Feijoada

Ingredients

• 600 g dried black beans
• 500 g pork ribs
• 300 g smoked pork sausage
• 250 g salted pork or bacon
• 400 g beef short rib
• 2 pieces onions, diced
• 6 pieces garlic cloves, crushed
• 3 pieces bay leaves
• 1 pieces orange
• 150 g cassava flour (farofa)
• 3 tbsp olive oil

Steps

1. 1
   Soak the black beans overnight. Soak any heavily salted meats separately, changing the water twice.
2. 2
   Simmer the beans with the bay leaves and 2.5 litres of fresh water for 1 hour.
3. 3
   Add the tougher meats — ribs and short rib — and cook another hour.
4. 4
   Add the sausage and salted pork and simmer a further 45 minutes, until everything is tender and the liquid has darkened and thickened.
5. 5
   Fry the onion and garlic in olive oil until golden, then ladle in a cupful of beans and mash them into the pan. Return this to the pot — it thickens the stew without flour.
6. 6
   Add a wide strip of orange peel for the last 20 minutes, then remove it.
7. 7
   Season only at this point; the cured meats carry most of the salt.
8. 8
   Rest at least 30 minutes, and serve with rice, orange segments and farofa.