Light Feijoada
Here is my lighter take on feijoada, the Brazilian national dish that brings everyone to the table. By desalting the meats carefully, you keep all the hearty flavour without the excess fat. A generous, comforting and convivial dish, perfect for a relaxed Sunday lunch with family and friends.
🛒 Ingredients
15 servings
- 1 kg dried black beans
- 200 g desalted pork loin
- 200 g calabresa or Portuguese sausage, cut into thick chunks
- 200 g desalted pork ribs
- 200 g desalted dried beef (carne seca)
- 200 g smoked bacon, cut into thick slices
- 1 head of garlic, minced
- 1 large onion, chopped
- Salt, black pepper and cumin, to taste
- 1/2 bunch of flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
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Directions
- 1
To desalt the meats: boil them twice in a row, discarding the water each time. This removes nearly all the salt and excess fat.
- 2
Place the black beans in a large pot with the pork loin, sausage, ribs and dried beef. Cover with water and simmer for 40 minutes once it comes to a boil.
- 3
Meanwhile, in a separate pan, fry the bacon, onion and garlic until nicely golden.
- 4
Ladle two scoops of the cooked beans into the pan with the fried aromatics. Add salt, pepper and cumin, then mash the beans into the seasoning.
- 5
Return this mixture to the feijoada pot and stir well so everything comes together.
- 6
Stir in the chopped parsley, adjust the seasoning and serve piping hot.
💡 Chef's Tip
The secret to a lighter feijoada is proper desalting: two boils strip nearly all the salt and fat from the meats. Serve it with white rice, an orange salad and collard greens for a full Brazilian meal.
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Same category — Main Dishes
Same difficulty — Medium
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