Brazilian recipe
Traditional Brazilian Feijoada: A Complete Homemade Recipe
Master the art of authentic feijoada with tender pork cuts, a rich, velvety black bean gravy, and deep, smoky flavours. The ultimate guide to an unforgettable Brazilian-style feast.
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Ingredients
1/2 orange, unpeeled
400 g pork spare ribs, desalted and cubed
150 g bacon, chopped
300 g pork loin, fresh or desalted, chopped
2 paio sausages
1 onion, finely chopped
1 bunch fresh parsley, chopped
2 calabresa sausages
1 pork knuckle, desalted
400 g pork tail, desalted
1 kg black turtle beans, soaked for at least 4 hours
2 bay leaves
1 pig's trotter, desalted
300 g sun-dried beef (carne-seca), desalted
400 g pork ear, desalted
3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
400 g pork spare ribs, desalted and cubed
150 g bacon, chopped
300 g pork loin, fresh or desalted, chopped
2 paio sausages
1 onion, finely chopped
1 bunch fresh parsley, chopped
2 calabresa sausages
1 pork knuckle, desalted
400 g pork tail, desalted
1 kg black turtle beans, soaked for at least 4 hours
2 bay leaves
1 pig's trotter, desalted
300 g sun-dried beef (carne-seca), desalted
400 g pork ear, desalted
3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
Where to find ingredients
You can find black beans, pork cuts, and specific Brazilian sausages like paio and calabresa at specialty Latin American grocers or select butchers. For substitutions, use high-quality smoked chorizo if you cannot source authentic calabresa, and swap sun-dried beef for lean salted beef brisket or bresaola.
Preparation method
- Ensure all salted and cured meats are thoroughly desalted in cold water before starting.
- In a large heavy-based pot, sear the pork loin and spare ribs until golden brown for approximately 6 minutes.
- Remove the seared meat from the pot and set aside.
- In the same pot, fry the bacon until it turns golden and releases its own fat.
- Add the onion to the bacon, sautéing until translucent while scraping the bottom of the pot to release the flavourful browned bits.
- Stir in the garlic and bay leaves, continuing to sauté for another 5 minutes.
- Add the drained black beans to the pot and stir well to coat.
- In a separate large pot, parboil the tougher meat cuts (trotter, knuckle, tail, ear, and sun-dried beef) to remove any impurities.
- Drain the parboiled meats and transfer them into the pot with the beans.
- Cover the ingredients with water, season to taste, and bring to a boil over high heat.
- Reduce the heat, partially cover the pot, and simmer for 3 hours, skimming off any foam that rises to the surface regularly.
- After 1 hour and 15 minutes, remove the sun-dried beef, cut it into bite-sized cubes, and set aside.
- Towards the end of the 3-hour cooking time, add the reserved pork loin, spare ribs, parsley, and the half orange.
- After 30 minutes of additional simmering, remove the orange from the pot and discard.
- Once the pork loin is tender, remove it from the pot, slice it into cubes, and set aside.
- Simmer the sausages whole for 15 minutes, then slice them into rounds and return them to the pot.
- Return the cubed sun-dried beef and loin to the mixture, simmering until the beans are tender and the gravy has thickened to your liking.
- Add boiling water during the process if the stew requires more liquid to maintain the consistency.
Observations
Feijoada is an absolute icon of Brazilian cuisine, perfectly marrying the robustness of various pork cuts with the depth of slow-cooked black beans. This preparation relies on patient, low-heat cooking to ensure every ingredient reaches its ideal texture while the gravy achieves the perfect, glossy consistency. It is a dish that celebrates heritage and community, making it the quintessential centerpiece for large family gatherings that demand a hearty, aromatic, and deeply comforting meal.
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