Brazilian recipe
Classic Feijoada: A Complete Guide (Feijoada)
Master the art of authentic Brazilian feijoada, featuring tender black beans, a variety of salted pork cuts, and a deeply flavourful, comforting finish.
0.0 / 5 by 0 Reviews
Ingredients
500g salted pork ribs
250g smoked Portuguese-style sausage (linguiça portuguesa)
1kg dried black beans
1 pig's trotter, cleaned
1 pig's ear, cleaned
1 pig's tail, cleaned
500g carne seca (dried salted beef), desalted
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 salted pork tongue
4 tbsp onion, finely diced
4 garlic cloves, crushed
100g smoked bacon
1 whole paio sausage
2 bay leaves
250g smoked Portuguese-style sausage (linguiça portuguesa)
1kg dried black beans
1 pig's trotter, cleaned
1 pig's ear, cleaned
1 pig's tail, cleaned
500g carne seca (dried salted beef), desalted
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 salted pork tongue
4 tbsp onion, finely diced
4 garlic cloves, crushed
100g smoked bacon
1 whole paio sausage
2 bay leaves
Where to find ingredients
You can find black beans, carne seca, and specific pork cuts at specialty South American grocers or large international food markets. For standard ingredients like onion, garlic, and bacon, any local Australian supermarket will suffice. If you cannot source specific pork offal, focus on high-quality pork belly or shoulder as a substitute for the trotters and ears.
Preparation method
- Soak the salted meat cuts in cold water for at least 12 hours, changing the water frequently throughout the process to remove excess salt.
- Once the desalting process is complete, drain the meats, rinse them thoroughly, and set aside.
- In a large, heavy-bottomed stockpot or Dutch oven, combine the black beans, salted meats, trotter, ear, tail, tongue, bacon, and whole paio.
- Cover the ingredients with water, add the bay leaves, and simmer over low heat for 2 to 3 hours, or until all meats are tender.
- In a separate frying pan, heat the oil and sauté the garlic and onion until lightly golden and fragrant.
- Take one ladle of the cooked beans from the main pot, mash them into a paste, and stir this into the sautéed onion and garlic mixture.
- Add a few spoonfuls of the cooking broth to the pan, stir well, and let it simmer for a few minutes to combine.
- Pour this thickened mixture back into the large pot of feijoada to give the broth its signature consistency.
- Taste the stew and adjust the seasoning carefully, as the meats may retain a small amount of residual salt.
- Continue to cook for another 30 minutes to allow the flavours to fully develop and integrate before serving.
Observations
Feijoada is undeniably the most iconic dish in Brazilian cooking, representing the heart of family gatherings and genuine hospitality. This traditional recipe combines classic pork cuts with black beans to create a rich, hearty stew packed with depth. The secret to success lies in properly desalting the meats and allowing for a slow, steady simmer; this ensures every ingredient melds together, resulting in a thick, velvety broth that is incredibly satisfying.
Ratings and comments