Feijoada à Portuguesa (Portuguese Bean and Meat Stew)

  • Total time - 3 hours (plus soaking beans)
  • Prep - 30 minutes
  • Cooking - 2 hours 30 minutes
  • Servings: 6
  • Country: Portugal
A rich bean stew Feijoada with pieces of meat and sausage, served in a bowl with rice and cabbage.

Feijoada is essentially a rustic dish, created from cheaper cuts of pork and beans. The rich flavour of the stew comes from long, slow cooking with sausages, which release their aroma and fat into the base.

The key is the preparation of the beans (which must be soaked overnight) and the correct order of adding the meat. The stew should be thick and the beans perfectly soft but not falling apart. It is traditionally served with white rice and braised collard greens or kale.

Ingredients

Beans and Meat

  • 500 g red or white beans (soaked overnight)
  • 500 g pork ribs, cut into pieces
  • 300 g smoked pork hock or bacon, chopped
  • 200 g chouriço, cut into thick slices
  • 1 piece farinheira (optional), sliced

Base (Refogado)

  • 4 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 pieces onion, chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 400 g tomatoes, peeled and chopped
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 2 pieces bay leaf
  • to taste salt and pepper

Instructions

Step 1: Cooking Beans and Meat

Cook the soaked beans in fresh water with a little salt until tender (about 1.5 hours). Reserve the bean broth.

In another pot, boil the pork ribs and hock/bacon. Once cooked, remove and chop them. Reserve the meat broth.

Step 2: Preparing the Base (Refogado)

Heat the olive oil in a large pot or casserole dish. Sauté the onion until translucent.

Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, and bay leaf. Cook for about 10 minutes until the tomatoes are broken down and the mixture thickens.

Step 3: Combining the Stew

Add the sliced chouriço and farinheira to the base and sear briefly (about 5 minutes).

Add the cooked and chopped pork meat and the cooked beans (without too much water).

Pour in about 2-3 cups of the bean broth and, if necessary, the meat broth. The stew should be thick but not dry.

Step 4: Slow Simmering and Serving

Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer over low heat for 45-60 minutes for the flavours to fully combine. If the stew is too runny, uncover and let it reduce; if too thick, add more broth.

Season the stew with salt and pepper (remember the sausages are salty).

Serve hot with white rice and braised collard or savoy cabbage that has been cooked in the meat broth.