Brazilian cassava and dried beef piecreamy cassava mash over savory shredded beef
A comforting Brazilian escondidinho with properly desalted shredded beef layered between creamy cassava mash and finished with golden Parmesan.
Escondidinho is a Brazilian baked casserole whose name refers to the savory filling hidden beneath a smooth root-vegetable mash. Here, salt-cured dried beef is soaked safely, pressure-cooked until tender and sautéed with onion and garlic, then enclosed in creamy cassava mash and baked under a thin Parmesan crust.
Ingredients
Mash
Filling
Topping
Preparation
Soak the beef safely
Cover the dried beef with cold water in a lidded container and refrigerate for 12 hours, changing the water three times. Drain and discard every batch of soaking water.
720 minutesCook and shred
Cover with fresh water and pressure-cook for 30 minutes after pressure is reached. Release pressure safely, check tenderness, drain and shred while warm.
40 minutesCook the cassava
Cover cassava with unsalted water and simmer for 25 to 35 minutes until it crushes easily. Drain well and remove all firm central fibers.
30 minutesMake the mash
Mash while hot. Mix in warm milk and 30 g butter until smooth; taste before adding any salt.
8 minutesDry the filling
Melt remaining butter, sauté onion for 7 minutes and garlic for 1 minute. Add beef and pepper; cook 8 to 10 minutes until moist but with no liquid pooling.
18 minutesLayer the casserole
Heat oven to 200°C. Spread one third of the mash in a 2-litre baking dish, add all beef, then seal with remaining mash and Parmesan.
8 minutesBake until golden
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until bubbling at the edges and golden on top. Broil briefly only if needed, watching constantly.
23 minutesRest and serve
Rest for 10 minutes before cutting so the layers settle. Serve hot.
10 minutes
Substitutions
Freshly grated Grana Padano may replace Parmesan. Regular fresh beef changes the characteristic cured flavor and is not an equivalent substitute for dried beef.
Storage
Cool in shallow containers within 2 hours, refrigerate below 5°C and reheat the needed portion to 74°C throughout.
Approximate shelf life: Up to 3 days refrigerated or 2 months frozen.
Nutrition values are estimates and may vary by brand, substitution and actual yield.
