My “secret sauce” that saves time and adds tons of flavor to savory dishes
I grew up in Brazil, a country famed for its daily rice and beans, delicious savory dishes, and perfectly seasoned grilled meats. My family is American. We spoke English in our home and maintained various American habits as expats living abroad often do, but learning to cook Brazilian foods was important to my mother. Our family consistently ate a variety of Brazilian staple recipes in our home, and I learned the ins and outs of Brazilian scratch-made cooking from several generous ladies starting at around age 10.
The smell of Brazilian cooking is unmistakable to me. The unique, savory essence of the food I grew up eating and loving comes down, as it so often does, to the seasoning. This seasoning mix, called Tempero Caseiro, or “homemade seasoning” in Portuguese, combines onion, garlic, parsley, bay leaves, and a generous amount of salt that preserves the mixture and allows it to remain fresh for quite a while in the refrigerator. I use it as a rub to season meats, add it to all of my sauces and soups, and use it as a substitute for garlic and salt in most recipes.
Tempero Casero packs quite a salty punch, so it’s best to start slow and taste as you go. If you are the kind of cook who tends to season your foods as a form of creative expression, this will be perfect for you. If you would prefer to play it safe with some more specific guidelines, I recommend adding the seasoning mix at a rate of ½:1 of your recipe’s recommended amount of garlic, and tasting from there.
You will need:
Blender or large food processor
Food grade bucket or sturdy bowl
Thin towel or cheese cloth
Two quart-size mason jars or similar glass containers to store the finished product
Ingredients:
6lb bag of sweet onions, peel and quartered. (You want your pieces to be small enough to fit down in your blender, but don’t need to chop too much)
600g peeled garlic cloves*
4 dried bay leaves
Bunch of flat-leaf parsley leaves
600g salt
* I pick up a bag of peeled garlic cloves from Sam’s when making this recipe and it is such a time savor. If you need to use fresh garlic and end up having to peel all of the cloves yourself, soaking the cloves (peel on) in boiling water for 3-5 minutes makes them much easier to peel.
Directions:
Moisten your towel or cheesecloth, wring out the excess water, and drape it across the bowl.
Working in batches, add handfuls of onions, garlic, parsley and the bay leaves to your blender or food processor and blend until pureed. Do not add salt yet.
As you finish each batch, carefully pour it into the bowl on top of the towel. Once you have blended all of the ingredients, gather up the ends of the towel and tie them off to create a cloth bundle that is secure enough to keep your garlic and onion mixture from sloshing out.
From here, you have two options: hang your mixture up to drip dry for a few hours until all of the excess liquid is out OR squeeze the liquid out by hand until all excess liquid has been removed. The more liquid you get out, the longer your mixture will last. I typically hang mine over a cabinet handle for a couple of hours and then squeeze out the remaining liquid.
Dump the liquid out of your bowl, open your bag, and scrap the mixture off the towel and back into your bowl. Add the salt, and stir in thoroughly until a well mixed paste forms.
Spoon the mixture into two quart size mason jars or other containers. You will want to use glass, as the strong smell will not wash out of plastic containers.
Refrigerate, and use as needed. Store for up to four months in the refrigerator.
If you are curious about Tempero Caseiro and want to give it a try before making a big batch, you can always cut the recipe in half, or purchase a container online. Amazon** offers two types of Tempero Caseiro, this “complete” option is most similar to this recipe, and this one includes garlic and salt only, without the other seasonings. I occasionally see these Arisco brand products available in the “Hispanic Foods” sections of grocery stores as well.
**Note: the products linked in this article are affiliate links on Amazon and I will earn a teeny tiny commission if you choose to purchase those products **
