Feijoada

In honor of my pal Amy, who's about to embark on a three-month stint in Brasil, I'm posting a recipe for a traditional Brasilian dish called feijoada.

1 lb. black beans (about 2.5 c)
2 T salad oil, divided use
2 oz. salt pork, diced
1 lb. smoked pork butt, cubed
2 smoked hamhocks
1 lb. pork ribs
1 lb pork sausage (paio, chorizo, etc), cut in 1-inch chunks
4 cloves garlic, minced
4-5 medium onions, chopped
1 large tomato, chopped
2 T fresh parsley, chopped
2 bay leaves
salt & pepper to taste
hot pepper sauce, if desired

All the salted meats should be soaked the day before, changing the water occasionally. Sort the beans to remove litter, then wash and soak overnight. On the day of preparation, put the beans on to cook in fresh water in a large saucepan or Dutch oven. In another large pan or skillet, saute the salt pork in 1 T oil until crisp. Remove from pan, and use the fat from the salt pork to saute all the other meats. When the beans begin to boil, add the meats. Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in a skillet and saute the garlic and onion. Add to the beans along with the tomato, parsley and bay leaves. Add water as necessary until ingredients are covered. Cook slowly until beans and meats are tender. When done, season with salt, pepper and hot sauce as desired. Makes 15-20 servings.

Serve in a large ceramic bowl accompanied by lots of cooked rice, sliced peeled oranges, and collard greens. The Brasilian women roll several leaves of collards tightly together and slice the roll very thinly, forming strings of greens that can be cooked with onion in a little hot oil. Brasilians use more salted, dried meats than are usually available here in the US; substitute other meats as you like, since there are many variations on this recipe.