Portuguese

Feijoada à Transmontana

A hearty bean stew from Trás-os-Montes, made with red beans, smoked and salted pork, cabbage, and a slow, savoury broth. It is rich, rustic, and traditionally served with plain white rice.

▶Watch it madeAna Cozinha · 6:33

Ingredients

• Dried red kidney beans180g
• Salted pork ribs150g
• Salted pig's ear100g
• Smoked pork belly or entremeada120g
• Chouriço de carne80g
• Morcela60g
• Portuguese cabbage or savoy cabbage160g, thickly sliced
• Carrot1 small, sliced
• Yellow onion1 small, finely chopped
• Garlic cloves2, minced
• Bay leaf1
• Olive oil1 tbsp
• Tomato pulp or crushed tomato2 tbsp
• Sweet paprika1/2 tsp
• Piri-piri or black pepperto taste
• Saltonly if needed
• Cooked white riceto serve

Method

1. The night before, soak the dried red beans in plenty of cold water and, separately, soak the salted pork ribs and pig's ear to remove excess salt.
2. Drain the beans, place them in a pot, cover with fresh cold water, bring to a simmer, and cook gently for about 45 minutes, until nearly tender but not falling apart.
3. Drain the soaked pork meats, place them in a separate pot with fresh water, and simmer for 45 to 60 minutes, skimming as needed, until the pig's ear and ribs are tender.
4. Add the smoked pork belly and chouriço to the meat pot during the last 20 minutes of cooking; add the morcela only for the final 8 to 10 minutes so it does not burst.
5. Remove all the meats and sausages from the broth, strain and reserve the broth, then cut the ribs, ear, pork belly, chouriço, and morcela into serving pieces.
6. In a heavy pot, warm the olive oil and gently fry the onion, garlic, and bay leaf until the onion is soft and golden.
7. Stir in the tomato pulp and sweet paprika, cooking for 2 minutes to form a fragrant refogado.
8. Add the drained beans to the refogado, then pour in enough reserved meat broth to cover them by about 2 cm.
9. Simmer gently for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, so the beans absorb the pork broth and the sauce begins to thicken.
10. Add the sliced carrot and cabbage, then simmer for 15 to 20 minutes more, until the vegetables are tender.
11. Return the cut meats and chouriço to the pot and simmer for another 10 minutes, adding a little more broth if the feijoada becomes too thick.
12. Taste carefully before adding salt, then season with piri-piri or black pepper as desired.
13. Lay the morcela slices on top for the final few minutes to warm through without breaking.
14. Let the feijoada rest off the heat for 10 minutes before serving with plain white rice.

Common questions