Feijoada do sábado (Saturday feijoada)
A deep black bean stew slowly simmered with several cuts of pork (fresh, salted, smoked). Served with white rice, orange slices, shredded collard greens, and farofa. A whole-day meal, designed for a crowd.
A deep black bean stew slowly simmered with several cuts of pork (fresh, salted, smoked). Served with white rice, orange slices, shredded collard greens, and farofa. A whole-day meal, designed for a crowd.
On Saturdays, at home in Rio, there was no discussion: it was feijoada. I'd put on a record, my mother at the piano in the other room, and the pot would sing on the fire for hours — you need patience, like holding a long note. The trick, my friend, is the orange: its fresh acidity that wakes up the heavy, warm black bean. Even in Los Angeles, far from home, I made this dish so I wouldn't forget where my voice came from.
- •Black beans (feijão preto) — a large bowlful (base of the dish)
- •Various pork cuts (shoulder, ribs, ear, tail, smoked bacon) — a generous assortment (richness and smokiness)
- •Smoked sausage (paio/linguiça) — a few pieces (smoky umami)
- •Onion, garlic, bay leaves — in abundance (aromatic base)
- •Sweet orange — a few (acidic freshness at the table)
Feijoada do sábado (Saturday feijoada)
A deep black bean stew slowly simmered with several cuts of pork (fresh, salted, smoked). Served with white rice, orange slices, shredded collard greens, and farofa. A whole-day meal, designed for a crowd.
Why this dish? Feijoada is THE family ritual of Saturday lunch in Rio, Flora's hometown. Wherever she is in the world — Los Angeles, New York, Montreux — it's the dish that brings the Brazilian diaspora together and stirs up saudade for the homeland. A stew shared among many, like a jam session.
On Saturdays, at home in Rio, there was no discussion: it was feijoada. I'd put on a record, my mother at the piano in the other room, and the pot would sing on the fire for hours — you need patience, like holding a long note. The trick, my friend, is the orange: its fresh acidity that wakes up the heavy, warm black bean. Even in Los Angeles, far from home, I made this dish so I wouldn't forget where my voice came from.
Ingredients (period version)
- Black beans (feijão preto) — a large bowlful (base of the dish)
- Various pork cuts (shoulder, ribs, ear, tail, smoked bacon) — a generous assortment (richness and smokiness)
- Smoked sausage (paio/linguiça) — a few pieces (smoky umami)
- Onion, garlic, bay leaves — in abundance (aromatic base)
- Sweet orange — a few (acidic freshness at the table)
Ingredients
- Dried black beans — 500 g (soaked overnight) (base of the dish)
- Pork shoulder + ribs — 600 g total (melting meat)
- Smoked bacon — 150 g (smokiness)
- Smoked sausage (Morteau or linguiça) — 200 g (umami)
- Onions — 2 (base)
- Garlic — 4 cloves (base)
- Bay leaves — 2 (flavor)
- Orange — 2 (serving)
- White rice, collard greens (or kale), cassava flour — for serving (accompaniment)
Method
- The night before, soak the black beans in a large volume of cold water.
- On the day, cook the beans at a simmer with bay leaves for 1 hour.
- Meanwhile, sear the pork cuts and sausage to brown them.
- Sauté onion and garlic, add the meats, then pour them into the bean pot.
- Simmer for 1.5 to 2 hours over low heat until the broth thickens and the meat is tender.
- Serve with white rice, sautéed shredded collard greens, farofa, and fresh orange slices.
How it was made : The feijoada as we know it was born in the 19th century in Brazilian urban kitchens, blending the European tradition of bean stew with Afro-Brazilian know-how. In the 20th century, it became a national emblem and the Sunday/Saturday ritual of families, simmered all morning long on the stove.
The contemporary twist : Served in small individual casseroles with a lacquered orange wedge, for an 'appetizer feijoada' that opens a dinner to the rhythms of bossa nova.
Flora Purim · Charactorium
