Feijoada

About This Recipe

Feijoada is Brazil's national dish — a slow-simmered stew of black beans with a combination of pork cuts including smoked sausage, pork ribs, and cured meats, cooked down into a thick, deeply flavoured broth. Traditionally served on Saturdays with white rice, sautéed collard greens, farofa (toasted cassava flour), and orange slices.

Ingredients

Serves 8

• 500 gdried black beans, soaked overnight
• 300 gpork ribs, cut into pieces
• 200 gsmoked chorizo or linguiça sausage, sliced
• 200 gsmoked bacon or cured pork belly, diced
• 150 gsmoked pork ear or foot (optional, for authenticity)
• 1 largeonion, diced
• 4 clovesgarlic, minced
• 2 tbspolive oil
• 2 pcsbay leaves
• 1 tspcumin
• 1 tspsalt
• 0.5 tspblack pepper
• 4 pcsoranges, sliced, to serve
• 400 gcooked white rice, to serve

Instructions

1. 1

   Sauté aromatics

   Heat olive oil in a large, heavy pot over medium heat. Sauté onion until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more.

2. 2

   Add meats

   Add pork ribs and bacon. Brown for 5–7 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3. 3

   Add beans and liquid

   Drain the soaked black beans and add to the pot. Add sausage, pork ear/foot if using, bay leaves, cumin, and enough water to cover by 5 cm.

4. 4

   Simmer

   Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer covered for 2–2.5 hours, stirring occasionally, until beans are very soft and the broth is thick. Add more water during cooking if needed.

5. 5

   Smash some beans

   Remove bay leaves. Using the back of a spoon, smash some beans against the side of the pot to thicken the stew further. Season with salt and pepper.

6. 6

   Serve

   Serve in a large clay pot or bowl alongside white rice, sautéed collard greens, farofa, and fresh orange slices.

Variations

• •

  Use canned black beans for a quicker weeknight version (reduce cooking time to 45 minutes).

• •

  Add a smoked ham hock for deeper smokiness.

• •

  Vegetarian: swap the protein for roasted king oyster mushrooms, smoked tofu or cooked chickpeas — adjust seasoning slightly upward to compensate.

• •

  Spicier: add a finely chopped fresh chile or a teaspoon of crushed Aleppo/Urfa pepper to the aromatics for warm, layered heat instead of a single sharp hit.

Storage

Refrigerate up to 5 days. Freezes excellently up to 3 months.

Frequently Asked Questions