Authentic Brazilian Black Bean Food

FEIJOADA

Steps:

• The day before you plan on cooking the feijoada, trim the excess fat of all the meats (except the bacon) and place them in a large bowl. Cover with cold water and refrigerate for 24 hours, changing the water 3-4 times, to get rid of the excess salt.
• Place the black beans in a separate bowl and cover with cold water. Let them soak overnight in the fridge.
• Drain the meat and beans. Place the soaked meat in a large Dutch oven or heavy bottomed pot and cover with enough water so they're all submerged. Cook, over medium-high heat, until boiling. Let them boil for 20 minutes, adding more water as needed. Drain and reserve.
• Combine the boiled carne seca, beans, bay leaves and orange in that same pot. Pour 2.5 quarts cold water and cook, over medium-high heat, until boiling. Lower the heat to a gentle simmer, cover and cook for 30 minutes.
• After 30 minutes, add the sausages. Cover and continue simmering, occasionally skimming the fat that rises to the top, until the meat is tender, about 1.5 to 2 hours.
• Remove the orange and bay leaves. Discard. Remove the meat and sausage and slice into smaller pieces. Reserve.
• Heat the oil in a sauté pan, over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook until no longer raw but not yet golden brown, about 3-5 minutes. Add the onion and garlic and sauté until softened and fragrant, about 2-3 minutes. Add a ladleful of the cooked beans, without liquid, and stir to combine. Using a fork, mash the beans, to release their starch.
• Pour that mixture into the feijoada pot and cook over medium heat, uncovered, for 10-15 minutes or until thickened. If too thick, add more water as needed. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
• Return the meats back to the pot.
• Serve with white rice, collard greens, fried bananas, farofa, vinaigrette salsa and orange slices!

BRAZILAN STYLE BLACK BEANS IN PRESSURE COOKER

Steps:

• Place beans in a fine mesh strainer and pick out any shriveled ones, along with any impurities.
• Heat pressure cooker to medium-high heat (sauté setting for electric pressure cooker, medium heat on stove top for regular pressure cooker). While pot is heating, cut bacon into about 1/2-inch pieces. Cook bacon until lightly browned and starting to crisp. Add diced onion and cook, stirring often for 3-4 minutes. Add garlic and stir for about 30 seconds.
• Add beans, broth and water, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine and secure lid. Cook on high pressure for 40 minutes, and then release steam from pot. If desired, lightly smash some beans on the side of the pot (this will thicken them), season with additional salt and pepper if desired, and let cool for a few minutes before serving. Serve over white rice.

BRAZILIAN BLACK BEANS (VEGETARIAN FEIJOADA)

Steps:

• 1. Take two of the onions and chop or pulse 6-8 times in a food processor to easily chop. Puree the remaining onion in a food processor or blender and set aside for step 4. 2. Fry the chopped onions in the olive oil over medium-high heat, stirring often, for 10 minutes. Add the 1/2 tsp salt at around the 5-6 minute mark when the onions are slightly golden. 3. Add all the spices and seasoning from the garlic to the ground pepper and stir well, toasting for two minutes. 4. Add in the pureed onion and fry for five minutes, stirring often. 5. Now add in the beans water and stock cube. Check the notes for cooking times for all methods. 6. After the beans have finished cooking, bring to the boil and add in the two types of vinegar, soy sauce and marmite (optional). Reduce to a simmer and let cook for five minutes more. 7. Remove the bay leaves. If you'd like to thicken the sauce you can blend it a little, no more than half a cup. Serve!

FEIJOADA (BRAZILIAN BLACK BEAN STEW)

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large pot or Dutch oven. Add 3/4 cup of chopped onion, green onions, and garlic; cook and stir until softened, about 4 minutes. Pour in the soaked beans and fill with enough water to cover beans by 3 inches. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer uncovered for 2 hours, or until tender.
• While beans are cooking, place ham hocks in smaller pot with 1/4 cup of the chopped onion. Cover with water and simmer, until meat pulls off of the bone easily, about 1 hour. Drain and add to the beans.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Place ham, bacon, and remaining onion in a baking dish. Bake 15 minutes or until mixture is crispy.
• Drain the bacon and ham mixture, and add to the beans. Season with bay leaves, coriander, salt and pepper. Simmer uncovered 30 minutes more. Stir in chopped cilantro and parsley just before serving.

BRAZILIAN FEIJOADA (BLACK BEAN STEW)

Steps:

• In a large bowl with water, soak beans overnight.
• When you are ready to make your stew, in a large heavy-bottom soup pot, over medium heat, add the oil and bacon. Cook until crisp and transfer to a plate.
• Use the same saucepan to brown ribs and sausages in batches. (You will want to be sure to cook the sliced Mexican chorizo on its own, as it can be very greasy. Drain the grease before continuing.) Set each aside as cooked.
• If needed, add more oil to the pan. On medium-high, sauté onion and garlic until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes and cook for another 3 minutes.
• Drain and rinse the soaked beans. Add them to the pot along with the ribs, bacon, sausages, salt, pepper, bay leaf. Cover with water (about 8 cups).
• Bring the mixture to a boil and reduce the heat to low. Cover and let it cook for 2 to 2 and a half hours, or until the beans are soft.
• If the stew is too liquidy, uncover the saucepan and continue to cook for another 20 minutes to allow some of the liquid to evaporate.
• Serve with white rice and sprinkle some farofa on top.

CHEF JOHN'S BRAZILIAN FEIJOADA

Steps:

• Place black beans into a large bowl, cover with water, and soak overnight. Drain beans.
• Place drained beans in heavy pot with 2 quarts of water. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer until beans are cooked but very firm, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
• Stir chopped dried beef into pot with beans. Add bay leaf and pork chop bones, stir and simmer on low heat for another 2 hours.
• Cook bacon in large dry skillet over medium heat until not quite crisp. Add linguica and Italian sausage links; cook, stirring often, until meats are brown, about 10 minutes. Remove browned meat, reserving accumulated fat in skillet. Slice Italian sausage into chunks.
• Brown onion and garlic in reserved drippings in the skillet over medium heat until onion is translucent and soft, stirring to deglaze the pan, about 5 minutes. Season with cumin, coriander, cayenne pepper, salt, and black pepper; add 1 tablespoon chopped Italian parsley. Cook and stir until parsley has wilted, about 2 minutes.
• Stir onion-spice mixture into pot with beans. Add cooked bacon, linguica sausage, Italian sausage, and pork chop chunks. Pour in enough water so meats are just covered with liquid. Increase heat to medium-high and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook uncovered until beans are very soft and liquid begins to thicken, about 1 hour, stirring occasionally. If beans begin to look dry, add more water.
• Heat olive oil in a skillet. Add bread crumbs and cook and stir until crumbs are toasted. Stir in 2 tablespoons Italian parsley and grated orange zest.
• When beans are cooked, ladle stew into bowls and top with the toasted crumb mixture.

VEGETARIAN FEIJOADA AND COLLARDS/KALE BRAZILIAN BLACK-BEAN STEW

Steps:

• First Make the Brazilian hot pepper sauce several hours in advance:.
• Combine all ingredients in blender or food processor and puree just until a coarse sauce.
• Let flavors meld for at least an hour at room temperature of 3 hours in the fridge. Make sure to take out of fridge ahead of time to be served at room temperature.
• Start Brazilian Rice:.
• In a covered sauce pan, sauté onion in oil for 5 minutes on med-high heat. Add tomatoes and salt and continue to cook for 5 minutes. Stir in rice and water, cover, bring to a boil. Reduce heat and gently simmer on very low heat for about 40 minutes or until the rice is tender. I found I had to add more water.
• Feijoada:.
• Place onions, garlic, celery, bell peppers, and water in large sauce pan. Drain the juice of the canned tomatoes into the pan, set aside tomatoes for usage later. Place pan on high heat and boil vegetables, stirring often, for about 15 minutes, until onions are translucent. Lower heat and stir in cilantro, thyme, fennel, and coriander. Add the black beans and chopped tomatoes and simmer on low heat 15-20 minutes.
• Collard greens/kale:.
• While the black beans are simmering, remove and discard the collard greens stems and rinse the leaves well. Stack leaves and slice. In a saucepan, bring the greens and water to a boil. Cover and simmer (stir frequently) for about 15 minutes until greens are tender.
• Peel and section the oranges and set aside. When the black beans and the rice are both ready, drain the greens and toss with soy sauce. Serve the feijoada on a large platter with the black beans on a bed of rice with the greens piled to one side and the oranges arranged around the edges.

FEIJOADA: BLACK BEANS AND RICE RECIPE FROM BRAZIL

Steps:

• Sort and rinse black beans, being sure to remove any errant stones.
• Quick brine the beans, by combining the salt, water, and beans in a large Dutch oven and bringing them to a boil over high heat.
• Remove the pot from the heat, cover, and let stand 1 hour.
• Drain and rinse the beans in cold water.
• Put brined beans, ham bone, and approximately 6 c. water into Dutch oven and bring to a boil. Reduce to simmer, and simmer for about 45 minutes.
• Sauté green pepper and and onion in olive oil until onions are translucent, approximately 5-6 minutes.
• Add minced garlic and sauté for an additional minute.
• Add this mixture, and the salt, pepper, oregano, bay leaf, ham and sugar to the beans and ham bone. Simmer beans for another hour.
• About 5 minutes before serving, add vinegar and wine, and continue simmering for another 5 minutes.
• Serve over rice, with any/all of the suggested garnishes listed in the notes.

BRAZILIAN BLACK BEANS

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan, heat the beans, adding a little more water if necessary to make a nice soupy consistency. When the beans are very hot, add the salt and pepper and taste for seasoning. Remove from the heat and serve in large shallow bowls, drizzling each portion with a little dende oil, a little Crema, and scattering some cilantro around the edges of the plate.
• Whisk the cream and buttermilk together. Cover and set in a warm place (a gas oven with just the heat from the pilot light is fine) for 8 hours. Crema may be kept in the refrigerator as long as a week.

BRAZILIAN BLACK BEANS (QUICK)

Steps:

• If using, brown meat in pan. Drain and set aside.
• In the same pan, heat oil over medium heat and add onion, peppers, and garlic. Cook, stirring, until tender.
• Add cumin, red pepper, and cardamom. Cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute.
• Add beans, orange juice, wine, salt, and cooked meat, if using.
• Simmer uncovered 15 minutes or longer.
• Serve over rice.

BRAZILIAN BLACK BEANS

Steps:

• Pick over and rinse:
• 2 cups black beans
• Drain the beans and transfer to a soup pot.
• Add:
• 4 cups water
• Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer, partially covered, stirring occasionally, for 1 1/2 hours. Meanwhile, bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil. Pierce in several places with a fork:
• 8 ounces hot Italian sausage (optional)
• Add to the pot and boil until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center of a sausage registers 160°F, about 45 minutes. Drain, rinse with cold water, and slice into 1/4-inch thick rounds. Set aside. Heat in a medium skillet over medium-low heat:
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• Add:
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• Cook until the vegetables are tender but not brown, 7 to 10 minutes.
• Add:
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 3/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
• Stir and cook for 1 minute, remove from the heat, and add to the beans after they have cooked for 1 1/2 hours. Cook until the beans are very tender, about 30 minutes more.
• Add:
• 3/4 cup orange juice
• 1/4 cup dry sherry
• 1 to 2 teaspoons salt, or to taste
• Cook for 15 minutes more, or longer if desired.
• Garnish with:
• Sour cream

FEIJOADA: TRADITIONAL BRASILIAN STEW

Steps:

• Soak the beans in cold water overnight, making sure they are completely covered. Also soak the salted ribs and bacon in cold water overnight.
• Drain the beans and put them into a large saucepan of cold water. Bring to the boil over medium heat, then simmer for 30 minutes until tender.
• Rinse the soaked salted ribs and bacon well, add to the beans and cook for 30 minutes over a medium heat. Heat a very large saucepan and pour in the olive oil so it covers the bottom. Add the onions and garlic and cook until softened. Add the sausages, smoked ribs and bacon, pepper and bay leaves. Pour in the cooked beans and meat and top up with water. Simmer for about 1 hour, until the meat falls off the bone.
• Serve the Feijoada with boiled white rice, slices of orange, and very finely sliced spring greens fried in olive oil with finely chopped onion and garlic.