Simple Feijoada with Pork Ribs, Sausage & Bacon

Ingredients

• 500 g black beans (about 2 1/2 cups dried)
• 400 g pork ribs, cut into pieces (about 14 oz / 0.9 lb)
• 300 g calabresa sausage, sliced into rounds (about 10.5 oz)
• 150 g bacon, diced (about 5.3 oz)
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon oil (for frying)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 bay leaves
• 1.5 L water (approximately) — about 6 cups
• 1 tablespoon salt (or to taste)
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 oranges, sliced into rounds for serving
• 2 cups cooked white rice to serve
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley to finish

Instructions

1. Rinse the beans and soak for 4–8 hours or overnight; drain before using.
2. In a large pot or pressure cooker, heat the oil and fry the diced bacon until crispy; remove and reserve the bacon, keeping the rendered fat in the pot.
3. In the same pot, sear the calabresa sausage rounds until lightly browned; remove and set aside with the bacon.
4. Add the olive oil (if needed) and brown the pork rib pieces on all sides; return the bacon and sausage to the pot.
5. Add the drained beans, bay leaves and enough water to cover everything by about 2 cm (about 3/4 in); in a pressure cooker cook 35–45 minutes after coming to pressure (or simmer 1½–2 hours in a regular pot, until beans and ribs are tender).
6. Open the pot when safe; if you want a creamier broth, remove 2 ladles of beans, mash them and stir back into the pot. Adjust salt and pepper.
7. In a small skillet, sauté the chopped onion in a drizzle of oil (or in the reserved bacon fat) until translucent; add the garlic, cook 1 minute, then stir into the cooked beans. Simmer 5–10 more minutes to blend flavors.
8. Serve the feijoada with white rice, orange slices and chopped parsley on top. Enjoy hot.

Tips

• If using a pressure cooker, check your model's timing and the meat's doneness so the ribs don't fall apart.
• Reserve some bacon fat to sauté the onion: it adds extra flavor without much additional oil.
• Feijoada tastes even better if it rests 30 minutes before serving; the flavors meld together.

Variations

• Add pieces of paio or desalted dried beef (carne seca) for a more traditional version.
• For a lighter feijoada, skim off some of the fat with a ladle after cooking before finishing.

FAQ