Feijoada
Feijoada, a bean and
meat dish, is called the "national dish" of Brazil. Typically served at noon, this hearty meal includes black
beans, several types of
meat, hot peppers,
tomatoes and
garlic. This recipe takes advantage of several short cuts to make it easier to prepare. Brazilian purists will use any and all parts of the pig in this recipe, and add a bit of
olive oil and vinegar to the
beans.
Ingredients
- 450g any sausage, cut in 2½cm pieces (linguica or chorizo works well)
- 450g pork, cut into 2½cm pieces
- 450g beef, cut into 2½cm pieces
- 3 slices bacon, cut in 2½cm pieces
- 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1 jalapeno or other hot chilli, seeded and chopped
- 1 tomato, finely chopped
- 3 cups water
- 2 cups black gram bean
- Flaked salt, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- Cooked rice, to serve
- Orange, sliced thinly, to garnish
Method
- The black beans can be dried and soaked overnight, or, boil them for a few minutes and let soak off the fire for an hour, or, use canned beans, rinsed as a shortcut.
- Cook the beans in the water until they are tender, stirring frequently to prevent sticking.
- Add the sausage, pork and beef pieces and continue to cook, stirring frequently until the meat is cooked. You might need to add water if the beans and meat get too thick.
- In a separate pan, fry the bacon until crisp.
- Add the hot pepper, garlic and tomatoes.
- Turn down the heat and simmer for a few minutes and then add to the meat and bean mix.
- Stir well and season with the peppers and salt to taste.
- Serve over hot cooked rice. Add a slice or two of orange on the side. The citrus is supposed to counter the fat in the meat.
Image Courtesy of StockFood
