Feijoada, Brazil's national dish.
The Brazilian feijoada that I made my own version of (feijoada brasileira) is typically prepared with black beans (also white, pinto and red beans), a variety of salted pork or beef products, such as pork trimmings (ears, tail, feet), bacon, smoked pork ribs, and at least two types of smoked sausage and jerked beef (loin and tongue).
This stew is traditionally prepared over low fire in a thick clay pot. The final dish has the beans and meat pieces barely covered by a dark purplish-brown broth. The taste is strong, moderately salty but not spicy, dominated by the flavors of black bean and meat stew.
As dictated in my notes, I streamlined the tradition to facilitate what was readily available in a typical North American supermarket. I will revisit this dish at a later date and make it Old-School style!
In a large Dutch oven or stockpot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat and brown the seasoned pork shoulder until caramelized on each side. Remove the pork and set aside. Repeat with seasoned beef. In the same pan, add the bacon and cook until slightly crispy. Add the onions, garlic, cilantro, tomatoes and pepper to taste, stir to combine, and cook the onions until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Add the cured and the smoked sausages and cook until the smoked is no longer pink, stirring in the orange juice a little at a time to deglaze the pot.
Return the beef stew meat to the pot along with the pork shoulder. Add the black beans to the pot. Add the bay leaves, black pepper, salt, beef bouillon cubes, chili powder, and red wine vinegar. Cover the contents of the pot with water until the meat is just barely covered (about 2 quarts). Bring it to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover and let cook for 2 hours, or until the beans are soft. About 1 1/2 hours into the cooking time, if using whole pork shoulder, remove it, shred it, and return it to the pot.
If the feijoada is too liquidy, uncover the pot and continue to cook for another 20 minutes or so to allow some of the liquid to evaporate. Add more salt to taste, if needed. Add some hot sauce, like Tabasco, according heat preference. Discard the bay leaves.
Serve with rice and orange slices.
As you can see, mine turned out rather red because I used Spanish smoked & cured chorizo, which is strongly flavored with pimenton (Spanish paprika). Because there are so many recipes representing the many regional ways to prepare this (Some Brazillians would NEVER add cilantro or tomatoes for example, while some use a bean type that I'd never even heard of--The Turtle Bean!), I took some liberties in my selection of meats...so I used what I had readily available. Have fun with this recipe and make it your own, too!
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Serving Size: 1 Serving (287g) | ||
Recipe Makes: 8 Servings | ||
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Calories: 470 | ||
Calories from Fat: 268 (57%) | ||
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Amt Per Serving | % DV | |
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Total Fat 29.8g | 40 % | |
Saturated Fat 10.4g | 52 % | |
Monounsaturated Fat 13g | ||
Polyunsanturated Fat 2.8g | ||
Cholesterol 95.1mg | 29 % | |
Sodium 892.8mg | 31 % | |
Potassium 793.2mg | 21 % | |
Total Carbohydrate 19.9g | 6 % | |
Dietary Fiber 5.9g | 24 % | |
Sugars, other 14g | ||
Protein 29.7g | 42 % | |
Powered by: USDA Nutrition Database Disclaimer: Nutrition facts are derived from linked ingredients (shown at left in colored bullets) and may or may not be complete. Always consult a licensed nutritionist or doctor if you have a nutrition-related medical condition. |
Calories per serving: 470
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