Feijoada (Brazilian Black Bean Stew)
Image: Elise Bauer
Image: Elise Bauer
Feijoada is a hearty black bean stew recipe made with meat, black beans, garlic, and tomatoes, and it's the national dish of Brazil. Served over rice, it’s a filling meal to warm you up on a chilly winter day. It also pairs well with collard greens.
Some versions are a little spicy from the sausages, others totally mild. Some people's feijoada are thick "eat-it-with-a-fork" versions, others, like this one, are more like a traditional stew. One common ingredient is carne seca, a salted, dried beef often available in Latin markets. Corned beef is a decent substitute for carne seca, and it is what we use here in this recipe. As for the other meats, they should be a mix of pork and beef, with a little heavier on the pork. Authentic feijoada has all sorts of bits in it, such as tails, trotters, ears, etc. This version, however, sticks to the sort of meats found in a typical American supermarket.
Pour boiling water over the black beans and let them sit while you prepare the rest of the stew.
Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat and brown the pork shoulder. When the meat has browned, remove the meat from the pot, set aside.
Add the onions to the pot. Brown them, stirring occasionally, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
Sprinkle a little salt over the onions and add the garlic. Stir well and sauté 2 more minutes.
Add back the pork shoulder and the other meats. Add enough water to cover all ingredients. Add the bay leaves, cover, and bring to a simmer. Cook gently for 1 hour.
Drain the black beans from their soaking liquid and add them to the stew. Simmer gently, covered, until the beans are tender, about an hour and a half.
Add the tomatoes, stir well and taste for salt, adding if it's needed. Simmer this, uncovered, until the meat begins to fall off the ham hock, which will probably take 2 to 3 hours.
Serve with white rice and hot sauce. A classic side dish would be sautéed collard greens.