Combination meats: Brazilian Feijoada Recipes by Polar Bear

posted by Polar Bear 03-23-99 1:22 PM

Feijoada (Assorted Meats with Black Beans, Rice and Greens)

1 lb black beans
8 c water (divided)
6 oz carne seca (see Note)
5 T peanut oil (divided)
5 cl garlic (divided)
2 med onions (divided)
1 t fresh cayenne chile sauce (or sambal ulek)
1/4 t black pepper
1-3/4 t salt (divided)
2 lb smoked and/or fresh ham hocks
1 lb linguiça (see Note)
1 c rice
2 c chicken stock
1/2 c crushed tomatoes (drained)
1/2 c manioc flour (see Note)
1 T butter
1/2 c key lime or fresh lemon juice
2 med fresh habanero chiles (or 2 T habanero chile sauce)
8 oz collard or mustard greens
3 lg navel oranges


Pick over beans to remove any stones and rinse in several changes lukewarm water; combine with 6 c water and let stand covered overnight. Pour remaining 2 c water over carne seca and chill covered overnight.

Simmer beans covered until barely tender, about 3 hours, 8 to 10 hours in a slow cooker (reduce water to 5 c). Chop 2 cl garlic and one onion; saute in 2 T oil until very tender, about 15 minutes. Add to beans with ham hocks, carne seca (including soaking liquid), chile sauce, black pepper and 1 t salt; simmer 1 hour. Add linguiça and simmer 1 hour more.

Chop half the remaining onion and saute with rice in 1 T oil. Add chicken stock and 1/2 t salt. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer covered 20 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes. Stir in tomatoes and keep warm.

Meanwhile, make farofa by toasting manioc flour in dry skillet until golden, about 8 minutes; add butter and saute until fragrant, about 5 minutes. Make môlho de pimenta e limão (chile-lemon sauce) by pureeing juice, chiles (seeded), 1 cl garlic, remaining half onion and 1/4 t salt in blender. Mince remaining 2 cl garlic and chop greens coarsely; saute in remaining 2 T oil until wilted, 5 to 10 minutes; cover and steam until tender, about 2 minutes. Peel oranges and slice 1/4 inch thick.

Remove meats to a platter. Bone ham hocks, trim gristle and slice meat thinly. Slice or shred carne seca. Arrange meats in separate small piles on a serving platter and keep warm. Add a little water to beans, if necessary (they should be a touch soupy).

Place beans, rice, farofa, greens and oranges in separate bowls. Pour môlho into a small pitcher or cruet. Spoon a little bean liquid over meats and serve buffet style. Each person takes a bit of each meat as desired, some rice and greens and sprinkles farofa and/or môlho over all. The oranges, nibbled at will, serve as garnish, palate refresher and a light dessert.

Variation: For Feijoda Completa, the full dress buffet version, double beans, rice, farofa, greens and oranges (no need to double the môlho).

While beans are cooking, simmer a 3 lb (or two 2 lb) smoked beef tongue in salted water until tender, 3 to 4 hours. Add 1 lb boneless beef to beans with the onion. Add tongue, plus 1 lb each boneless pork and fresh sausage to beans with the linguiça.

When serving, cool tongue slightly, trim, skin and slice 1/4 inch thick; slice beef and pork 1/4 inch thick also. Place tongue in center of a large platter (it's the star) and arrange sausages and other meats around.

Serves 10 to 12.

NOTE: Carne seca and manioc flour (also called cassava meal and mandioca) can be found in larger Latin food stores; if unavailable, substitute pulverized unsalted macadamia nuts.

Carne seca may be replaced with any mild Beef Jerky or 1 lb beef brisket (don't pre-soak). If linguiça is unavailable, substitute spanish chorizo, andouille or other hearty smoked sausage.



Feijoada II (simplified version)

1/2 lb black beans
3 c water
1/2 c pink lentils (or yellow split peas)
2 T peanut oil
4 cl garlic
1 med onion
1-1/2 lb boneless beef, lamb, pork, chicken thighs, etc.
3/4 lb linguiça or other hearty sausage
1-1/2 t salt (divided)
1/2 t each: black pepper; cayenne
1 c rice (preferably Uncle Ben's)
1-2/3 c water
10 oz frozen chopped greens (turnip, mustard, kale, etc.)
1 lg seedless orange (navel, etc.)
1 med lemon (optional)


Rinse beans and pick over for stones; add water and let soak overnight (or bring just to a boil, remove from heat and let stand 1 hour). Add lentils and bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until just tender, 2 to 4 hours.

Mince garlic, chop onion and cut meat in 3/4 inch dice. Saute garlic and onion in oil until tender, about 10
minutes. Add meat and saute until seared, 5 to 10 minutes.

Add saute mixture to beans with seasonings (except reserve 1/2 T salt); simmer until tender, about 2 hours
for beef, 1 hour for other meats and 45 minutes for chicken. Saute sausages if raw, halve lengthwise, slice 1/2 inch thick and add to pot. Simmer until heated through, 15 to 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine rice, 1-2/3 c water and remaining 1/2 t salt; bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes
covered; remove from heat and let stand 5 minutes. Also, steam greens until tender (20 to 40 minutes) and slice orange and lemon into wedges peel orange first, if desire

Spoon meat-and-bean mixture over rice; garnish each serving with a spoonful of greens, a couple wedges of
orange and a wedge of lemon (squeeze over meat-and-beans, if desired, for a bit of môlho flavor).


Slow Cooker: Simmer beans 6 to 8 hours in a small preferably 1 qt) cooker in Step 1. And/or simmer meat-and-beans in a medium (preferably 2 qt) cooker in Step 3, 8 to 10 hours for beef, 6 to 8 hours for other meats, 4 to 6 hours for chicken thighs.


Shortcuts: Substitute two 15 oz cans prepared beans for the dry; use packing liquid to cook meat per first sentence of Step 3 (reduce salt to 1/2 t); add beans with sausage. Cooked meat (1 lb) may be substituted for the raw; cut in 1/2 by 1/4 inch dice and add with sausage.

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