BLUES JUNCTION Productions
7343 El Camino Real
Suite 327
Atascadero, CA 93422-4697
info
The Igor Prado Band came to Southern California this past December all the way from Sao Paulo, Brazil. They played five dates including a very special show at the Tiki Bar in Costa Mesa. This performance was part of the ongoing concert series World Class Blues in the O.C.
Velinda the Taco Girl was, as always, catering the event. I was not surprised to hear from her the week of the show. We talked about her menu offerings and what she could provide to be welcoming to the musicians. I took to the internet and did some research. One of the recipes that looked inviting was a rich black bean stew called Feijoada (fay zwa da). I called her back and she asked me if I thought I could cook up a pot. I thought that I might be able to pull it off so I wrote my shopping list and off I went.
A bit of history on Feijoada might be in order here. As was tragically the case in the Southern United States, slavery was also a barbaric institution in Brazil. Owners had the choice cuts of meat and what was left over was given to the slaves. These cuts included all of the toughest cuts as well as feet, snouts, ears, etc. You get the picture. The only way to make these meats edible was to stew them a very long time.
At the show, there were several band members who asked me if I knew where the dish originated. I did, but it was nice to hear that others thought about the origin of this particular dish.
Traditionally it is made from at least three meats. Pork is usually the dominant protein. A smoked product is included as well. Much like the wonderful Latin pork stew called posole, there are many different variations, so I knew I had some leeway. For my test batch, I chose a nicely marbled piece of pork butt, a meaty beef rib, and a smoked ham hock. The spice mix was pretty standard: salt, pepper, garlic, bay, cumin, and coriander.
The recipe called for rendering a lot of bacon and using the renderings to brown the meats. Almost a pound of bacon was crisped up and after removing the crispy porky goodness from the pan, in went the cubed pork butt. After the pork, the pieces of beef rib followed, browned to a lovely color. Into a large pot went the browned pork, ribs, and the ham hock. Following the meat went onion, garlic, spices, and enough chicken stock to cover. To finish the major ingredients, I added a few cups of hot soaked black beans. Everybody in the pool...
The hardest part of a new recipe is waiting to see how it all comes together. All in all, the first batch cooked in about five hours. The ham hock was stripped of its tasty bits and the beef rib was broken down as well. The bones were discarded after they gave up their rich umami to the broth. I was not sure that I had achieved a pot of Feijoada, but it was a good pot of stew.
As I felt the test pot was a success, I made another trip to the store the day before the show. I decided to add smoked pork neck bones to the mix to give it a bit more smoky flavor. Since the ham hock takes the most time, I put that in the pot first for a few extra hours of cooking. The beans were added last taking an hour less time than the meats. This is a meaty rich pot of flavor.
On the day of the show, I felt ready for the real test. I handed a bowl of this traditional Brazilian dish to Igor Prado and told him that I had made something special for the band. He took a small bite, smiled and said, “FEIJOADA!”
Copyright 2022 BLUES JUNCTION Productions. All rights reserved.
BLUES JUNCTION Productions
7343 El Camino Real
Suite 327
Atascadero, CA 93422-4697
info