Home-Style Feijoada
Black beans slowly simmered with pork and smoked sausage, finished with orange on the side.
Brazil · Main Dishes · 130 min
DeSabor Kitchen · Published · Updated · 20 / 110 / 130 min · 6 · Brazil
Jump to RecipeThis home version starts with cooked black beans and accessible pork cuts. Braise shoulder before adding the beans so they do not break down during the entire cooking time. Salt only after tasting the smoked meats.
The Story Behind the Dish
Feijoada has many Brazilian versions and a history more complex than a single origin story. This home rendition uses accessible cuts rather than a full assortment of salted meats.
Ingredients
- 800 g cooked black beans; 700 ml bean broth
- 500 g pork shoulder, cubed; 250 g smoked sausage, sliced
- 100 g bacon, diced; 1 onion, chopped
- 4 garlic cloves; 2 bay leaves
- 500 ml water; 1/2 tsp salt; 1/2 tsp black pepper, adjusted for smoked meats
- 2 oranges, peeled and sliced
Instructions
- Render bacon in a heavy pot for 5 minutes. Add pork and brown 8 minutes; add onion and garlic and cook 5 minutes.
- Add water and bay leaves. Cover and simmer 45 minutes, adding a little water if the pot becomes dry.
- Add beans, bean broth and sausage. Simmer 35–40 minutes until pork is tender and cooked above 63°C. Mash a few beans to thicken.
- Remove bay, season after tasting and serve with orange slices. Rice and sautéed greens make good accompaniments.
Cook's Tips
- Smoked meats can be salty; wait until the end to adjust seasoning. The timing uses cooked beans.
Home-style recipe; not independently kitchen-tested. Check all ingredients and substitutions for allergens. Times are estimates; use the texture and temperature checks in the method. Serving accompaniments are separate unless listed. In temperatures above 32°C, refrigerate perishables within 1 hour rather than 2.
How to Serve It
Serve with the orange slices included in the recipe. White rice, sautéed greens and farofa can be prepared separately; they are not part of the listed ingredient quantities.
Variations & Substitutions
More elaborate versions include a broader assortment of meats. A meat-free black-bean stew is a labeled adaptation, not the same recipe with the pork silently omitted.
Use cooked smoked sausage. Salted dried meats require desalting and a different method; they cannot be added directly to this schedule. Red beans produce another stew, not this black-bean version.
Storage & Reheating
Refrigerate in shallow containers within 2 hours at 4°C or below for up to 3 days. Freeze stew without orange slices for up to 2 months.
Add water to loosen and simmer gently, stirring from the bottom, until pork and sausage reach 74°C. Add fresh orange only at the table.
The DeSabor Table
- Home-Style Feijoada — Main Dish