Lighter feijoada (Brazilian black beans and pork)
45 min · 56 g protein · 586 cals / serving
Brazil's black bean and pork stew made quick and lean: three cans of black beans simmered with onion, garlic, smoked paprika and bay in a little stock, with chorizo and bacon for the smoky depth the slow version gets from its sausages, and browned chunks of lean pork loin returned at the end so they stay juicy. Mashing some beans makes it thick and velvety. Served the Brazilian way, with garlicky shredded greens and fresh orange.
Ingredients
- 2 slices bacon, chopped
- 2 1/2 oz spanish chorizo, cured, sliced into half-moons
- 1 1/4 lb pork loin fillet, raw, boneless pork loin, in 2 cm (3/4-inch) cubes
- 3/4 tsp salt, divided
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 2 medium carrots, diced small
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp paprika, smoked
- 2 bay leaf
- 3 (15 oz) cans, drained and rinsed black beans
- 1 cup chicken broth, low-sodium
- 1 cup water
Garlicky greens
- 1 bunch (about 10 oz) collard greens, stems removed, leaves rolled and very finely shredded (or kale)
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, sliced
To serve
- 2 navel oranges, peeled and sliced into rounds
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
- 2 green onions, sliced
Steps
- In a large heavy pot over medium heat, cook the bacon and chorizo, stirring, 3 minutes, until the bacon crisps and the chorizo has released its red fat. Lift them out with a slotted spoon onto a plate. Leave about 2 teaspoons of the fat in the pot and spoon off the rest.
- Season the pork with 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and the pepper. Turn the heat to medium-high and brown the pork in the fat 4 minutes, turning once, then lift it onto the plate with the chorizo; it will still be pink inside.
- Add the onion and carrot to the pot and cook 4 minutes until the onion softens, then stir in the garlic, cumin, paprika and bay leaves for 1 minute.
- Add the beans, stock, water, bacon and chorizo. Bring to a boil and simmer uncovered 12 minutes, stirring now and then. Mash a ladleful of beans against the side of the pot and stir them back in to make it velvety, then return the pork and its juices and simmer 8 minutes more, until the stew has thickened and the pork is just cooked through (145°F). Taste for salt.
- While the stew simmers, shred the greens and slice the oranges. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the sliced garlic for 30 seconds, then the shredded greens and a pinch of salt. Toss 2–3 minutes until bright green and just wilted.
- Serve the feijoada with the greens beside it, the orange slices on the side and parsley and green onion on top. The stew keeps 4 days in the fridge and freezes for 3 months (freeze it without the greens and orange); the greens keep 3 days in their own box.
Good to know
With rice?
Feijoada is always served with white rice in Brazil, and a toasted cassava-flour farofa if you have it. Half a cup of cooked rice per bowl keeps it a bean-led dinner; the stew is filling enough to eat with just the greens.
Why the orange?
It is the traditional side: the juicy, sharp fruit cuts through the rich beans and pork, and it is what makes the plate taste like Brazil.
Can I skip the chorizo?
Yes, for a leaner pot, at about 75 instead of 70: the bacon still gives fat to brown the pork in, and doubling the smoked paprika keeps some of the smoke.
Per
- Calories
- 93
- Protein
- (40%)
- 9 g
- Fat
- (24%)
- 2 g
- Carbohydrates
- (36%)
- 10 g
- of which sugar
- 2 g
- Fiber
- 3 g
- Sodium
- 234 mg
More meals
Computed from the ingredients with our published formula, not yet kitchen-tested. How
As written, 2344 kcal goes into the pot and 2860 g of ingredients comes out as about 2520 g of food: 93 kcal per 100 g. Cooking moves water and energy density is the score's biggest lever, so the dish is scored as cooked, not as an average of its parts. Every ingredient links to its food page, with the same data and score. The label's percentages are each macronutrient's share of the calories. The full formula.