Feijoada, considered the national dish of Brazil, is a dish that is both rich in flavor and history, with roots in the food cultures of early Portuguese colonists and the African slaves they brought to Brazil. Its name comes from the Portuguese word feijão, aka, beans, an ingredient the Portuguese also use to similar effect in their traditional pork and bean cozido.
Feijoada was the perfect workingman’s food, made with unwanted cuts of meat, like the ears and snout of pigs, bulked up cheaply with native black beans and cooked long and slow over the fire as the day’s work was done.
Feijoada was the perfect workingman’s food, made with unwanted cuts of meat, like the ears and snout of pigs, bulked up cheaply with native black beans and cooked long and slow over the fire as the day’s work was done.
Today, every Brazilian family has their own take on feijoada, varying in style from region to region and can be made with sausage, ribs and other rich cuts of meat sweated into inky pots of black beans.
It’s a dish that requires some time and love to make, from soaking the beans overnight to simmering the stew over low heat in a traditional thick, black clay pot.
It’s a dish that requires some time and love to make, from soaking the beans overnight to simmering the stew over low heat in a traditional thick, black clay pot.
Brazilian chef Paulo Machado, founder of the Paulo Machado Institute and member of the Slow Food Movement, shares his recipe for caldinho de feijao, a style of feijoada from the northeast of Brazil, where the beans are stewed and then pureed to give a thicker, smoother texture.
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Caldinho De Feijao (Brazilian Black Bean Soup)
Recipe courtesy of Chef Paulo MachadoServes 4
Ingredients
2 cups dried black beans
8 cups water, plus more for soaking
2 bay leaves
1 thick slice of bacon
1 linguica or kielbasa sausage (15 to 20 cm)
1 medium white onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
3 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Chopped cilantro, for garnish
Chopped green onions, for garnish
Hard-boiled eggs, for garnish
Pico de gallo, for garnish
Method:
1. Soak the beans overnight in some water or use this quick-boil method: Place the beans in a saucepan and add cold water until the beans are covered by about an inch of water. Bring the beans to a brisk boil over medium-high heat and let them boil for a minute, then remove the pan from heat. Cover the pan and let the beans soften for an hour and then drain.
2. Put the beans in a heavy, medium-sized saucepan with the water, bay leaves, bacon and sausage. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until the beans are very tender, 40 minutes to an hour. Let the mixture cool in the saucepan.
3. Remove the sausage from the bean mixture, slice thinly and reserve. Remove the bacon from the bean mixture, chop into small pieces and reserve.
4. In a heavy frying pan, heat up the olive oil and add the onions and sweat them for a bit before adding the garlic. Stir-fry until softened, then add the bacon and sausage bits and cook until fragrant.
5. Add the bacon and sausage into the saucepan with the bean mixture. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
6. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat and let simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat. Let cool for 15 minutes, then carefully blend the mixture in a blender or food processor until smooth.
7. Return the mixture to the saucepan and heat for serving.
8. To serve, ladle into small bowls or cups and garnish with chopped cilantro and green onions. You may also add additional garnishes such as chopped hard-boiled eggs or Mexican-style pico de gallo.
