Feijoada (Brazilian Black Bean Stew)
The best part of doing a unit study about a country of the world is, of course, the food! We enjoy reading books about foreign lands, looking at pictures, drawing maps, listening to music, etc. But to truly get an authentic taste of a culture (pun totally intended), nothing quite compares to sitting down to a plate of exotic new flavors.
This spring we were invited to take part in a homeschool event called the World Food Fest. It was basically a country study event with heavy emphasis on food, which happens to be exactly how we like our unit studies. It took the kids about two seconds to decide which country we would do and which food we would make. Of all the ethnic foods we have tried over the years as we have tasted our way around the world, there is one that stands out above all others–the national dish of Brazil, Feijoada, a.k.a. Brazilian Black Bean Stew. The Food Fest was our chance to share the joy of feijoada (fay-ZHWAH-duh) with the world. Or at least a few other homeschool families.
So while I cooked up a giant pot of beans, the kids dove into the culture of Brazil once again and created a lovely tri-fold poster board full of fun facts, maps, photos, and all the colors of Brazil. When the day of the festival arrived, fun was had by all, and the beans, as expected, were a big hit.
If you find yourself with a hankering for a taste of Brazil, go ahead and study up on the rainforest, take a virtual tour of Rio, or learn to samba, but we strongly recommend that you also give feijoada a try. Oh, and don’t forget the salsa vinaigrette! We wouldn’t think of having one without the other. They are a perfect pair! Delicioso!
*Full disclosure, our recipe is not completely authentic. I have not taken the time to track down traditional meats and sausages. I use a variety of pre-cooked sausages so I can skip the meat soaking and cooking steps. If you want to check out the traditional recipe that was the starting point of my recipe you can find it at oliviascusine.com. I’m sure the real deal is even better, but, at this point, we don’t know what we are missing, and we think this version is plenty tasty.
Feijoada (Brazilian Black Bean Stew)
Ingredients
- 1 pound of corned beef
- 1.5 pounds of sausage--calabaza, polish, etc.
- 5 cups of dried black beans
- 3 dried bay leaves
- 1/2 large orange
- 1 TBSP olive oil
- 8 ounces of bacon, diced
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 12 cloves of garlic, minced
- salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Instructions
- The day before you plan to make the dish, put the beans in a large bowl and cover with cold water. Let them soak overnight in the fridge.
- When ready to begin cooking put the meat (except the bacon) in a large Dutch oven or heavy bottomed pot and cover with water to submerge. Cook, over medium-high heat, until boiling. Let boil for 20 minutes, adding more water as needed. Drain and reserve.
- In that same pot combine the boiled corned beef, beans that have been drained and rinsed, bay leaves, and orange. Pour 10 cups (2.5 quarts) of cold water in the pot and cook, over medium-high heat, until boiling. Lower the heat to a gentle simmer, cover and cook for 30 minutes.
- In the meantime, slice the meat into smaller pieces. After the 30 minutes, remove the bay leaves and the orange and add the meat to the pot. Continue to simmer until beans are tender.
- In the meantime also be working on preparing the onions, garlic, and bacon. Heat the oil in a saute pan, over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook until no longer raw, 3-5 minutes. Add the onion and garlic and continue to saute until softened and fragrant, about 2-3 minutes. Add a ladleful of the cooked beans to the pan, without liquid, and stir to combine. Using a fork, mash the beans to release their starch.
- Pour that mixture pack into the bean pot and cook over medium heat, uncovered, for 10-15 minutes or until thickened. If too thick, add more water as needed. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
- Serve with rice and vinaigrette salsa.
Brazilian Vinaigrette Salsa
Ingredients
- 1 large onion, diced
- 4 tomatoes, diced
- 1 green or red bell pepper, diced
- 1/3 chopped parsley
- 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix well.
- Season with salt and pepper and let it sit 30 minutes to an hour, either at room temperature or in the fridge to maximize flavor.
