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Feijoada, a traditional Brazilian dish, is a stew of black beans with a variety of pork and beef products such as salted pork trimmings (ears, tail, feet), pork sausage and bacon, and salted beef (loin and tongue).
The dark purplish-brown stew is best prepared over slow fire in a thick clay pot. Traditional side dishes are rice, chopped refried collard greens, lighly roasted coarse cassava flour (called "farofa"), and a peeled whole orange. The dish is often condimented with a few drops of red pepper oil and washed down with a caipirinha.
Feijoada was originally a "luxury" dish of African slaves in Brazilian farms, as it was prepared with relatively cheap ingredients (beans, rice, collard greens, farofa) and leftovers from salted pork production. Over time, it first became a popular dish among lower classes, and finally the "national dish", offered even by sophisticated restaurants.
Since it is a rather heavy dish, and one that takes several hours to cook, it is consumed only occasionally, usually at lunch time. Many restaurants in Brazil will offer it as the "day's special" only once or twice a week, usually on a Wednesday, Saturday, or Sunday. (As a leftover from old Catholic dietary restrictions, the special on Friday's specials is more likely to be fish.)
Compare: Cassoulet, Baked beans.
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