Portuguese Feijoada à Transmontana

Portuguese Feijoada à Transmontana
4.3 from 3 ratings
The national dish of Portugal has a worldwide following. The basics of the dish — beef, pork and fijão (beans) — is shared by all the country’s former colonies from Brazil to Macau, and you’ll find variations in Angola, Cape Verde, Mozambique, and Goa in India, too. However, Feijoada à Transmontana is considered to be the most traditional of all recipes and the basis for all other feijoadas. It originated in Northern Portugal and has been embraced by Portuguese gastronomes ever since. It’s also a perfect party dish, as the recipe can be expanded to feed any number of guests. This meaty dish combines many Portuguese flavors and spices, which fortunately are commonly found in American kitchens. This is no minute-meal, but your reward for its preparation will be a genuine taste of Portugal in a dish that’s bound to impress.This recipe comes courtesy of Maria Dias of Portuguese Diner.
Servings
6
servings
Portuguese Feijoada à Transmontana
Ingredients
  • 2 pound baby back ribs
  • 2 pound chouriço sausage
  • 1 pound blood sausage or morcella (optional, if you can not find it locally)
  • 1 pound pork belly
  • 1 cabbage
  • 2 carrots, sliced
  • 2 onions, minced
  • 4 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
  • 1 teaspoon cumin powder
  • 64 ounce cooked kidney beans
  • 1/2 cup crushed tomatoes
  • 2 pound pork hocks, knuckles, or ears (available at most butcher shops)
  • salt and pepper, to taste
Directions
  1. The night before cooking, coat the ribs with salt, wash the pig parts in cold water, salt them, and store in fridge overnight to absorb the salt.
  2. The next day, cook the pig parts in a large saucepan with 2 cups water until they are soft and tender. Reserve one cup of the broth.
  3. In a large saucepan cook the onions, garlic cloves, and bay leaf in the olive oil for about 5 minutes.
  4. Add the ribs, pork belly, and paprika. Let them cook for about 5 minutes on medium heat.
  5. Add 1 cup of the reserved broth from the pig parts to the pan and let the ribs cook for another 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  6. Add the rest of the meats, chopped cabbage, carrots, crushed tomatoes, and butter.
  7. Stir gently and let them cook on medium heat for about 20 minutes. Add the kidney beans and blood sausage, and cook for another 13-15 minutes.
  8. Check if the meats are tender and done, then let it simmer on low heat for a couple more minutes.
  9. Once done, season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve while hot.