Feijoada
- 8 Servings
- 30mPrep Time
- 70mCook Time
- 100mReady In
The national dish of Brazil, feijoada is a flavorful stew of beans, beef and pork, a perfect dish to serve in honor of the Carnival season (Carnaval in Portuguese), which begins in Rio de Janeiro on Saturday, Feb. 13, and runs through Fat Tuesday, Feb. 16.
Ingredients
- 1/2 pound smoked bacon, cut in 1-inch pieces
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 pound Portuguese linguiça or Spanish-style chorizo sausage (available at some specialty markets and ethnic stores such as Brasil Legal in Bucktown and the deli at Cafe Iberico in River North) or other hard, dry, smoked sausage, sliced
- 1 pound beef sirloin, cut in 1-inch cubes
- 1/2 onion, diced small
- 6 to 8 cloves garlic, peeled
- About 1/2 gallon water
- 2 pounds dry black beans, soaked overnight in water and drained
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 small hot chili pepper
- Salt to taste
Farofa
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 6 ounces bacon, diced (1 cup)
- 1/2 Spanish onion, diced
- 1/2 cup kalamata olives, cut in half
- 1 cup golden raisons
- 1 500-gram package seasoned cassava or manioc flour (farinha de mandioca, such as Farofa Pronta Yoki, available at ethnic stores)
- 2 tablespoons parsley chopped
- 3 hard-cooked eggs, diced
Directions
In a heavy-bottomed pan, over medium high heat, fry the bacon in the oil and add the sausage and beef, cooking until nicely colored. Add the onion and garlic and cook for about 2 minutes.
Add the water, beans, bay leaves and hot pepper, and simmer for about 45 minutes or until the bean are soft and the sauce is thick. Salt to taste.
Farofa
Heat the butter in a saute pan and cook the bacon; add the onions and cook until caramelized. Stir in all the remaining ingredients. About 5 cups.
