Black Bean Stew

 

                     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).

4. Next add the garlic and fry until the garlic is golden in colour
 
5. Now add the cassava flour and season with salt and pepper.
 
6. Let the Farofa toast stirring from time to time to avoid it burning (about 2-3 minutes)
 
7. Offer at the table so your guests can sprinkle it on their Feijoada.

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

15 thoughts on “Black Bean Stew”

    1. Hi Noelle and thanks for your great questions.
      Lardons is a French term meaning thin strips or cubes of fatty bacon or cured pork. Often Pancetta makes a great substitute and is sold cubed in supermarkets.

      In the UK you can buy either dried or canned black beans. I know they are also sold in the US under a few brand names including the Michigan Made Brand.
      The black turtle bean is a small, shiny variety of the common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) especially popular in Latin American cuisine, though it can also be found in Cajun and Creole cuisines of south Louisiana.

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    1. Thanks Chris, I too am a fan of Chinese recipes that contain black beans. I make a wicked Black bean and Red pepper Chicken Stir Fry, perhaps I will share the recipe on here some time.
      Best Wishes
      Kevin 🙂

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  4. This definitely looks like a recipe I would like to try! Sorry if this is a stupid question but I have dried black beans so can I use those in the dish instead?

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    1. Apologies for my slow reply and yes you can use dried beans To obtain approximately 800 grams of cooked/drained tinned black beans, you will need roughly 325g of dried black beans. Soak them in cold water the night before in your fridge.
      Best Wishes
      Kevin 🙂

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    1. Yes, Brazilian black bean stew (feijoada) can be made with goat, as the dish is historically flexible, utilizing available meats to complement the black beans. While traditionally pork-focused, substituting or adding goat provides a rich, hearty flavor to the stew. The goat should be cooked long and slow to make it tender.

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