Brazil

Brazilian Fejioada

I made this dish on Saturday, January 30, 2010 for Andy, his roommates Mully and Mike, and myself. This is the national dish of Brazil, and this is why I chose to make it. Traditionally, this is a stew made of black beans and just about every part of the pig that one can imagine. Not wanting to use a recipe that uses parts of the pig that I wouldn't even begin to know how to prepare, and am not sure I'd like to eat, such as bone marrow, feet and ears, I had to search through many recipes to find one that included ingredients that I was familiar with and could find.

We all thoroughly enjoyed this dish. All eaters were very complimentary. Really, what's not to like? It was meaty, hearty and savory. It was the perfect dish for a January night in Minnesota. I recommend you try this dish!


Fejioada


Ingredients:
-1 lb. black beans, rinsed
- 3/4 lb. pork butt or shoulder, fat trimmed, diced into 1/2" cubes
- 6 oz. slab bacon, diced into 1/2" cubes
- 1/2 lb. smoked pork sausages
- 1/2 lb. hot Portuguese sausage, such as linguica (I couldn't find this, so I used the Mexican sausage chorizo)
- 1-2 lb. ham hock or shank, cut into 1" rounds
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Seasonings
- 1 large yellow onion, chopped
- 2 1/2 oz dried beef, soaked in warm water for 15 minutes
- 3 garlic cloves, minced and sauteed in 1 T. vegetable oil
- 6 green onions, chopped (including tops)
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 1/2 c. fresh parsley, chopped
- 2 bay leaves, crumbled
- 1 1/2 T. dried oregano leaves
- salt and pepper
- fresh cilantro

Directions:
1) Soak black beans in water overnight. Drain.
2) Put black beans in a saucepan and add water to cover by 3". Bring to a boil, reduce to low, cover, and simmer 2-2 1/2 hours. Add additional water to keep beans covered if necessary.
3) Meanwhile, preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place pork, whole sausages and bacon in a baking pan. Roast sausages 35-40 minutes, and pork and bacon 45-60 minutes.
4) Meanwhile, combine ham hock rounds and 1 chopped onion with water to cover. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer about an hour. Remove from water, dice, and set aside. Strain liquid into a boil. Add strained onions to beans. Use liquid to cover beans if needed.
5) When beans are almost done, check to make sure they are soupy. Stir in dried beef. Cut the sausages into rounds and add them and all other meats to the pot.
6) Add all seasonings except cilantro. Simmer 30 minutes.
7) To serve, sprinkle with chopped cilantro.