FEIJOADA COM FAROFA

FEIJOADA Com Farofa

Background
If Brazil has a national dish, it is Feijoada. Its origins have two threads. Originally, the Portuguese settlers brought it to Brazil. In fact, people in every Portuguese speaking country eat some form of feijoada. In parts of Portugal, white beans are use. However, in Brazil feijoada is made exclusively with black beans. Some people will from time to time make feijoada with white beans and poultry but more as a novelty.

The other thread of feijoada is in slavery. Masters gave their slaves beans and scraps of beef and pork. We eat them but as part of hotdogs. I am talking about pigs ears, feed, and snout or oxtails and the leftovers from the butchering process. Over the years, these have fallen out of favor by the upper class Brazilians. Nevertheless, they are still used by the poor. I grew up in Brazil mostly in contact with the poor. Therefore that is the type of feijoada I often had. If you Google feijoada, the first several pages will only have recipes used by Americans and rich Brazilians. You have to dig long and hard to find the recipe close to the one I use.

Preparation is complex but requires minimal cooking skills. The cooking is divided into three parts: preparation of the Feijoada, preparation of the Farofa, and preparation of white rice. I will not give instructions for the rice other than to say follow the directions on the package.

FEIJOADA

Ingredient for Feijoada

1. 2 cups dried black beans
2. 1 lbs of some type of boneless pork (pork shoulder, Boston Butt) trimmed and cut into 1/2 in pieces
3. 3/4 tsp of salt, divided
4. 1/2 tsp ground pepper, divided
5. 2 lbs of bone-in beef short ribs, or 1 lbs stew meat, or other cheap beef
6. 3 cups of sliced onions
7. 1 1/4 cups of beef (or chicken) stock
8. 1 whole head of minced garlic. That is not a typo! However, if you do not like garlic, you can use less.
9. 1 smoked ham hock or other smoked pork... solid chunks of bacon for example
10. 1 lbs of carrne seca (corned beef or beef jerky)
11. 1/2 lbs Italian sausage or smoked sausage
12. A few slices of bacon cooked in a skilled and then crumbed
13. 1 pigs foot
14. 3-4 bay leaves

This list has a lot of meats although most people do not or cannot use every one of these. For example, I did not use the pigs foot because there was no room in the pot. I did not use the Italian Sausage because I did not have it on hand. I did use 1/2 lbs of oxtail. In other words, the recipe is very flexible.

Preparation

1. Pour boiling water over the beans. Let them soak while you prepare the meats.
2. In an iron skillet over medium heat, add oil and cook the pork and beef pieces including sausage. When browned on all sides, remove and set aside. If you use the more unusual pig parts, you may have to skin them first.
3. Add the onions to the same irons skillet. Brown them stirring occasionally. Sprinkle some salt on the onions and add the garlic. Stir well and cook for 2 minutes.
4. Add back the beef and pork and cook an additional 2 minutes.
5. Transfer everything to a slow cooker or big pot set to low. Add the broth and enough water to cover. Add the bay leaves, pepper, and salt. Cook gently for 1 hour.
6. Add drained beans, carrne seca (corned beef or beef jerky). Slow cook, stirring occasionally. If needed, add water to cover. Cook on low until the beans are tender. This will take about 8 hours in a slow cooker; less if you use a pot on the stove and much less time if you use a pressure cooker (both valid options since a poor Brazilian does not have a slow cooker). Discard the ham hock. If you use bacon slices, add the crumbs at this point.
7. Remove the bones. If you use oxtail pieces, you might have to remove them and take of the meat with a fork. Oxtail has a lot of fat. I usually put the meat is a skillet and render it down a little. Then palace the meat back into the slow cooker.

FAROFA
Brazilian of every class will cover the feijoada with farofa. Farofa is made with manioc meal. To be honest, farofa looks like saw dust. However, it is a rich source of starches that is lacking in Feijoada. Farofa is easy to make although manioc meal may not be easy to find.

Ingredients for Farofa

1. 1 onion, deiced
2. 2 Tbsp olive oil
3. 4 scallions, green part only, sliced
4. 2 cups of manioc flour
5. Salt to taste
6. 1 boiled egg cut into pieces

Preparation of the Farofa

1. Sauté the onions in the oil until tender
2. Add the scallions
3. Gradually add the manioc flour and stir to mix the ingredient. Brown the mixture a little.
4. Add salt and egg

Although it looks like saw dust, farofa is quite delicious.



Presentation
Serve feijoada on white rice with the farofa sprinkled on top. Add orange wedges on the side. You should use a deep plate. I have not found a good one in my local Wal-Mart or Target so I really do not know if they exist is the USA.

HOLY COW Jim!! That looks awesome!

Jim, this looks spectacular!

My family and I made this years ago, but I don't remember the farofa. We would have loved it! Maybe we'll make it again.

Seems many nationalities have some sort of multi-meat dish: the Poles have Bigos or Hunter's Stew, the French have cassoulet and pot au feu, Alsasians (sp? people from Alsace-Lorraine) have choucroute garni .... all fun to make with, and for, a crowd!

Thanks for the post and the pics!

Lee

Yes. One next-to-impossible ingredient is this is the Manioc Meal. I found it on a trip to Washington when I was there to visit my daughter. You might be able to find it in a Hispanic food store.

Jim54 said:

Yes. One next-to-impossible ingredient is this is the Manioc Meal. I found it on a trip to Washington when I was there to visit my daughter. You might be able to find it in a Hispanic food store.

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No prob.

The town next to mine is as Brazilian as my town is Asian.

Lee

QSis said:

No prob.

The town next to mine is as Brazilian as my town is Asian.

Lee

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Must be nice. Try the Guaraná. I am sure they have some. Also try the pasteis and pão de quejo and pudim de leite moça. I am jellos.