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Feijoada Completa
By Steve Mandel

Feijoada Completa is the undisputed national dish of
Brazil. It is a bean stew with rice and pork meat. Different ingredients
are used in different parts of Brazil, but usually include farofa
(mandioca, a root from the rainforest), mixed with maize flour and oil.
The origin of the feijoada runs back to the sixteenth
century with the introduction of African slaves in Brazil. Others argue
that the black bean stew is instead a Brazilian variation of European
fare like the French "cassoulet"and the Portuguese "caldeirada."
Whatever its origin, feijoada stands as an important symbol of Brazilian
heritage.
Originally feijoada was made using every part of the
pig, such as ears, tails, and nose floating among the beans. As this
upsets tourists, a version of it is often made using only the fine meat
parts of the pig.
Because of the heavy consistence of the
famous dish, Brazilians believe that drinking some caipirinha helps
reduce the unhealthy effects. Otherwise, the recommended activity after
this culinary treat is a nap.
Feijoada Restaurants
In São Paulo, restaurants typically serve feijoada
on Wednesdays and Saturdays. In Rio de Janeiro, it appears on the menu
on Fridays and Saturdays. Some establishments specialize in feijoada
seven-days a week. On my trip to Rio, I found that many restaurants
had already depleted their batch of the sublime dish for the day
Included here is one version of a traditional feijoada
recipe.

Ingredients:
- 1 lb. black beans
- 1 lb. smoked ham hocks
- 1 of each: pork foot, ear, tail, tongue (optional)
- 1 lb. Mexican "chorizo" or Brazilian "linguica"
- ½ lb. Chunk of lean Canadian bacon or
Brazilian "carne seca"
- ½ lb. Smoked pork or beef ribs
- 3-4 strips of smoked bacon
- ½ lb. lean pork
- ½ lb. lean beef
- 1 large onion
- 4 garlic cloves
- 2 tablespoons of olive or vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon vinegar
- salt to taste
- black pepper
- hot sauce (optional)
How to prepare feijoada::
Soak beans overnight in large container. Next morning,
cook beans for 4-5 hours at low heat. Place ham hocks, chorizo, ribs
and Canadian bacon in deep pan with plenty of water and bring to a boil.
Change water and bring to a new boil, repeating the procedure at least
three times to tenderize cured meats and remove excess fat.
In a large frying pan saut onion and garlic using
either vegetable or olive oil (smoked bacon strips optional) for two
or three minutes. Toss in cubed pork and beef. Saut an additional
two-three minutes.
Mash 5-l0 tablespoons of beans and add to large pot.
The resulting paste will thicken sauce. Add two tablespoons of olive
oil, three garlic cloves all chopped-up or mashed, along with a tablespoon
of white vinegar and a teaspoon of red-hot pepper. Stir, heat over medium
fire for two-three minutes, then transfer to contents of frying pan.
Let simmer for l0-l5 minutes. Add contents of frying
pan to the beans and let boil at medium heat for 1-2 hours.
Serve over white rice, with additional red-hot sauce,
if desired.
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