Words by Matt Dursum

Like many national dishes, Brazil’s Feijoada comes from humble roots. In this hearty stew, beans, spices, and various cuts of pork, sometimes including the scraps like pork knuckle and pork ear, are cooked down to perfection. Feijoada is divinely flavorful and reflects the complex and sometimes painful history and cultural diversity of Brazil.

Almost immediately after arriving in Brazil, I treated myself to an endless helping of the rich bean stew. Loading my plate full of rice, farofa—toasted cassava flour, greens, and topping it all off with hot Feijoada was as good for my soul as getting a warm and everlasting hug from my late grandmother. 

A Complicated Food History

The name Feijoada comes from the Portuguese word feijão, meaning beans. Native to the Americas, beans have always played an important part in the Brazilian diet. When Brazil was going through an agricultural boom in the 18th and 19th centuries, the new country unfortunately turned to slavery to fill its workforce. In the fields of Brazil’s plantations, African slaves took leftover scraps like pig ears and pork knuckles and added them to the popular and cheap bean stews being cooked in the camps. The stew eventually made it to tables of the slave masters themselves. 

After slavery finally ended—Brazil being the last country to ban it—this economic and highly flavorful dish kept getting more popular. Portuguese sausages and smoked meats started to be added and soon feijoada was being cooked in households around the country. 

Today, feijoada is as close to a national treasure as food can get. Adored in songs like Chico Buarque’s “Feijoada Completa,” and in literature and poetry, the dish is ingrained in the Brazilian psyche. Even American poet Maya Angelou states in her cookbook, “When I cook for my family on Christmas, I make feijoada.” 

A Recipe for a Heartwarming Dish Like Nothing Else

Feijoada is simple, wholesome, and good for the body and soul. Almost every home cook, grandmother, fancy chef, or designated construction crew meal planner has their own take on this classic dish. Have fun with it and feel free to experiment. 

Ingredients

• 2 cups of black beans soaked in the fridge overnight
• 1 yellow onion
• 5-10 cloves of garlic
• I bay leaf
• 1 cup of chopped sausage, bacon, or fatty pork (Vegan sausage works just fine)
• 5 cups of water
• 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil 
• 1 tablespoon of butter
• Salt and pepper to taste

To prepare the dish, you only need a handful of ingredients, time, and a lot of love. Most importantly, you start with the beans. Soak a cup of black beans in water overnight to soften them. 

In the morning, drain the water. Heat 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil and a dash of butter in a large pot on high heat. Then throw in one chopped yellow onion, a bunch of garlic cloves—we’re talking at least five, and a couple of bay leaves. Toast the aromatic bulbs in the oil until they become soft and translucent. 

Then add the beans. Once they hit the onion and garlic oil, they start to sizzle and release their aromas. Sautee them for a quick minute and then pour in about five cups of water. 

Finally, add the smoked sausages. Anything from lingueça to smoked ham will do. In Brazil, it’s traditional to add the so-called naughty bits: ham hocks, smoked pig ear, snout, etc. Once you add the meats, put the heat on medium high and let simmer for a few hours. 

Some people add a chili pepper or two to add some spice. I prefer making my own hot sauce out of six whole habañero chilis, 1 cup of coconut vinegar, 1 chopped beet, several cloves of garlic, and a bay leaf left in the fridge to marinate for a day and blended into a sauce. 

Once the feijoada is done, you’ll notice the warm aromas of the ingredients harmoniously dancing in your nose. The color will be dark as night. 

Once you’re ready to eat, pour the rich feijoada on a plate. Add cooked collard greens, wild or red rice, and toasted cassava flour (farofa) if you’ve got it. Top with your favorite hot sauce and enjoy the flavors dancing on your plate. The farofa, feijoada, greens, and rice will complement each other like nothing else. If you want to truly experience Brazil, try making this at home.