Anabella Cardoso was taking my blood pressure in my doctor’s office when I asked about her ethnic background. “I am half Portuguese and half Cape Verdean,” she replied. I asked if she knew of feijoada. “Oh, yes,” she said. “My family makes it at least once a week. Our Portuguese recipe is a little different from the Brazilian. We use different beans, like pinto and kidney. The Brazilians use black beans. Also, sometimes we add vegetables—potatoes, green peppers and tomatoes—and serve it with kale or cabbage and always white rice. For me, if it is not served with white rice, it is not feijoada!”
Ingredients
- 2 cups dry black beans (called feijões pretos in Brazil)
- ½ pound smoked chorizo or other sausage
- ½ pound beef jerky, cut into pieces
- ½ pound slab smoked bacon, cut into chunks*
- 3 tablespoons lard or vegetable oil
- 2 onions, finely chopped
- 4-5 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ pound pig’s feet, cut into several pieces
- ½ pound pig’s tail, cut into several pieces
- ½ pound pork rib
- 1 pig’s ear, cut into several pieces
- 4 large bay leaves
- Homemade or canned chicken broth as needed
- Salt and pepper to taste
Preparation
For the beans: Soak the beans overnight in cold water. Next day, drain the beans, place them in a large pot, and cover with cold water. Gently bring to a boil for 30 minutes then add the chorizo, beef jerky and bacon. Simmer for 2 hours or until beans are cooked but firm.
Note: If the mixture gets too dry, add more water or chicken broth to the pot. The mixture should be quite soupy.
For the meats: Heat the oil in a large skillet, add the onions and cook until soft, then add garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Add the pig’s tail, rib and ear. Cook for 10 to 12 minutes, and then add to the beans along with the bay leaves and chicken broth to cover. Cook for 1 hour until the meat is tender.
Serve with boiled white rice, finely sliced collard greens sautéed with garlic and olive oil, farofa (recipe follows) and slices of orange.
* All the meats can be found in one package at Alemão’s Butchery, next to Brazilian Grill, and Gol Brazilian Supermarket. See Resources.
