Feijoada

Feijoada

Feijoada is Brazil's hearty black bean and pork stew, served with rice, collard greens, farofa, and orange slices for a communal feast.

Prep

30 min

Cook

180 min

Total

210 min

Serves

6

Difficulty

Medium

Recipe ingredients

• •500 g (1 lb 2 oz) dried black beans
• •300 g (10½ oz) pork shoulder, cut into chunks
• •200 g (7 oz) smoked sausage (linguica or kielbasa), sliced
• •150 g (5½ oz) bacon, chopped
• •1 large onion, chopped
• •4 cloves garlic, minced
• •2 leaves bay leaves
• •15 ml (1 tbsp) vegetable oil
• •salt and black pepper, to taste
• •500 g (1 lb 2 oz) collard greens (couve), stems removed, finely shredded
• •30 ml (2 tbsp) olive oil, for greens
• •2 cloves garlic, minced, for greens
• •200 g (7 oz) cassava flour (farofa)
• •30 g (2 tbsp) butter, for farofa
• •1 orange sliced into wedges, for serving

Steps

1. 1 Soak the black beans overnight in a large bowl with cold water covering them by 5 cm (2 inches). Drain and rinse before cooking.
2. 2 In a large Dutch oven or heavy pot, heat the vegetable oil over medium heat. Brown the pork shoulder and bacon until browned on all sides, about 8–10 minutes. Remove and set aside.
3. 3 In the same pot, add the onion and 4 minced garlic cloves. Sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes.
4. 4 Add the drained beans, bay leaves, and enough water to cover by 5 cm (2 inches) — about 2 litres (8 cups). Bring to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer.
5. 5 Return the pork and bacon to the pot, and add the sliced smoked sausage. Simmer partially covered for 2 to 2.5 hours, stirring occasionally, until the beans are creamy and the pork is fork-tender. Add more hot water if the stew becomes too thick.
6. 6 While the stew simmers, prepare the collard greens: heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat, add the 2 minced garlic cloves, then the shredded greens. Sauté until wilted and tender, 5–7 minutes. Season with salt.
7. 7 For the farofa: melt the butter in a separate pan over medium heat. Add the cassava flour and toast, stirring constantly, until golden and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Season with a pinch of salt if desired.
8. 8 When the feijoada is done, season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove the bay leaves. Ensure the pork is cooked until no pink remains and is fork-tender (internal temperature should exceed 80°C / 176°F for safety).
9. 9 Serve the feijoada hot with white rice, the sautéed collard greens, toasted farofa, and orange wedges on the side.