Authentic Brazilian Feijoada

By Culiora

Brazil's national dish is a deeply savoury, slow-simmered black bean stew packed with smoked meats and rich pork. Simmering the beans together with salted meats, smoked sausages, and aromatics yields an intensely velvety, pitch-black gravy.

• Servings: 6
• Prep time: 25 min
• Cook time: 150 min
• Total time: 175 min

Ingredients

• 500 g dry black beans, rinsed and soaked overnight
• 300 g pork belly or salted pork shoulder, cut into 3 cm cubes
• 350 g smoked pork ribs, cut into individual ribs
• 200 g smoked calabresa sausage (or chorizo), sliced 1 cm thick
• 150 g paio sausage (or smoked Polish kielbasa), sliced 1 cm thick
• 100 g smoked bacon, diced
• 2 pcs bay leaves
• 2 pcs medium yellow onions, finely diced
• 6 clove garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tbsp neutral cooking oil
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp fine sea salt (adjust to taste depending on meats)
• 2 l water (approximate, to cover)
• 2 tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

Instructions

1. If using heavily salted pork belly or ribs, boil them in a medium pot of fresh water for 15 minutes, then drain thoroughly to remove excess surface salt.
2. Drain and rinse the soaked black beans. Transfer them to a large, heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven (at least 6 litres), add the bay leaves, pork belly cubes, and smoked ribs, then pour in 2 litres of water (or enough to cover the ingredients by 4-5 cm).
3. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Skim off any foam that rises to the surface, reduce the heat to low, cover with a tight-fitting lid, and simmer gently for 1 hour.
4. Meanwhile, in a large frying pan over medium heat, add the neutral cooking oil and diced bacon. Fry until crisp and fat has rendered, about 5-6 minutes. Add the sliced calabresa and paio sausages and fry until lightly browned, about 4 minutes.
5. Add the diced onions and minced garlic to the pan with the sausages and cook until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
6. After the beans have simmered for 1 hour, stir in the browned sausages, bacon, onion, garlic, and all pan drippings. Cover and continue to simmer on low heat for another 45-60 minutes, until the beans and all meats are completely fork-tender.
7. Uncover the pot. Ladle about two cups of beans and a little liquid into a bowl and mash thoroughly with a fork or potato masher to create a thick paste, then stir it back into the stew.
8. Simmer uncovered over low heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the gravy thickens to a glossy, creamy consistency. Season with freshly ground black pepper and taste before adding salt, as the cured meats provide substantial sodium.
9. Stir in the chopped fresh parsley and remove the bay leaves before serving hot.