Feijoada

Method

1. 01

   The night before — soak and desalt10 min active, 8–12 hours passive

   Spread the black beans on a tray, pick out stones and shrivelled beans, and rinse under cold water until it runs clearer. Cover with cold water by at least 8 cm and leave 8 to 12 hours.

   At the same time, start desalting the carne seca — cold water, changed 3 or 4 times.

   Sort and rinse beans; cover with cold water by 8 cm and soak 8–12 hours, refrigerating if the kitchen exceeds 27 °C / 80 °F. Separately desalt carne seca in cold water, changing it 3–4 times; treat desalted meat as fresh for refrigeration.

2. 02

   Parboil the extremities, if you are using them25 min

   Put the ear, tail, and feet in a separate pot, cover with cold water, bring to a boil, skim the foam, and simmer 20 minutes. Drain and rinse. Pat dry.

   This first boil pulls off excess scum and some of the stronger smell.

   Skip this entire step if you are not using those cuts.

   If using ear, tail or feet, cover them with cold water in a separate pot. Bring to a boil uncovered, skim, then simmer 20 minutes. Drain, rinse and pat dry; otherwise skip this step.

3. 03

   Start the beans0:00

   Drain the soaked beans. Into the heavy pot with 3.5 L of fresh water, the whole onion half, the smashed garlic, and the bay leaves.

   Bring to a boil over high heat, then drop to a steady simmer. Skim the purple-grey foam for the first 10 minutes.

   At this stage the liquid smells earthy and clean, not meaty yet.

   Drain soaked beans and add to a heavy pot with 3.5 L fresh water, the whole onion half, smashed garlic and bay. Boil over high heat, reduce to a steady simmer and skim for 10 minutes; keep beans submerged.

4. 04

   Tougher meats first0:20 · then 1 hour

   Add the desalted carne seca, the smoked ribs, and any parboiled ear, tail, or feet.

   Keep a gentle simmer — small bubbles breaking, not a rolling boil that frays bean skins into mush. Partially covered. One hour.

   The broth will darken from ink-wash grey toward deep brown-black. The ribs should start to pull slightly from the bone but not fall apart yet.

   At 20 minutes, add desalted carne seca cut into 4 cm pieces, smoked ribs and any parboiled extremities. Simmer gently, partially covered, for 1 hour; avoid a rolling boil. Ribs should begin releasing from bones without falling apart.

5. 05

   Sausages and belly1:20 · then 45–75 min

   Add the linguiça, paio, and pork belly cubes. Continue simmering 45 to 75 minutes more — a total bean simmer of roughly 2 to 2¾ hours, depending on how old the beans are.

   Taste a bean: it should crush easily between tongue and palate with no chalky centre. The broth should coat a spoon lightly — gelatin from the extremities and collagen from the ribs thicken it naturally.

   Add linguiça, paio and pork belly; simmer 45–75 minutes more. Beans should crush easily with no chalky centre, and the broth should lightly coat a spoon. Keep enough water in the pot to submerge the beans.

6. 06

   The sofrito finishabout 2:30

   In a skillet, heat the oil or lard over medium until it shimmers, around 175 °C / 350 °F. Soften the diced onion 6 to 8 minutes until translucent and sweet-smelling, not browned hard. Minced garlic for 60 to 90 seconds — raw edge gone, not bitter. Optional tomato, 2 to 3 minutes, until it collapses.

   Ladle two cups of bean broth into the skillet, scrape, and pour the whole sofrito back into the big pot. Stir.

   Season with salt only now, tasting first — the cured meats may have you close already. Pepper, and the optional orange zest. Simmer 10 to 15 minutes uncovered so it marries and the surface looks glossy, not watery.

   Heat oil or lard over medium to about 175 °C / 350 °F. Soften onion 6–8 minutes, garlic 60–90 seconds, then optional tomato 2–3 minutes. Deglaze with 2 cups bean broth and return to pot. Taste before salting; add pepper and optional zest, then simmer uncovered 10–15 minutes.

7. 07

   Rest before serving15–30 min

   Kill the heat. Feijoada tastes rounder after a short rest; the fat rises and you can skim it for a cleaner bowl.

   Fish out the bay leaves and the spent onion half. Keep the meats in large pieces for a platter, or chop some into the beans for mixed bowls — both are correct.

   Turn off the heat and rest 15–30 minutes. Skim risen fat if desired; remove bay leaves and the onion half. Serve meats in large pieces on a platter or chop some into the beans.

8. 08

   Rice and couve, while the pot rests20 min

   Rice: cook it plain, in salted water, no stock.

   Couve mineira: heat 1 to 2 tbsp of oil or bacon drippings in a wide skillet over medium-high. When it is hot, add the ribboned collards with a pinch of salt and a minced garlic clove or two. Toss 3 to 5 minutes until the greens turn bright and then deep green — wilted, still with a slight chew.

   They should smell garlicky and sweet-vegetal. Sulfurous means you overcooked them, or crowded a cold pan.

   Cook rice in salted water. Toss collards with 1–2 tbsp hot oil or drippings, salt and 1–2 minced garlic cloves over medium-high, 3–5 minutes until wilted but chewy. For farofa, soften ½ small onion in 2 tbsp butter or drippings; toast 200 g farinha 4–6 minutes until golden, then salt lightly. Serve with orange slices.