Recipe · Feijoada · +258

Feijoada

From Gabriella. Mozambican-Portuguese bean stew, the way it's made at home.

The story

Where this dish comes from

Feijoada is the dish where the Mozambican, Portuguese and Brazilian sides of our cooking meet. The Portuguese brought the bean stew tradition; Mozambique added the smoke and the heat; Brazil set the standard for what gets served alongside (rice, greens, orange, farofa). This is the way it's cooked at home in our family — slow, on a Sunday, with the windows open. Don't rush the simmer. The whole point is that the pork fat melts into the beans and binds the dish together.

Ingredients

What you'll need (Serves 6)

  • 500 g dry black beans (or red beans), soaked overnight
  • 300 g pork shoulder, cubed
  • 200 g chouriço sausage, sliced thick
  • 200 g smoked bacon, in pieces
  • 150 g morcela (blood sausage), optional
  • 2 large onions, finely chopped
  • 5 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 tbsp sweet paprika
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 small red chilli, finely chopped (or 1 tsp piri-piri)
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 cup dry white wine
  • Salt and black pepper
  • To serve: white rice, sautéed kale or collards, orange slices, farofa (toasted cassava flour)

Method

Step by step

01

Soak the beans

The night before, cover the dry beans with cold water and leave to soak. They should at least double in size.

02

Brown the meats

Drain the beans. Heat the olive oil in a large heavy pot over medium-high heat. Brown the pork cubes on all sides — 5 minutes — then add the chouriço, bacon and morcela and brown another 3 minutes. Take the meats out and set aside.

03

Build the base

In the same pot, lower the heat. Add the onion and cook 8 minutes until soft and golden. Add the garlic, paprika, cumin and chilli; stir 30 seconds until fragrant.

04

Deglaze

Pour in the white wine and scrape the brown bits off the bottom of the pot. Let it bubble 2 minutes.

05

Simmer

Return the meats to the pot. Add the soaked beans and the bay leaves. Cover with water by 5 cm. Bring to a boil, then drop the heat to low, cover, and simmer 2½ to 3 hours, stirring every 20 minutes. Add water if it gets too thick — the final texture should be like a thick soup, not a paste.

06

Season and serve

Taste and add salt and pepper. Fish out the bay leaves. Serve in deep bowls over white rice, with a side of sautéed greens, an orange slice on top, and a sprinkle of farofa if you have it.

Gabriella's tips

Three things that make the difference

Three things to get right: (1) Use beans you've soaked yourself — canned beans turn to mush over 3 hours. (2) Don't skip browning the meats — the colour is half the flavour. (3) Make it a day ahead. Feijoada always tastes better on day two, after the flavours have married overnight in the fridge. Reheat gently with a splash of water.

Rather have us cook?

Want Feijoada without doing the cooking?

Plus258 caters Feijoada for weddings, corporate events and parties across the Eindhoven region. Request a quote and we'll handle the rest.

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