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4.6 from 48 votes

Feijoada

Feijoada is Brazil’s most beloved dish for a reason: it is absolutely delicious! Black beans simmer with smoked pork and beef until tender, rich and oh so flavorful. In a nutshell, this is how Brazilians do comfort food!

Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
2 hrs 10 mins
Additional Time
1 d
Total Time
1 d 2 hrs 40 mins
Servings: 8
Calories: 508 kcal
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Brazilian

Ingredients

  • 1 pound carne seca (see notes for substitutions)
  • 3 large (about 1 pound) smoked calabresa sausages
  • 2 (about 8 ounces) paio sausages
  • 5 cups (about 2.2 pounds) dried black beans
  • 3 dried bay leaves
  • ½ large orange
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 6 lices thick-cut bacon diced
  • 1 large onion chopped
  • 12 cloves garlic minced
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. The day before you plan on cooking the feijoada, trim the excess fat of all the meats (except the bacon) and place them in a large bowl. Cover with cold water and refrigerate for 24 hours, changing the water 3-4 times, to get rid of the excess salt.
  2. Place the black beans in a separate bowl and cover with cold water. Let them soak overnight in the fridge.
  3. Drain the meat and beans. Place the soaked meat in a large Dutch oven or heavy bottomed pot and cover with enough water so they’re all submerged. Cook, over medium-high heat, until boiling. Let them boil for 20 minutes, adding more water as needed. Drain and reserve.
  4. Combine the boiled carne seca, beans, bay leaves and orange in that same pot. Pour 2.5 quarts cold water and cook, over medium-high heat, until boiling. Lower the heat to a gentle simmer, cover and cook for 30 minutes.
  5. After 30 minutes, add the sausages. Cover and continue simmering, occasionally skimming the fat that rises to the top, until the meat is tender, about 1.5 to 2 hours. 
  6. Remove the orange and bay leaves. Discard. Remove the meat and sausage and slice into smaller pieces. Reserve.
  7. Heat the oil in a sauté pan, over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook until no longer raw but not yet golden brown, about 3-5 minutes. Add the onion and garlic and sauté until softened and fragrant, about 2-3 minutes. Add a ladleful of the cooked beans, without liquid, and stir to combine. Using a fork, mash the beans, to release their starch.
  8. Pour that mixture into the feijoada pot and cook over medium heat, uncovered, for 10-15 minutes or until thickened. If too thick, add more water as needed. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
  9. Return the meats back to the pot.
  10. Serve with white rice, collard greens, fried bananas, farofa, vinaigrette salsa and orange slices!

Notes

  • If substituting the salted meats, you can skip soaking them in water for 24 hours and boiling for 20 minutes.
  • If you want, other meats can be added, such as:
  • Read the post for the instructions.
  • Feijoada can be cooked up to 2 days ahead and refrigerated. Reheat over medium low heat, adding more water to bring it back to the original consistency.
  • Leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 4 days.
  • Feijoada can be frozen for up to 3 months.
  • Carne seca: Corned beef or boneless short ribs.
  • Smoked calabresa sausage and paio sausage: use other smoked sausages, like andouille or kielbasa. Smoked chorizo can also be used.
  • Pork loin
  • Pork ribs
  • Boneless pork shoulder
  • Smoked ham hock
  • Pig's feet, tail and ears

Nutrition Information

Serving 1g Calories 508kcal (25%) Carbohydrates 65g (22%) Protein 28g (56%) Fat 16g (25%) Saturated Fat 5g (25%) Polyunsaturated Fat 9g Cholesterol 30mg (10%) Sodium 466mg (19%) Fiber 16g (64%) Sugar 4g (8%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 8Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 508

% Daily Value*

Serving 1g
Calories 508kcal 25%
Carbohydrates 65g 22%
Protein 28g 56%
Fat 16g 25%
Saturated Fat 5g 25%
Polyunsaturated Fat 9g 53%
Cholesterol 30mg 10%
Sodium 466mg 19%
Fiber 16g 64%
Sugar 4g 8%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.