Feijoada
mmm this bowl of piggy deliciousness brings back so many fond memories and is definitely one of my go to comfort foods. we have wonderful family friends who are korean-brasilian and almost every sunday we were part of their family get togethers, watching soccer, bbq’ing, eating, drinking, being merry and not understanding portuguese 
(but learning now!) i especially gorged myself on chicken hearts, pao de queijo, palmitos, and feijoada. obrigada tia ines e tio carlos!!!
this recipe takes some time but makes a lot which is great because you can freeze it and have feijoada in a jiffy the next 20 times! i freeze them in 2 serving portions since we are two.
Shopping List:
- 3 onions, diced
- 6 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 bay leaves
- s&p
- 1 lb pork belly, cut into 1 inch pieces
- 1 lb carne seca, cut into 1 inch pieces
- 1 lb baby back ribs, cut into 1 rib portions
- 1 lb paio, cut into 1 inch pieces
- 1 lb calabresa, cut into 1 inch pieces
- 1lb ham hocks or pig’s feet
- 2 lbs black beans
- oranges
- farofa
- molho campanha
- collard greens
- garlic rice
Recipe:
(makes about 20-25 servings)
1) The night before, soak the beans in water and in a separate bowl, soak the carne seca in water and leave in the refrigerator overnight.
2) The next day, drain the beans and carne seca. Get organized, it really helps. Chop all the meat into bite sized pieces or medium size chunks and set aside.
3) In a large stock pot, add some olive oil and saute 2 diced onions, 3 garlic cloves, and pork belly for about 5 minutes.
4) Add all the lovely hodge podge of pork ingredients, beans, bay leaves and cover with water. The water should be enough to cover all the ingredients and then an extra splash if you enjoy it more brothy. Give everything a good stir.
4) Cover, bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer for about 2-2 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally and skimming off the foam and fat.
5) At around the 2 hour mark, in a skillet, saute the remaining diced onion and garlic for a few minutes and then add 2 ladles of black beans and smash the beans. Return to the pot and this will help thicken the feijoada.
6) Serve with garlic rice, collard greens, molho campanha, orange slices, and farofa.
