#blackbeansrecipe

Savory black beans, corn, spices, radish, cilantro, and lime juice come together for flavorful vegan tacos perfect for busy weeknights.

There are meals that make you stop everything and just… sit with the flavor. Feijoada is one of them.

The first time I cooked it, my entire kitchen smelled like comfort - smoky sausages, rich beans, garlic, and that slow-building warmth that tells you something special is happening. I remember standing by the pot, impatiently lifting the lid every 10 minutes, watching it bubble away like a slow samba. By the time it was done, the beans had turned velvety, the meat tender, and the whole dish tasted like a story told over generations.

👉 Have you ever cooked something that feels like a hug in a bowl? That’s exactly what Feijoada is.

Table of contents

- What Is Feijoada? - A Little Bit of History - Why It’s Worth Making - Recipe for Fejioda - Difference Between Brazilian and Portuguese Feijoada - Variations - Substitutes - Other Brazilian recipes - Pairing Ideas - Feijoada FAQ - Wrapping It Up

What Is Feijoada?

Feijoada (pronounced fay-zhoo-AH-dah) is Brazil’s national dish - a slow-cooked stew of black beans and assorted meats, usually served with rice, orange slices, and farofa (toasted cassava flour). It’s hearty, comforting, and bursting with flavor.

It’s not just a meal; it’s a rhythm - the kind of dish you make on a lazy Saturday with music playing, friends around, and the aroma of garlic and bay leaves filling the air.

A Little Bit of History

Feijoada has deep roots in Brazil’s cultural and colonial past. The dish likely originated with enslaved Africans on Portuguese-owned plantations, who made use of beans and inexpensive meat cuts to create something extraordinary. Over time, it evolved into a dish that every Brazilian family cherishes.

Interestingly, Portugal has its own versions of bean-and-meat stews, which might have inspired Feijoada’s earliest forms. But what Brazil did was magical - they gave it depth, soul, and unmistakable identity.

If you love reading about culinary heritage, check out BBC Travel’s piece on Brazil’s comfort foods.

Why It’s Worth Making

Because Feijoada teaches patience and rewards you for it. Every simmering hour deepens the flavor. The beans turn silky, the meat falls apart, and that smoky, garlicky aroma fills the room. It’s food that invites you to slow down and savor life - Brazilian-style.

You can make it as traditional or as modern as you like. Some cooks include pig’s ears and trotters, others stick with smoked sausage and pork shoulder. Either way, the magic is in the balance of salt, smoke, and slow time.

Recipe for Fejioda

Authentic Fejioada Recipe

A rich, comforting Brazilian stew made with black beans, assorted meats, and garlic — simmered slowly for hours and served with rice and orange slices.

- Large heavy-bottomed pot - wooden spoon - 1 cup dried black beans (soaked overnight (or use canned beans for convenience)) - 8 ounces smoked sausage (sliced) - 4 ounces bacon (chopped) - 8 ounces pork shoulder or beef chuck (diced) - 2 ounces onion (chopped) - 4 cloves garlic (minced) - 1 No bay leaf - 1 teaspoon dried oregano - 1 teaspoon ground cumin - Water or beef broth - Cooked rice (for serving) - Sliced oranges and chopped fresh cilantro (for garnish) - If using dried beans, drain and rinse them after soaking overnight. If using canned beans, drain and rinse them as well. - In a large pot or Dutch oven, cook the bacon over medium heat until it starts to render its fat. - Add the sliced sausage and diced pork or beef to the pot. Cook until they start to brown. - Add the chopped onion and minced garlic to the pot. Cook until the onions are translucent. - Stir in the soaked (or canned) black beans, bay leaf, dried oregano, and ground cumin. Season with salt and pepper to taste. - Add enough water or beef broth to cover the ingredients by about an inch. - Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and let it simmer, partially covered, for about 1.5 to 2 hours, or until the beans and meat are tender and the flavors have melded together. Stir occasionally and add more water or broth if needed to keep the stew from drying out. - Once the feijoada is cooked, taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary. - Serve the feijoada hot, accompanied by cooked rice, sliced oranges, and chopped fresh cilantro for garnish.

Always soak your beans - it shortens cooking time and improves texture.

Don’t rush it. The longer it simmers, the more flavor develops.

Add a splash of vinegar or orange juice before serving, it lifts the heaviness beautifully.

Feijoada tastes even better the next day (and the day after).

Serve with sautéed kale and orange wedges - they help cut the richness.

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Difference Between Brazilian and Portuguese Feijoada

FeatureBrazilian FeijoadaPortuguese FeijoadaBeansBlack beansWhite or red beansFlavor ProfileSmoky, hearty, earthyMild, tomato-basedMeats UsedPork, sausage, baconPork, beef, sometimes seafoodTextureThick, stew-likeMore brothyServed WithRice, orange, farofaRice or bread

Variations

- Feijoada Light – Skip the fatty cuts and use lean pork or turkey sausage. - Vegetarian Feijoada – Replace meat with mushrooms, smoked paprika, and extra beans. - Regional Versions – In Rio, it’s heavier on pork; in Bahia, it may include dried beef and local spices.

Substitutes

- Black beans → Pinto or kidney beans (not traditional, but still hearty) - Smoked sausage → Chorizo or kielbasa - Bacon → Smoked turkey or tofu cubes for a lighter touch - Olive oil → Neutral oil with a dash of smoked paprika for aroma

Other Brazilian recipes

Pairing Ideas

Feijoada pairs beautifully with:

- Steamed white rice - Sautéed kale or collard greens - Farofa (toasted cassava flour) - Fresh orange slices - A cold caipirinha or beer to finish the experience

👉 If you’re feeling extra festive, serve it family-style in a big pot and let everyone dig in — the way Brazilians do.

Feijoada FAQ

QuestionAnswerCan I use canned black beans?You can, but soaking and cooking from scratch gives a deeper, creamier texture.Is Feijoada spicy?Traditionally, it’s savory and smoky, not spicy. You can add chili if you like heat.Can I make it vegetarian?Yes! Replace meat with mushrooms, smoked tofu, and a touch of smoked paprika.How long does it last?Up to 4 days in the fridge — the flavor gets better with time.Can I freeze Feijoada?Absolutely. It freezes beautifully for up to 2 months. Reheat slowly to preserve texture.What’s the best side dish?White rice, farofa, and orange slices are the classic trio.Can I make it in a slow cooker?Yes! Cook on low for 6–8 hours until beans are tender and meats melt in your mouth.What kind of meat is authentic?Pork shoulder, smoked sausage, and bacon are most common. Some versions use ribs or salted beef.Can I add vegetables?Sure, carrots and bell peppers add color and subtle sweetness.What makes it “authentic”?The use of black beans, pork cuts, slow cooking, and the traditional accompaniments of rice, orange, and farofa.

Wrapping It Up

Feijoada isn’t just a stew; it’s an experience - slow, generous, and soulful. The kind of dish that asks you to take your time, taste every layer, and maybe even invite friends over just because the pot’s too full to keep to yourself.

It’s Brazil in a bowl — warm, colorful, and full of life.

So put on some bossa nova, grab your Dutch oven, and let those beans and spices dance together. One spoonful, and you’ll understand why this dish has lasted centuries.

Another season has passed and the passing gifted us with rain. The Rancho’s curving borders define where luminous green fields meet dirt roads. Ancient sloughs acting as wildlife corridors and teaming with critters and native flora abut cows and their calves chewing noisily on new grass. Butterflies literally swarm the lilacs at headquarters. New walnut grafts set and prepare for buds to grow tall and fast through the summer, as much as three feet before fall.

Walnut grafting

Birth surrounds us, and so despite the ever-present fear of drought, here on the Sacramento River we always feel lucky, and celebrate the good fortune that spring gifts in various shades of green. Our second round of pastured beef has been harvested. Our second season of heirloom beans are being planted. Our second test plot of landrace grain is growing and healthy, and thus we already feel deep into 2014.

Spelt wheat planting

Our pigs continue to be stronger, happier and healthier since our production transition this winter and our pork continues to make its way on to the plates of more happy Californians. We’re on the brink of releasing our new line of sausages, hams, and bacon with a newly designed label, so look out for updated packaging and an eye-catching new look. We have improved on the texture of our Italian and Argentine sausage, showcasing the suppleness of the pork and beef we use. Expect to see a more traditional “shingle pack” on our bacon. We’ve gone back to the drawing board on our hot dogs, so hopefully you can get your hands on those this summer. We don’t want to mess with a good thing so you can count on our smoked ham hocks, hams and breakfast sausage to be the same products we are very proud of.

Spring Means Ham

As always, the spring holidays beg of sweet, savory, sumptuous ham, and dare we say ours is… really, the best. Whether small and single-muscle, perfect for two, or large artisan applewood smoked, or even the bone-in leg for roasting yourself at home, Llano Seco has your ham needs covered. Find our hams online and ready for home delivery at Good Eggs, at our Ft. Mason SF (Sun) or  Downtown Chico (Sat) Farmers Market stands, or  at one of the many retail outlets listed on our Shop page. You can also always email Jamie at the Rancho to reserve from us directly. Hop to it though, we do run out every year. 

Pork Means Beans

We’ve been experimenting with cooking both our pork and beans together in an endless array of combinations. Most recent was BBQ ribs and black beans, a joint effort between the Rancho team and Chef Liza Shaw of Merigan Sub Shop, during a weekend of pontoon floating. Next up in the Summer issue of Edible Marin & Wine Country will be our experiments with traditional southern black-eyed peas and our smoked ham hocks. 

Tell us your favorite pork and beans recipe! Submit yours with a picture to [email protected] and win a package of heirloom beans and artisanal sausages delivered right to your door. Winning recipe will be posted online on our News page and on all our social media outlets.

  Community Events & Happenings

A few upcoming and ongoing goings-on that we are proud participants and supporters of:

Food + Farm Film Festival – April 3-6. SF’s second annual celebration of all things agricultural at the historic Roxie theatre. Llano Seco is sponsoring a showing of the documentary American Meat. Schedule and tickets here.

Butchery Classes at Luke’s Local – April 12. Underscoring the company philosophy of responsible and conscientious food harvest, Luke’s Local practices whole animal butchery to create product efficiencies and minimize waste.  To educate customers about the process, the Luke’s Local culinary team has launched a monthly butchery class series in which attendees will learn how to break down the side of a pig, and understand the art of butchery, using a Llano Seco pig to do so. Sign-up here.

Cochon 555 San Francisco – April 27. This porcine parade that highlights heritage breeds will feature one of our hogs paired with a well-known city chef for the ongoing national tour of pig-ish gluttony. Details and tickets here.

North Beach Citizens Annual Dinner – April 27. Our pork will be cooked by Tasha DeSerio for the annual fundraiser of the non-profit organization that utilizes the talents of the North Beach community to innovatively address the needs of its homeless and low-income citizens in an atmosphere of trust, integrity, and respect. Tickets here.

Raphael House Gala Auction -  May 2nd. The first homeless shelter for children and families in Northern California. Our pork and beans will be part of an auction prize. Learn more about the shelter here.

Chico Unified School District – ongoing. Serving up our responsible, humane, local and family-farmed pork and beef hot dogs for school lunches, every week. Their motto: “Because student health and student learning go hand in hand, we want to empower every child and every family in the Chico community to make healthy food and physical activity choices everyday.”

Want to know where we’re next serving up our pork? Stay up to date with our happenings on our Facebook, Twitter and Instagram feeds.

   Berta’s Cuban Black Beans

To inspire you for our recipe contest, here’s one from our dear friend and culinary mentor Niloufer Ichaporia King, specialist in tropical cuisines, author of My Bombay Kitchen: traditional and modern Parsi home cooking, University of California Press, 2007.

Folklorist Berta Montero Bascom of Havana used to bring a vast vat of these beans, expected and appreciated, to any occasion where food was shared.  Below is Berta’s family recipe recounted as we cooked them together in her Berkeley kitchen.  This is a dish you can and perhaps should make days ahead.  Quantities are elastic, and you can halve or expand this recipe without running into trouble.  Two pounds of beans will serve 15-20 people depending on what else you’re having.

1. Soak 2 lbs. of  Llano Seco Black Turtle beans for several hours or overnight.  Cook with or without ham hocks, 3 ham hocks for 2 lbs. of beans.  When beans are tender but not mushy,  say 1 ½ -2 hours, remove the ham hocks and reserve them.

2. Make a sofrito from 2 large onions, finely chopped, 2 green pepper chopped, 6 cloves of garlic, finely chopped, 2 tsp. cumin seeds, pounded, about 2 tsp. dried oregano, crumbled, and 2 bay leaves:  Sauté onion, garlic and green pepper in ¼ cup olive oil until soft.  Then add the cumin, oregano and bay leaves and sauté another minute or two. Add the sofrito to the beans.  Deglaze the frying pan with red wine or sherry vinegar and add that to the beans as well and if you have any still drinkable bottle ends of red wine, here’s a great place for them. Add salt to taste, being conservative as the cooking liquid will reduce.

3. Bring the beans to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer the beans, stirring from time to time, until the flavors are combined. This second cooking should take another hour and a half or so can also be done on top of the stove, which requires attention, or in a slow oven, about 300 degrees. Add reserved ham hocks, cut up, for the last half hour.  After the beans have rested but are still warm, adjust the salt again.