Feijoada, Brazilian Black Bean Stew

Hank introduced me to this Brazilian black bean stew a couple months ago and I couldn’t stop eating it. It is outstanding. And perfect for the chilly weather we’re having these days. ~Elise

This is another of those big, hearty, meat-and-bean stews that seem to be the national dish of one country or another. In this case, the country is Brazil and the stew is feijoada (fay-ZHWA-dah). Feijoada has as many versions as there are cooks, but in Brazil it almost always has black beans and always has a mixture of salted, smoked and fresh meats.

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, more like a traditional stew. Either way it’s traditional to serve this stew with white rice, and maybe some sautéed collard greens.

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.

Feijoada, Brazilian Black Bean Stew Recipe

Black beans are a must in this recipe if you want it to be authentically Brazilian. A Portuguese version uses white beans, however.

Ingredients

• 1 pound (450 grams) dry black beans
• 4 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 pound (450 grams) pork shoulder, cut into chunks
• 2 large onions, sliced
• 1 head of garlic, peeled and chopped
• 1 pound (450 grams) carne seca or corned beef, cut into chunks
• 1/2 pound (225 grams) fresh sausages, such as chorizo or Italian sausage
• 1 pound (450 grams) smoked sausage, such as linguica or kielbasa
• 1 smoked ham hock or shank
• 3-4 bay leaves
• Water
• 1 14.5 ounce can (411 grams) of crushed tomatoes
• Salt

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