Feijoada: Brazil's Unofficial National Dish

The concept of feijoada was brought over to Brazil by the Portuguese. The Portuguese version being a bit more sophisticated, made with white beans and vegetables such as carrots, cabbage etc.  During that time, the slaves had only access to rice and black or pinto beans. Sometimes, they were allowed some less-desirable cuts of meat (pig ears, feet, etc.) and would cook it along with the beans in a clay pot, creating the Brazilian feijoada.  This rare treat of meats made it so that feijoada was the “luxury” dish that the slave would enjoy from time to time. Over a period of time, it became a popular meal among the lower class and eventually worked its way up society to become the “national dish”.

There is no recipe set in stone for feijoada. It varies by region, but also by household. Everyone thinks his or her mom’s feijoada is the best one! Fortunately, feijoada is infinitely flexible, and can be altered to suit taste, budget and availability. Don't hesitate to try this recipe even if you can't find everything that's in the list of ingredients. Just improvise!

You'll note that this recipe is high in saturated animal fats, and it is consequently highly caloric and probably not the most healthy recipe from Brazil. However, the final product is quite rich and most people do not eat a large quantity at one time, nor is feijoada eaten frequently. Just like the Thanksgiving Turkey Dinner, this is a meal for a special event or celebration, and as such, rules of healthy nutrition go out the window.

Instructions

The day before cooking the feijoada, place all the salted, meats in a large pan, and cover with cold water. Refrigerate. Change the water every three hours, for minimum 24 hours. Drain thoroughly

In a very large kettle or bean pot, place the beans, the meats and sausages, the cilantro and green onions tied together, the bay leaves, the cachaça, and the orange. Cover with cold water; bring to a boil over medium heat. Continue to cook over low heat. As each meat in turn becomes fully cooked and tender (test with a fork) remove from the kettle, let cool, cut into bit-size pieces, and reserve

When the black beans are fully cooked and soft (about 1.5 - 2 hrs.), remove 1 cup of beans and cooking liquid, and blend until smooth in a blender. Return 1/2 cup of this mixture to the beans in the kettle to thicken the cooking liquid

In a large frying pan heat the lard, and cook the bacon in it until browned and crispy. Remove the bacon cubes, and in the same lard, fry the garlic and onion until soft and transparent, but not browned. Remove from heat, then stir in the reserved 1/2 cup of the blended beans. Stir entire contents of frying pan plus the reserved meats and bacon, into the beans in the kettle. Let cook over low heat for 20 minutes for flavours to blend

Serve accompanied by Mineiro-style kale, thick slices of peeled oranges, white rice, farofa, and caipirinhas to drink.

By Flavors of Brazil

Image: cookipedia.co.uk

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