once the vinegar has mellowed into the rich, savory broth; refrigerate covered for up to 3 days.
- If the final stew feels too sharp, balance with a pinch of sugar or a splash more stock at the end of cooking.
- For the most authentic Northeastern Brazilian plate, spoon the stew over rice, line a bowl with couve mineira, and finish with pirão (manioc flour porridge) on the side.
