Feijoada

Feijoada is a Portuguese dish that is now popular in Timor-Leste. In most places of East Timor, this Feijoada is cooked. For this Feijoada, however, you should go to the ancient eateries and cafes for authenticity. Pork and other veggies are commonly used in Feijoada. You can make this dish even more delicious by adding beans and chorizo.

Ingredients

• 1 pound carne seca (see notes for substitutions), 3 large (about 1 pound) smoked calabresa sausages, 2 (about 8 ounces) paio sausages, 5 cups (about 2.2 pounds) dried black beans, 3 dried bay leaves, ½ large orange, 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, 6 slices thick-cut bacon, diced, 1 large onion, chopped, 12 cloves garlic, minced, Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Instructions

• The day before you plan on cooking the feijoada, trim the excess fat of all the meats (except the bacon) and place them in a large bowl. Cover with cold water and refrigerate for 24 hours, changing the water 3-4 times, to get rid of the excess salt.
• Place the black beans in a separate bowl and cover with cold water. Let them soak overnight in the fridge.
• Drain the meat and beans. Place the soaked meat in a large Dutch oven or heavy bottomed pot and cover with enough water so they’re all submerged. Cook, over medium-high heat, until boiling. Let them boil for 20 minutes, adding more water as needed. Drain and reserve.
• Combine the boiled carne seca, beans, bay leaves and orange in that same pot. Pour 2.5 quarts cold water and cook, over medium-high heat, until boiling. Lower the heat to a gentle simmer, cover and cook for 30 minutes.
• After 30 minutes, add the sausages. Cover and continue simmering, occasionally skimming the fat that rises to the top, until the meat is tender, about 1.5 to 2 hours.
• Remove the orange and bay leaves. Discard. Remove the meat and sausage and slice into smaller pieces. Reserve.
• Heat the oil in a sauté pan, over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook until no longer raw but not yet golden brown, about 3-5 minutes. Add the onion and garlic and sauté until softened and fragrant, about 2-3 minutes. Add a ladleful of the cooked beans, without liquid, and stir to combine. Using a fork, mash the beans, to release their starch.
• Pour that mixture into the feijoada pot and cook over medium heat, uncovered, for 10-15 minutes or until thickened. If too thick, add more water as needed. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
• Return the meats back to the pot.
• Serve with white rice, collard greens, fried bananas, farofa, vinaigrette salsa and orange slices!