Feijoada
Feijoada is Brazil’s most beloved dish for a reason: it is absolutely delicious! Black beans simmer with smoked pork and beef until tender, rich and oh so flavorful. In a nutshell, this is how Brazilians do comfort food!
Ingredients
- 1 pound carne seca (see notes for substitutions)
- 3 large (about 1 pound) smoked calabresa sausages
- 2 (about 8 ounces) paio sausages
- 5 cups (about 2.2 pounds) dried black beans
- 3 dried bay leaves
- ½ large orange
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 6 slices thick-cut bacon, diced
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 12 cloves garlic, minced
- Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Equipment
Instructions
- The day before you plan on cooking the feijoada, trim the excess fat of all the meats (except the bacon) and place them in a large bowl. Cover with cold water and refrigerate for 24 hours, changing the water 3-4 times, to get rid of the excess salt.
- Place the black beans in a separate bowl and cover with cold water. Let them soak overnight in the fridge.
- Drain the meat and beans. Place the soaked meat in a large Dutch oven or heavy bottomed pot and cover with enough water so they’re all submerged. Cook, over medium-high heat, until boiling. Let them boil for 20 minutes, adding more water as needed. Drain and reserve.
- Combine the boiled carne seca, beans, bay leaves and orange in that same pot. Pour 2.5 quarts cold water and cook, over medium-high heat, until boiling. Lower the heat to a gentle simmer, cover and cook for 30 minutes.
- After 30 minutes, add the sausages. Cover and continue simmering, occasionally skimming the fat that rises to the top, until the meat is tender, about 1.5 to 2 hours.
- Remove the orange and bay leaves. Discard. Remove the meat and sausage and slice into smaller pieces. Reserve.
- Heat the oil in a sauté pan, over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook until no longer raw but not yet golden brown, about 3-5 minutes. Add the onion and garlic and sauté until softened and fragrant, about 2-3 minutes. Add a ladleful of the cooked beans, without liquid, and stir to combine. Using a fork, mash the beans, to release their starch.
- Pour that mixture into the feijoada pot and cook over medium heat, uncovered, for 10-15 minutes or until thickened. If too thick, add more water as needed. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
- Return the meats back to the pot.
- Serve with white rice, collard greens, fried bananas, farofa, vinaigrette salsa and orange slices!
Notes
Substitutions:
- Carne seca: Corned beef or boneless short ribs.
- Smoked calabresa sausage and paio sausage: use other smoked sausages, like andouille or kielbasa. Smoked chorizo can also be used.
Add-ins:
If you want, other meats can be added, such as:- Pork loin
- Pork ribs
- Boneless pork shoulder
- Smoked ham hock
- Pig's feet, tail and ears
Instant Pot and Slow Cooker:
Read the post for the instructions.Make Ahead:
Feijoada can be cooked up to 2 days ahead and refrigerated. Reheat over medium low heat, adding more water to bring it back to the original consistency.Leftovers:
Leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 4 days.Freezing:
Feijoada can be frozen for up to 3 months.Nutrition
Serving: 1g, Calories: 508kcal, Carbohydrates: 65g, Protein: 28g, Fat: 16g, Saturated Fat: 5g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 9g, Cholesterol: 30mg, Sodium: 466mg, Fiber: 16g, Sugar: 4g