Feijoada with Spicy Chorizo

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Feijoada with Spicy Chorizo

Feijoada is a Brazilian black bean stew, and is my favorite winter soup - hands down. I made this version a bit more user friendly by...

Feijoada is a Brazilian black bean stew, and is my favorite winter soup - hands down. I made this version a bit more user friendly by leaving out a few non-essential ingredients that are difficult to find, like special Brazilian cured meat, and a bit more athlete-friendly by leaving out those that are exceptionally bad for you. With any recipe that calls for meat (or in this case, multiple meats), it's always best to look for ones that are visibly lean.

Stew beef is a cheap cut of meat because it is lean and tough, but In this recipe, that is of no concern, as the slow cooking will make the meat tender and very flavorful. The small amount of chorizo is used mainly for flavoring, but if this is a big concern for you, look for Soyrizo. It is a vegetarian product much lower in fat and is actually a decently good stand-in.

Ingredients: 

Feijoada

3 15oz cans black beans, drained
1 lb extra lean stew beef, trimmed and cut into ¾ inch cubes
½ lb lean ham steak, cubed ½ inch
¼ lb pork chorizo (or SoyRizo), casing removed
4 cups low sodium beef stock
1 yellow onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup sliced carrots (about 2 medium)
1 T chili powder
1 ½ t cumin
1 t oregano
¼ t nutmeg
¼ t allspice
2 bay leaves
¼ cup fresh cilantro

Rice

2 cups medium grain brown or white rice

Instructions: 

To start

In a large Dutch oven, brown the chorizo over medium high heat, breaking apart with a wooden spoon. Once browned, remove with a slotted spoon and place on a paper towel, reserving drippings. Add the cubed beef to brown and season with salt and pepper, stirring occasionally. Once browned, remove with a slotted spoon and set aside. Add the diced onion and garlic and cook until onions are soft, about five minutes. Add the beans, carrots, stock, chili powder, cumin, oregano, nutmeg, allspice, and bay leaves. Add the beef, chorizo, and ham. Bring to a simmer, cover and cook over low heat for at least one hour, until beef is very soft. Top with fresh cilantro and cooked rice.

For the rice

Cook according to package about thirty minutes before eating stew.