Brazilian Beef Farofa

Step 1

Dice the onion into 1/4-inch cubes by first cutting it lengthwise in half, then slicing each half crosswise into thin strips, then cutting those strips into small cubes about the size of a pea.

Step 2

Mince the garlic cloves until the pieces are smaller than a grain of rice—about the size of a pencil-tip dot.

Step 3

Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until the oil shimmers and slides quickly when you tilt the pan, about 90 seconds.

Step 4

Add the ground beef to the hot oil and break it apart with a wooden spoon into bite-sized crumbles as it cooks, stirring once every 20 seconds, until no pink remains and the meat is light golden brown, about 5–6 minutes.

Step 5

Add the minced garlic to the beef and stir constantly for 30 seconds until the smell becomes very strong and fragrant—this releases the garlic's flavor.

Step 6

Pour in the diced onion and stir every 15 seconds until the onion pieces turn translucent and soft, about 2 minutes.

Step 7

Reduce the heat to medium and pour in 1.5 cups of cassava flour, stirring constantly to coat all the beef and onion pieces, about 1 minute.

Step 8

Drizzle the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil over the cassava flour mixture and stir constantly until the cassava flour turns light golden brown and smells toasty, about 3–4 minutes.

Step 9

Sprinkle in the salt and pepper and stir for 20 seconds until evenly distributed.

Step 10

Transfer the farofa to a serving bowl and let it cool for 2 minutes before serving, so it holds its crumbly texture.