Feijoada (Black Bean Stew) from Brazil

A large bowl of feijoada in a bowl on a cutting board with a spoon resting in the stew.

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Feijoada (Black Bean Stew) from Brazil

Feijoada is a thick, rich black bean stew, stuffed with several different kinds of pork and beef. The result is a dish that is delicious, warm and comforting. It’s also the national dish of Brazil and a recipe worth sampling!

Course Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine brazilian

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 3

Servings

Calories 709kcal

Author Alexandria Drzazgowski

Equipment

Ingredients

1 lb Black beans dry, soaked in water overnight and rinsed
1 lb Corned beef
2 lb bone-in Pork Ribs
½ lb Thick Cut Smoked bacon cut into pieces
½ lb Chorizo sausages cut into ½” diagonal pieces
½ lb smoked sausage like Lingüiça sausages or kielbasa, cut into ½” diagonal pieces
6 cloves Garlic sliced
2 White Onions diced
2 Bay leaves
Water
Salt to taste
black pepper (Use code FF20 for 20% off) to taste

Instructions

Start the night before by soaking 1 lb black beans in a large bowl of water overnight. The next day, drain the black beans and rinse them until the water runs clear.
Trim the large layer of fat off the top of a pound of corned beef, leaving a small fat cap. Cut the corned beef into 1” slices and put it in a large bowl. Rinse it under cold water 2-3 times to remove a lot of the salt. Then fill the bowl with cold water and allow it to soak for another 10 minutes. Once soaked and desalted, cut the corned beef into cubes.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add in 2 lbs pork ribs and the corned beef. Boil for 10 minutes, scooping the foam off the top. This removes the remaining salt from the meat.
Remove the meat from the water, rinse, and set aside.
In a large pot, add the ½ lb bacon, ½ lb chorizo sausage, & ½ lb smoked sausage over medium-high heat until the bacon has released its grease. Continue cooking until the sausage and bacon are crispy.
Then add the 6 garlic cloves and 2 chopped onions into the pot with the bacon, and saute until the onions soften and the garlic smells fragrant.
Add the boiled meat into the pot with the bacon and onions.
Add the soaked and rinsed beans and 2 bay leaves. Then fill the pot with enough water to just cover the ingredients. Do not add any salt at this point. Cook on low heat for about 1 ½ hours until the beans are soft. Remove the lid and cook for another half an hour.
After two total hours of cooking, remove about 1 cup of beans from the stew and place them in a small bowl. Mash the beans until they break apart and then add them back into the pot. Mix to combine.
Continue cooking, uncovered, for another 30 or so minutes, until the stew has thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon. If your stew is not thickening, remove another ½ cup of beans at a time to mash and add back into the stew.
Once the feijoada is done cooking, add salt and pepper to taste. Serve and enjoy!

Notes

Corned Beef: This is a substitution for the traditional Carne Seca, as Carne Seca is almost impossible to find in America. You will need to de-salt your corned beef (detailed in the instructions below). You can also use beef jerky as a substitute if desired.
Pork Ribs
Smoked Sausage: Use Lingüiça sausages if you can find it, or kielbasa!
Chorizo Sausages: Chorizo is the closest substitution for Brazilian sausage. If absolutely necessary, you can also use andouille sausage. I was not able to find chorizo on the day of photographing this recipe, so I subbed andouille sausage (pictured above).
Thick Cut Smoked Bacon: Cut into pieces
Dry Black Beans: Soaked in water overnight and rinsed
Flavoring/Spices: White onions, garlic, salt, pepper, bay leaves
The corned beef is a replacement for Carne Seca, which is a salted meat popular in Brazil. It is almost impossible to find in the USA, so corned beef is a good alternative.
This dish is usually served with farofa, a toasted cassava flour side dish popular in Brazil.
Chorizo can be a bit greasy. You may want to drain some of the grease after cooking the bacon and chorizo before adding in your onions.
In some parts of Brazil, feijoada is made with a few more vegetables in the stew.
Feel free to experiment with any veggies you like.

Nutrition