Feijoada Recipe

Rinse the dried black beans under cold water, remove any stones or debris.

Place the beans in a large bowl and cover with 1.5 liters cold water. Soak for at least 8 hours or overnight. Drain and rinse before cooking.

Initial simmer

Transfer the drained beans to a heavy-bottomed large pot. Add 2 liters fresh water and the bay leaves. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce heat to maintain a simmer. Skim any foam that rises to the surface during the first 10 minutes.

Simmer the beans gently while you prepare meats and sofrito. The beans will cook with the meats later, so initial simmer until they begin to soften but are not falling apart, about 30–40 minutes.

Prep and brown meats

While beans simmer, pat the pork shoulder and ribs dry and season lightly with salt and black pepper. In a large skillet or the same heavy pot (if using), heat 2 tbs olive oil over medium-high heat. Brown pork shoulder cubes in batches until well-colored (3–4 minutes per side). Remove and set aside.

If using pork ribs and smoked hock, brown them briefly in the same pan (2–3 minutes per side) to develop color. Remove and set aside with the shoulder.

Cook sausages

Add the sliced linguiça and chouriço to the pan and brown for 3–4 minutes until edges are caramelized. Remove and reserve with the other meats.

If your smoked pork hock is especially salty, you can par-cook it in water for 10–15 minutes and discard that water to reduce saltiness before browning—optional step.

Combine with beans

When the beans have softened for about 30–40 minutes, add the browned pork shoulder, ribs, smoked hock, and sausages to the bean pot. Add additional water if needed so beans and meats are submerged by about 2 cm. Continue to simmer gently, partially covered, for 1.5–2 hours, stirring occasionally and skimming fat if desired. The long simmer melds flavors and tenderizes meats.

Make the refogado

In a separate skillet, heat the remaining 2 tbs olive oil over medium heat. Add the chopped onions and sauté until soft and translucent, 6–8 minutes.

Add the minced garlic and diced red bell pepper and cook until fragrant and softened, about 2–3 minutes.

Stir in the diced tomato and cook until the mixture is saucy and most liquid has reduced, about 5 minutes. Add smoked paprika and black pepper, stir to combine.

Add half of the chopped parsley (and cilantro if using) to the sofrito, stir, then remove from heat. If you prefer a smoother finish, pulse the sofrito briefly in a blender and return it to the pan—this is optional.

Incorporate into beans

Once the beans and meats have been simmering together for about 45–60 minutes and the beans are tender, stir the refogado into the bean pot. Taste and adjust seasoning: add salt (start with the listed 2 tsp and increase if needed) and 1 tsp sugar if tomatoes taste too acidic. Continue simmering uncovered for another 20–30 minutes to allow flavors to meld and sauce to thicken.

Taste the feijoada for seasoning. Add more salt and black pepper as needed. Remove bay leaves and discard.

If the stew is too thin, simmer uncovered until it reduces to a thicker, stew-like consistency. If too thick, add small amounts of hot water to reach desired consistency.

Before serving, stir in the remaining chopped parsley and cilantro (if using) for freshness. Slice orange into wedges for serving alongside the feijoada to cut through richness.

Remove large bones (if any) from the pot and shred larger pieces of meat if you prefer smaller bites.

Cook white rice according to package instructions and keep warm.

For collard greens (couve): stack leaves, roll and slice into thin ribbons. Heat 1 tbs oil in a skillet, add minced garlic (1–2 cloves) and quickly sauté until fragrant, add collard ribbons and sauté 2–3 minutes until bright and tender. Season with a pinch of salt and a squeeze of lemon or vinegar if desired.

Warm farofa in a dry pan for a few minutes or toast lightly with a little butter or bacon bits if desired.

Serve feijoada hot with bowls of white rice, collard greens, farofa and orange wedges on the side. Guests can place beans and meats over rice and sprinkle with additional parsley.