Feijoada (Brazilian Black Bean Stew)©Kevin Ashton 2026
Feijoada is rich, smoky, and comforting, served traditionally with rice, sautéed collard greens or kale, orange slices, and a sprinkling of toasted cassava flour (farofa). In Brazil, Saturday is considered the official day of Feijoada, turning the meal into a social event shared with family and friends. It’s a dish that embodies warmth, love, and a slow, patient cooking process.
Ingredients (serves 4)
550-600 grams Beef Skirt
100g Smoked bacon lardons
140 grams Smoked sausage sliced
2 Tbsp Red wine vinegar
2 tins black turtle beans + plus juice from tins
500ml beef stock
200 ml water
4 large Garlic cloves
2 Bay leaves
1 ½ Teaspoon Ground Cumin
180 grams Onions diced
¼ teaspoon Chilli flakes
3 TBsp Olive oil
1 large Orange cut into wedges
Method:
1. Cut the beef skirt into even sized pieces.
2. Brown off the bacon lardons with 1 Tbsp olive oil in a large saucepan. When the lardons are lightly brown add the smoked sausage and continue to cook until both bacon and sausage on brown. Remove the meat and reserve.
3. Add two Tbsp of olive oil to the saucepan and add the beef skirt. Brown the beef, stirring occasionally and when it begins to brown add the chopped onions, bay leaves and cumin. Continue on a medium high heat and stir from time to time.
4. Heat up your stock so it is ready to add.
5. When the beef and the onions are well browned add the red wine vinegar and stir well to free any sediment from the saucepan. Add the hot stock, whole cloves of garlic and the chilli flakes. Bring to a simmer and cook on a low heat (5-6) until tender, add 200 ml of water to the stew once the stew is simmering.
6. When the meat has been cooking for 1 ½ hour add the beans plus liquid from the beans, the bacon and sausage.
7. Cook the Feijoada until the beef is very tender (2-2 ½ hours).
8. Remove the garlic cloves and crush to a paste then return it to the Feijoada.
How to serve
Served with Collard greens or steamed kale, white rice and orange wedges.
Farofa (Cassava Flour)
Ingredients
2 thick strips of bacon diced
30 grams of unsalted butter
50 grams onion finely diced
8 g (2 ) cloves of garlic very finely chopped
120 grams cassava flour
Sea salt and Black pepper to taste
Method:
1. Add the bacon to a cold skillet, and heat up over medium heat
2. When the fat from the bacon begins to melt, add half of the butter.
3. Once the butter has melted add the onions and saute until they translucient (2-3 minutes).
Chef’s Notes:
I loved the balance of flavours, the hearty beef and the smoked sausage, with just a hint of chilli. I squeezed a little orange onto the meal which the Brazilians say aids the digestion. I will definitely make this again. You can you use pork shoulder instead of beef but I really love this combination.
Beef Skirt: (called Skirt Steak in America)
Beef skirt is a long, flat, and highly flavorful cut taken from the diaphragm muscle (between the ribs and abdomen) of the cow. Renowned for its intense, deep beefy taste and relatively low cost, it is versatile, suitable for quick high-heat searing for fajitas or slow-cooking in traditional British pasties and stews.
Feijoada (Brazilian Black Bean Stew)©Kevin Ashton 2026
Chef Kevin Ashton 