Quick and Easy Feijoada
The weeknight version of Brazil's black bean and pork stew
Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 75 g (2.6 oz) lardons or thick-cut bacon cut into ½ cm (¼ in) strips
- 2 onions chopped
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- 4 smoked sausages about 360 g (12.7 oz)
- 820 g (29 oz) can black beans drained but unrinsed
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 bay leaf
- 500 ml (2 cups) beef broth
- 1 tsp cornstarch
- Black pepper to taste
- 1 tbsp lime juice (see note)
For serving
- Cooked rice
- 4 orange slices
- 4 tbsp chopped cilantro
Instructions
- In a large pot over medium heat, cook the lardons, chopped onions, and minced garlic for about 5 minutes or until the onion softens.
- Cut the smoked sausages into bite-sized slices, about 1 cm (1/2 inch) wide.
- With a fork or potato masher, mash approximately ½ cup of black beans to help thicken the stew. Add the smoked sausages, dried oregano, bay leaf, beef broth, and drained + mashed black beans to the pot. Stir to combine and let simmer, covered, for 15 minutes.
- In a small bowl, mix 1 tsp cornstarch with a small amount of cold water. Stir to dissolve, and add to the hot stew. Simmer for 1 more minute to thicken.
- Stir in black pepper to taste and a tablespoon of lime juice. Taste, and add salt if needed (I didn’t need to add any).
- Serve over rice, with a slice of orange and sprinkled with plenty of chopped cilantro.
Notes
- Traditionally, feijoada is served with an orange slice and no lime juice. Personally, I love this recipe with lime juice. It balances the flavor wonderfully. Alternatively, you can add 2 to 3 tbsp orange juice.