Feijoada (Brazilian Black Bean Stew)
Ingredients
- 1 lbblack beans
- 3 tbspcooking oil
- 1 lbpork shoulder
- 2 largeonions
- 5 clovegarlic
- ½ lbfresh Italian or other spicy sausage
, casings removed and crumbled
- ½ lbsmoked sausage
- ½ lbthick sliced bacon
, cut into small pieces
- 1smoked ham hock
- 4bay leaves
- water
- 1 tbspbeef bouillon base
e.g., Better Than Bouillon
- ½ tspblack pepper
- salt
- hot sauce
- orange
, washed and cut into slices
Directions
- 1
Soak the beans in a large bowl of water overnight.
- 2
In a large Dutch oven or heavy duty pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat and brown the pork shoulder until generously browned on each side. Remove the pork and set aside. In the same pan, add the bacon and cook until slightly crispy (for the best flavor leave the grease but you can drain some of it if you prefer). Add the onions and cook the onions until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Add the crumbled Italian sausage and smoked sausage and cook until the crumbled sausage is no longer pink.
- 3
Return the pork roast to the pot along with the smoked ham hock. Drain, rinse, and add the black beans to the pot. Add the bay leaves, black pepper, and beef bouillon base/cubes. 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 simmer for 2 hours, making sure the beans are soft. About 1 1/2 hours into the cooking time, if using whole pork roast, remove and either shred or cut it into chunks, and return to the pot. Do the same with the meat on the smoked ham hock.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 as needed. Add some hot sauce according heat preference. Discard the bay leaves.Serve with rice and the fresh orange slices.
Feijoada (Brazilian Black Bean Stew)
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About this Recipe
Dreaming of a hearty, flavor-packed meal that transports you straight to Brazil? This Feijoada (Brazilian Black Bean Stew) delivers the iconic taste of this slow-cooked national dish right to your kitchen. It's a truly umami-rich experience, perfect for warming the soul.
What makes this Feijoada truly special is the harmonious blend of diverse pork cuts and smoked meats, slow-simmered with tender black beans, creating an incredible depth of umami that's hard to replicate. The traditional approach to layering flavors with fresh and smoked ingredients ensures every spoonful is robust and satisfying. You'll find yourself making this a regular in your rotation for its comforting richness.
You can expect a wonderfully rich and hearty stew, brimming with tender black beans and succulent pieces of pork shoulder, bacon, and a medley of sausages. Each spoonful offers a complex layering of savory, smoky, and slightly spicy notes, balanced by the aromatic bay leaves and fresh garlic. This Brazilian Black Bean Stew is an absolute feast for the taste buds, promising a deep, satisfying flavor that only comes from careful, slow cooking.
While the combination of pork shoulder, bacon, and various sausages is classic, you have flexibility. You can use either fresh Italian or another spicy sausage according to your preference. For the smoked sausage, linguica or kielbasa are both excellent choices. Don't have avocado oil? Canola oil is a suitable alternative as it also has a high smoke point.
This robust stew is perfect for a comforting family dinner or a gathering with friends, truly a celebratory feast. Serve it piping hot with a fresh slice of orange to cut through the richness, as is customary.