Feijoada is one of the most popular dishes in Brazil for a simple reason: it’s delicious! Carioca tradition says that the day to eat feijoada is on Saturday, any Saturday. In Rio Grande do Sul, feijoada is served as a winter dish. In Minas Gerais, Friday is the preferred day. Whatever the day, at home or in the restaurant, the important thing is that the feijoada is always accompanied by family or friends.
More than a meal, feijoada is an event. A moment of encounter, which lasts an entire afternoon.
The concept is simple: black beans cooked slowly, preferably the day before, with various types of smoked meats and basic spices such as garlic, onions and a green smell. It is usually served with white rice, farofa, minced kale, vinaigrette and sliced orange to “cut the fat”. The meeting is always washed down with cachaça, of course.
Feijoada is a very special dish and there are as many feijoada recipes as there are cooks.
The recipe we are sharing was originally published on the Brazilian website A Casa Encantada. As it is a simple recipe, it is worth trying. Come on!
INGREDIENTS
- 1 kg of black beans
- 500 g of beef jerky in large cubes
- 500 g pepperoni sausage and paio (Thick portuguese sausage, similar to capicolla)
- 500g of smoked pork rib
- 300 g of cubed bacon
- 1 chopped onion
- 2 tablespoons of chopped garlic
- Chopped chives and parsley
- 3 bay leaves
- Pepper to taste
- Olive oil
HOW TO PREPARARE
The day before preparation, soak the beef jerky for 24 hours and change the water every 5 hours. Soak the beans for about 12 hours as well.
Remove the water from the beans and pressure cook it. Place the beans in the pressure cooker and cover them with water. Place the lid on the pressure cooker and place on heat. Once the pressure starts, lower the heat and t cook for 20 minutes.
Once the beans are cooked, take a bigger pan and fry the bacon. When it’s starting to brown, add the onion and garlic. Then separate a scoop of beans and add the rest to the pan. Add meat too.
Gradually add the hot water according to how much broth you want, let it cook for another 90 minutes or until the meat and beans are very tender. Finally, add the parsley, chives, pepper and bay leaves
Take that bean scoop and mash it with a fork into a mush. Place the mashed beans in the pan to thicken the broth (if necessary), stir well and cook for a few more minutes.
Taste the feijoada and check if you need to add salt and pepper. The meat will have released salt, so leave the salt for last.
IN ADDITION TO BEANS AND MEAT, WHAT ARE THE OTHER ACCOMPANIMENTS FOR FEIJOADA?
White rice – any type of rice goes well with feijoada.
Stir-fried kale or Swiss Chard – very finely cut, with bacon and garlic, it’s delicious
Farofa – from the simplest to the most enhanced, you can’t miss it!
Vinaigrette – brings freshness and an extra flavour to your dish
Orange slices – a touch of acidity to balance the fat
