Feijoada is Brazil's national dish, enjoyed by everyone from the favelas to the ritziest neighborhoods. And it's no wonder, though extremely rich, this stew is absolutely delicious and satisfying. It's also very flexible, though a "typical" recipe may ask for calabresa and paio sausages, as well as the ears and snouts of pigs - you can freely substitute with what's available to you or what's more to your liking.
There are literally hundreds of recipes for feijoada out there, the one I cooked was inspired by a Brazilian cook who posts in the Craigslist' food forum, though I borrowed elements from other recipes as well. The oxtails were his suggestion, and while they provided the stew with a wonderful richness, they didn't turn soft for me (though I cooked them for over 3 hours). I'm sure it was some problem with my technique (or Safeway, I think I just won't shop there for meats at all anymore). So I removed them though I added back some of the meat I could remove from them.
Feijoada completa is usually served with a tomato salad, kale, rice, farofa and slices of oranges, and that's what I had at my table. It was great.
Feijoada
Ingredients
- 1 lb black beans
- 1 lb linguiza
- 2 lbs oxtails
- 2 tsp. cumin
- 1 1/2 tbsp. oregano
- salt & pepper to taste
- 3/4 lb slab bacon, chopped
- 2 yellow onions, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 lb smoked beef sausage
Instructions
The day before: Wash the beans and let them soak in water overnight. Brown the linguiza and oxtails and parboil. Remove from the water. Place meat and broth in the refrigerator. The next day remove the fat from the broth.
The day of the meal: Cook beans in the broth from the oxtails, adding more water if necessary. When they are soft add cumin, oregano, salt and pepper. Saute the chopped bacon until it start to brown and add to the beens. Saute the onion in the fat from the bacon until golden, add the garlic and saute for a couple of more minutes. Add onion and garlic to the beans. Add the oxails, linguiza and smoked sausage. Cook until the oxtails are soft.
Serve with farofa, tomato salad, rice, steamed kale and orange slices.
Adapted from several recipes