FeiJoada - Brazilian

The famous slow-cooked, flavor-packed, umami-rich national dish of Brazil, features black beans and a variety of flavorful meats. Feijoada is an absolute feast for the taste buds! 

FeiJoada - Brazilian Meat and Bean Stew

 1 pound dried black beans 5 tablespoons cooking oil 1 pound pork shoulder , left whole 2 large onions , sliced 5 cloves garlic , minced 1/2 pound fresh Italian or other spicy sausage , casings removed and crumbled 1/2 pound smoked sausage , such as kielbasa, sliced into rounds 1/2 pound thick sliced bacon , cut into small pieces 12 ounces cubed beef sirloin, chuck, or other stew meat 1 smoked ham hock 4 bay leaves water 1 tablespoon beef bouillon paste (Better Than Bouillon) or cubes 1/2 teaspoon black pepper salt to taste hot sauce , according to heat preference orange , washed and cut into slices

-Rinse then soak the beans in a large bowl of water overnight.

-Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a large Dutch oven or heavy-duty pot. When the oil is sizzling, brown the pork shoulder until browned on each side. Remove the pork from the pot and set aside. Add another 2 -3 tablespoons oil to the pot then brown the beef cubes on all sides. Remove beef cubes and set aside.

- In the same pot, add the bacon and cook until slightly crispy (for best flavor leave the bacon grease in the pot- optional). To the pot, add the onions and cook until they are soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and continue to cook for another minute. Next, add the crumbled Italian sausage and smoked sausage and cook until the crumbled sausage is no longer pink.

-Return the pork and beef cubes to the pot along with the smoked ham hock then drain, rinse, and add the black beans as well. Finally, add in the bay leaves, black pepper, and beef bouillon paste/cubes. Cover the contents of the pot with enough water to just barely cover the meat then bring it to a boil, reduce the heat to low. Cover the pot and let simmer for 2 hours, or until the beans are very soft. (Stir and check occasionally to see if you need to need more water to keep it from scorching. About 1 1/2 hours into the cooking time, if using whole pork roast, remove from the pot, trim off fat and skin then either shred or cut the meat into chunks, and return to the pot. Do the same with the meat on the smoked ham hock.

-If the feijoada has too much liquid, uncover the pot and continue to cook for another 20 minutes or so to allow some of the liquid is evaporated. (Feijoada shouldn’t be too thin, but the beans cooked until very soft to create almost a gravy consistency.) Taste for seasoning. Add more salt and pepper to taste. Taste for hot sauce and add more according to your heat preference. Discard the bay leaves.

-Serve with steamed rice and fresh orange slices. It is also often served with Farofa sprinkled on top, a simple salsa for a bite of freshness and steamed collard greens. See recipes below. Makes about 8 servings.

Farofa Topping:

4 tablespoons butter 3 slices bacon, diced 2 cups panko breadcrumbs Optional additions: 1/2 diced red bell pepper and 2 sliced scallions Salt and pepper to taste 

-Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add bacon and sauté until browned. If using, add bell pepper and scallions and sauté for 3-5 minutes until softened. Stir in the panko breadcrumbs then season with salt and pepper. Sauté, stirring often, until golden brown - 2 -3 minutes. Remove from heat and serve warm. Sprinkle on top of the Feijaida or alongside it.

Brazilian Salsa

4 large tomatoes, diced small (about 2 cups) 1 medium diced white onion (about 1 cup) 1 green bell pepper diced small (about 1 cup) 1/4 cup minced flat-leaf parsley 1/2 cup neutral oil such as avocado or vegetable 4 tablespoons white vinegar or white wine vinegar 1 teaspoon kosher salt 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

-Add all ingredients to a bowl and toss to combine.  Chill for at least an hour before using. Taste for seasoning and add more salt and pepper, to your taste. You may also add more vinegar if you prefer a tangy salsa.

Persnickety Notes:

**You can use canned black beans instead of the dry black beans if you prefer. This recipe would require about four 10-ounce cans of drained black beans to equal one 16-ounce bag of dry beans. Drain and rinse the beans before adding to the stew.

**Traditionally, breadcrumbs are not used in this recipe, but authentically, Cassava Flour is used. However, it can be difficult to find in U.S. stores. Cassava flour also goes by the names of Yuca flour or Manioc flour. Whole Foods and International markets often carry Cassava Flour under one of these names, sometimes in the freezer department.

**Smoked Ham Hocks can also be difficult to find in U.S. stores, depending on location. Often, the butcher/meat section carries them or sometimes they can be found pre-packaged in the freezer section. Latin or Asian markets often carry them and in some areas you can find them at major chains like Kroger, Walmart, Publix, and Food Lion. If you can’t find them where you are, double the amount of bacon in your recipe and add 1/2 - 1 teaspoon Liquid Smoke to the stew. (Liquid Smoke is found near the BBQ sauces and Worcestershire Sauce in our stores. Add just a few drops of Liquid Smoke at a time, then taste before adding more. It is strong and you don’t want to overdue it.)

**Brazilian Salsa Shortcut: You can use a store-prepared Mexican-style salsa, but stir in 1/3 cup olive oil and 4 tablespoons white or white wine vinegar, to give it that Brazilian twist. Then season to taste with salt and pepper.

**This meat and bean stew can be kept 5-6 days in the fridge in a sealed container. You can also freeze Feijoada for up to 6 months. To reheat, place in the fridge overnight to thaw and then warm on the stove or in the microwave.

Silky black beans intermingled with spicy and smoky meats create the essence of Feijoada!

Serve Feijoada in the traditional Brazilian way with steamed white rice creating a bed for the bean stew.

A simple salsa and steamed collard greens, along with wedges of oranges are the authentic toppings.

Then to top it all off, crispy, buttery Farofa, made of Cassava or wheat flour, sauteed with onions, gives it a glorious crunch!

Now here’s a hardy, wholesome bowl of comfort food that pleases the taste buds, fills the belly and warms the soul! Whether you’re Brazilian or not!