Feijoada

Without a doubt feijoada is a classic Portuguese one pot dish, and one of my favorites. If you are into chunky smokey pork and spicy chorizo, then this dish is for you. I like to use two beans… black beans and butter beans…  The black beans gives the dish it’s awesome purple color.

Use a slow cooker, or as I do (loco styling) the pressure cooker to bring the meats and stock together. Add the beans once cooked and simmer on the cooktop for another 30 minutes.

Origins of feijoada

Interestingly feijoada has been claimed by the Brazilians as their national dish…  however a little research reveals its true origin.

Feijoada goes back to the pork and bean stews of Southern Europe, and those of Portugal in particular.  It turns out that feijoada and cassoulet are cousins!

What these European dishes and feijoada have in common is that they are all ways of cooking the less noble cuts of pork in a thick bean stew. Closer study of the history of feijoada indicates that it is particularly closely related to the stews of the Portuguese regions of Extremadura, Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro.

The major change that resulted in the “Brazilianization” of feijoada was the use of black beans, which are not typical in that part of Europe. Normally the European stews were made with kidney beans, white beans, or chickpeas.

I was introduced to the black beans through my eldest son Carlo who is married to a brilliant Brazilian cook. Carlo simply loves this dish as do I … however my compromise is that I use butter beans as well as the black beans… Try it… you won’t be disappointed.

Drop me a line if you would like my recipe… or better still join a loco class and let’s make it together!