Entree: Brazil – Pernambuco – Feijoada Pernambucana (Pernambuco-style black bean stew with assorted salted and smoked pork)

Food safety reminder: Follow safe food-handling practices and use a food thermometer to verify safe internal cooking temperatures.

Serving Size: 6

Approximate Time

Prep 45 min

Cook 3 hrs

Total 3 hrs 45 min

Ingredients

Dried black beans — 454 g
Water — 2,400 g, plus additional water as needed
Sun-dried salted beef (carne-de-sol/charque) — 454 g, original dry weight; soak 12–24 hours, briefly boil and drain before use
Pork shoulder, raw, cubed — 454 g
Bacon, diced — 225 g
Smoked pork sausage (linguiça), sliced — 340 g total (2 × approximately 170 g)
Pork spare ribs, bone-in — 227 g gross weight, cut into pieces
Onion, finely chopped — 225 g
Garlic, minced — 18 g
Bay leaves — 2 g
Ground black pepper — 2.3 g (1 tsp)
Smoked paprika — 2.3 g (1 tsp)
Lard — 13 g (1 tbsp)
Orange, zest and juice — 1 medium orange, approximately 130 g edible portion (estimated edible portion: 130 g)
Fresh parsley, chopped — 8 g (2 tbsp)
Salt — to taste; add cautiously after cooking because the meats are salted
Long-grain white rice, uncooked — 370 g
Collard greens, thinly sliced — 280 g (estimated edible portion: 280 g)
Toasted cassava flour (farinha de mandioca, for farofa) — 100 g (estimated edible portion: 100 g)
Oranges, peeled and cut into rounds — 2 medium, approximately 260 g edible portion total

Instructions

1. 1. Rinse and sort the beans. Soak them in cold water for 4–8 hours, or use the quick-soak method: boil for 2 minutes, remove from heat, and soak for 1 hour. Drain.
2. 2. Soak the salted dried beef for 12–24 hours, changing the water once or twice. Briefly boil it for 10–15 minutes, drain, and cut into pieces.
3. 3. In a large heavy pot over medium heat, render the bacon with the lard until browned. Remove most of the bacon with a slotted spoon and reserve it, leaving the rendered fat in the pot.
4. 4. Brown the pork shoulder and spare ribs in the pot. Add the sliced smoked sausage and prepared salted dried beef; brown briefly.
5. 5. Stir in the onion and garlic and cook until softened, about 4 minutes. Add the drained beans, bay leaves, paprika, black pepper, and 1.9 L of the listed water. Add more hot water as needed to cover the beans by 2.5–5 cm.
6. 6. Bring to a gentle boil, reduce the heat to low, partially cover, and simmer for 1½–2 hours, stirring occasionally and skimming foam. Add hot water as needed to keep the beans covered. Continue simmering until the beans are creamy and the meats tender, about 2–3 hours total.
7. 7. Mash about 1 cup of beans against the side of the pot to thicken the stew. Stir in the reserved bacon and orange zest. Taste and add salt cautiously; remove the bay leaves before serving.
8. 8. Meanwhile, cook the rice according to package directions. Sauté the collard greens in a little oil until wilted, seasoning with a pinch of salt if desired.
9. 9. Finish the stew with some of the orange juice and the chopped parsley. Taste and adjust the orange juice and salt as needed.
10. 10. Serve the stew with rice, sautéed collard greens, the remaining orange wedges, and toasted cassava flour on the side.