Feijoada (pronounced fay-jwa-da), is the National Dish of Brazil. It is essentially a black bean and meat stew, most commonly served with sliced oranges and rice, though fried bananas and chilies are also common accompaniments. Feijoada is made in virtually every Brazilian home and there are countless versions of it. This dish is found everywhere from the most humble of homes to the most sophisticated restaurants in Rio. Many restaurants even feature a “Feijoada Day.”
Feijoada not only uses practically the whole pig, it uses a whole family of pigs! Fresh, cured, salted, sausaged, and smoked – all thrown in together in one big pot of savory goodness. My version uses pork roast (slowly cooked in all the juices and later shredded), bacon, spicy sausage, smoked sausage, and smoked ham hocks. All of this is slow-cooked for a couple of hours with black beans and seasonings. 
How about a little history on the origin of the dish?
Feijoada is believed to date back to the 16th century when it was made using the cheapest cuts of pork such as ears, snout, feet and belly. There are variations as to origin of this dish, one of them linking it to the 1.3 million slaves brought from Africa to work the sugarcane plantations of Brazil. Beans were a staple the African slaves were already familiar with from their homeland and when they were fortunate enough to benefit from leftover scraps of pork from the slave-owner’s kitchen, they made a meal of it that would eventually become the country’s national dish.
That’s the more romanticized version of its origin. Another version links it to Portuguese-influenced stews. Brazil was part of the Portuguese Empire until it won its independence in 1822, thus there is a lot of Portuguese influence in Brazilian cuisine.
Perhaps its origin in a combination of the two.
In any case, Feijoada is world comfort food at its best. The slow-cooked, deeply flavorful and smokey taste of this meat and black bean stew is addictive. The sweet and refreshing citrus provides a pleasing contrast and offers a quick cleansing of the palate before second servings of the stew are (inevitably) requested.
Alright, let’s get to that Feijoada recipe!
PrintFeijoada – Brazilian Beans and Rice
- Total Time: 2 hours 5 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
Description
Feijoada is Brazil’s national dish, a rich and hearty black bean stew slow-cooked with a variety of pork meats, served with refreshing orange slices and rice.
Ingredients
- 1 lb dry black beans
- 3 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 lb pork shoulder, left whole and shredded at the end of cooking, or cut into chunks
- 2 large onions, sliced
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 pound fresh Italian or other spicy sausage, casings removed and crumbled
- 1/2 pound smoked sausage, such as linguica or kielbasa, sliced
- 1/2 pound thick sliced bacon, cut into small pieces
- 1 smoked ham hock
- 4 bay leaves
- Water
- 2 beef bouillon cubes
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- Salt to taste
- Hot sauce, according to heat preference
- Orange, washed and cut into slices
Instructions
- Soak the beans in a large bowl of water overnight.
- In a large Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the pork shoulder and brown it until caramelized on each side. Remove the pork and set aside.
- Add the onions to the pot and sauté until soft and translucent, about 5-7 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for another minute until fragrant.
- Return the pork to the pot along with the soaked beans, sausages, ham hocks, and enough water to cover the ingredients by about an inch.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and let simmer for about 2 hours, or until the beans are tender and the meat is falling apart. Stir occasionally and add more water if needed to keep the ingredients submerged.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Remove the pork shoulder and shred it with two forks, then return it to the pot and stir to combine.
- Serve the feijoada hot with slices of orange and cooked rice.
Notes
Feijoada is traditionally served with orange slices, which help cleanse the palate. You can also serve it with fried bananas or chilies for extra flavor. Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or frozen for longer storage. Feel free to use different cuts of pork or add more sausages to suit your taste.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 hours
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: Brazilian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 650
- Sugar: 5
- Sodium: 1200
- Fat: 35
- Carbohydrates: 50
- Fiber: 15
- Protein: 40
- Cholesterol: 100
Hi Kimberly, I’m Brazilian and I really loved your recipe and all the website content. I loved the way you seasoned the Feijoada. This recipe is so delicious.
Thanks for sharing that amazing recipe with us. Feijoada reminds me of my childhood and so many parties and get-togethers. Trying your recipes made me revive that part of me, thank you so much. I live in West Virginia, so I had a hard time finding the ingredients, but luckily I came across this website http://www.shivoomarket.com when I could find truly Brazilian rice, beans, and farofa. You are amazing, thank you again!