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Feijoada – Brazil’s National Dish.

Feijoada

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Feijoada is the heart and soul of Brazilian cuisine. A rich, flavorful black bean stew simmered with an assortment of meats, it’s a dish deeply rooted in history and tradition. Though variations exist across Brazil, the essence remains the same: a slow-cooked, hearty dish meant to be shared with family and friends.

  • Total Time: 15 hours
  • Yield: 8-10 portions 1x

Ingredients

Scale

For the Feijoada

  • 800 g (4 cups) dried black beans
  • 8 bay leaves
  • 1 onion, halved
  • ½ onion, chopped
  • 1 whole garlic bulb, halved
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tbsp cooking oil
  • 1 tbsp lard
  • 800 g (1 ¾ lbs) sausages (such as linguiça or kielbasa)
  • 600 g (1 ⅓ lbs) smoked pork ribs or shoulder
  • 1 cow’s trotter
  • 500 g (1 lb) pig tail, trotters, and/or ears
  • 350 g (12 oz) salted beef or carne seca, diced in 3 cm (1 ¼-inch) cubes
  • 300 g (10 ½ oz) bacon, diced in 2 cm (¾-inch) cubes
  • 300 g (10 ½ oz) smoked pork loin
  • Juice of 1 orange
  • Parsley, chopped
  • Salt (to taste)

For the Farofa

  • 150 g (5¼ oz) bacon, diced
  • ½ onion, chopped
  • 300 g (10½ oz) cassava flour (plain or toasted)
  • Parsley, chopped

To Serve

  • White rice
  • Sautéed kale or other greens
  • Tomato and onion salad

Instructions

For the Feijoada

  1. Soak the beans for 4 hours, then discard the water and replace it with fresh water. Soak overnight with the bay leaves.
  2. Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F). Place the sausages in a roasting tray, drizzle with cooking oil, and roast until golden brown, about 40-60 minutes.
  3. In a large pot, add the soaked beans along with the bay leaves, fresh soaking water, smoked pork ribs, pork loin, cow trotter, halved onion, and halved garlic bulb. Ensure everything is generously covered with water. If the bacon has skin, cut it off and add it to the pot. Add 2 tsp of salt. Bring to a boil.
  4. Every now and then, skim off any scum that rises to the surface.
  5. Soak the salted beef in water for 30 minutes to reduce excess salt.
  6. In a frying pan, melt the lard and sear the pig trotter and tail until golden brown.
  7. Transfer the trotter and tail to the pot with the beans and simmer on low heat for 1 ½ hours, or until the beans are tender.
  8. In the same pan, sear the bacon until it starts to get golden brown.
  9. Pat the salted beef dry and brown it alongside the bacon on all sides.
  10. Add the chopped onion and let it caramelize.
  11. Stir in the minced garlic and cook for a few minutes.
  12. Once the sausages are done, cut them into smaller pieces and add them to the bacon and beef mixture.
  13. Deglaze the roasting tray with 2 dl (¾ cup) of hot water, scraping up the browned bits. Pour this into the bacon and beef mixture and let simmer on low heat for 40 minutes, or until the beans are fully cooked.
  14. Remove all meat from the pot and set it aside. Discard the bay leaves, onion, garlic, and any bones.
  15. Mash some of the beans with a potato masher to thicken the stew slightly, but leave most whole.
  16. Cut the meats into smaller pieces and return them to the pot, along with the bacon, beef, and sausage mixture. Pour in the orange juice.
  17. Simmer on very low heat for another 1 ½ hours.
  18. Garnish with parsley.
  19. Serve with rice, farofa, and other desired side dishes. Enjoy!

For the Farofa

  1. In a frying pan, cook the bacon for a few minutes.
  2. Add the onion and cook until caramelized.
  3. Stir in the cassava flour, stirring continuously to prevent burning. If using pre-toasted cassava flour, cook briefly until golden.
  4. Mix in the parsley and serve.
  • Prep Time: 12 hours (including soaking the beans)
  • Cook Time: 3 hours

Find it online: https://ivaneats.com/feijoada/