Brazil · Main · Medium
Feijoada
Rome's most famous pasta. Silky egg and Pecorino sauce clinging to every strand, studded with crisp guanciale. No cream, ever.
The whole recipe in 60 seconds
Feijoada, in 5 ideas
- Soak the beans overnight. Unsoaked beans cook unevenly and take forever. The soak is passive time that pays off.
- Skim the foam. The first boil throws off foam that makes the broth cloudy and can taste bitter. Skim it clean.
- Orange slices cut the richness. This sounds strange and is essential. The bright acid against the rich pork is the traditional balance.
- Collards on the side, not in. Quickly sauteed greens stay bright against the dark stew. Cooking them in it turns everything muddy.
- Feeds a crowd happily. This makes a huge pot and reheats perfectly. It is party food by design.
What you need
Ingredients
- 1 lb dried black beans
- 1 lb pork shoulder, cut into chunks
- 1/2 lb smoked sausage, sliced
- 1/4 lb bacon, chopped
- 2 onions, chopped
- 6 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 bay leaves
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- Salt and black pepper
- White rice, to serve
- 2 bunches collard greens, sliced
- 2 oranges, sliced
How to make it
Directions
- Soak the beans overnight in plenty of cold water. Drain and rinse.
- Cover the beans with fresh water in a large heavy pot. Bring to a boil, skim the foam, then simmer 1 hour until just tender.
- Meanwhile, brown the pork shoulder in the olive oil until golden on all sides. Add the bacon and sausage and cook 5 minutes more.
- Soften the onions in the rendered fat until golden, about 8 minutes. Stir in the garlic for 1 minute.
- Add the meats, onions, and bay leaves to the beans. Simmer 2 hours more, stirring now and then, until the broth is thick and the beans are creamy.
- Season boldly with salt and pepper. The stew should be rich and well salted.
- Serve over white rice with sauteed collard greens and orange slices on the side.
Three hours is not a suggestion. The magic happens in the last hour, when the beans break down and the broth turns silky. Rushing gives you beans in water.