Meat and Black Bean Stew (Feijoada)
Meat and Black Bean Stew (Feijoada)
Source: Soul and Spice
Serves 8
Originally created from pork odds and ends by Bahia's African slaves, this delicious rice-and-bean combination has been elevated to Brazil's national dish. In Rio
and Sao Paulo, a multifarious buffet of roasted and boiled meats accompany this rice and beans. This version is adapted from one made by Valmor Neto at his San
Francisco restaurant, Bahia Brasil. Particular attention has been paid to reducing the salt and fat of the traditional dish.
You don't need to include all of the meats. Pick out the ones you like best and add them. If you leave them out altogether, the dish becomes simply black beans, to
which you should add extra onions, celery, peppers, and other spices. I like to pass a clove or two of garlic through a press into the beans about 5 minutes before
serving, to bring up the flavor.
Serve bowls of Farofa on the side to sprinkle over the beans. Feijoada is also served with Arroz a Baiana, Couve, Cracklings, and Molho de Pimenta.

2 cups (1 pound) black beans, rinsed and picked over
3/4 pound pork butt or shoulder, trimmed of fat
6 ounces slab bacon
1/2 pound smoked pork sausages
1/2 pound hot Portuguese sausage such as linguica
1 or 2 pounds ham hock or shank, cut into 1-inch rounds
1 large yellow onion, chopped
2-4 ounces dried beef carne seca, minced (optional; see note)

For the Seasonings:
3 garlic cloves, minced and sautéed in 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
6 green onions, including tops, chopped
1 yellow onion, chopped
Large handful of chopped fresh parsley (about 1/2 cup)
2 bay leaves, crumbled
1 1/2 tablespoons dried oregano, crushed
Salt and ground black pepper

Chopped fresh cilantro or parsley
Soak the beans overnight in water to cover by several inches. Drain.
Place the drained beans in a saucepan and add water to cover by 3 inches. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover, and
simmer until the beans are tender, 2-2 1/2 hours. Add additional water as needed to keep the beans covered.
While the beans are cooking, prepare the meats. Preheat an oven to 375 degrees F. Dice the pork butt or shoulder and the
bacon into 1/2-inch cubes. Place the pork, whole sausages, and bacon in a large baking pan. Roast until well done. The sausages
will e ready after 35-40 minutes and the other meats after 45-60 minutes.
Cook the ham hock at the same time as the meats are roasting. In a saucepan, combine the ham hock rounds and onion with
water to cover. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer, and cook until tender, about 1 hour. Remove the ham hock rounds
from the water and remove the meat from the bones, if desired; set aside. Or leave the rounds intact for serving alongside
the beans. Strain the cooking liquid into a bowl. Add the strained onions from the liquid to the beans. Add the cooking liquid to
the beans if needed to keep them immersed.
Once the beans are almost cooked, check to make sure there is plenty of cooking liquid in the pot. It should be rather soupy at
this point. Stir in the carne seca. Cut the sausages into rounds and add them and all the other cooked meats to the pot. Then
add all of the seasonings to the pot, including salt and pepper to taste. Simmer for another 30 minutes, or until the beans are
very tender.
Taste and adjust the seasonings. Sprinkle with chopped cilantro or parsley just before serving.

NOTE: Using dried beef adds complexity to the richness of this dish, but its inclusion is optional. If dried beef isn't
available at your butcher, Armour makes a ground compressed dried beef sold in 2 1/2-ounce jars. Soak it in warm water to
cover for 15 minutes to rinse off some of the salt.

Reprinted by permission of Chronicle. All rights reserved.
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