Ben's Feijoada

After many iterations, this is the best recipe I've come up with. Note: this amount makes 1 full 6-qt crockpot. I usually double this recipe since most of the meats come in double these amounts, and split it into 2 pots.

Great

% Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Step 1

Place black beans in a colander and rinse to remove dirt. Place in a container with 4" of water covering the top. Soak 8-12 hours or overnight, ensuring the beans are always covered with at least an inch of water. To skip soaking, use 4-5 cans of black beans instead.

Step 2

Once beans have finished soaking, move the beans, including the water, to your crockpot. Turn it on high for a 6 hour cook or low for an 8 hour cook.

Step 3

Cut your kielbasa into thin slices at a 45° angle, cut your bacon into ¾" strips, and if necessary cut your pork stew meat down into 1-2" cubes. Cut your summer sausage into cubes. The easiest way to do this is to cut in thirds lengthwise, rotate 90°, then in thirds again to make long strands. Then bunch the strands together and chop them into even cubes.

Step 4

Preheat a frying pan on high for 2-3 minutes until very hot. You don't need to add any oil as the meats will provide their own oil. The goal here is to brown the meats, not to cook them through. They'll be cooked in the crockpot.

Step 5

Add your sliced kielbasa in a single layer onto the pan. Allow to blacken, then flip and allow the other side to blacken. Add to the crockpot and repeat for the rest of your kielbasa.

Step 6

Next, add enough summer sausage to make a single layer. Allow to blacken for a few minutes, stir to allow another side to blacken, then add to the pot. Repeat for the rest of your summer sausage, then repeat for your bacon, and finally the stew meat. Add all to the pot once it's finished.

Step 7

Add your ham hock directly into the pot, no cooking necessary

Step 8

Roughly chop the onion into ~1" squares and add to the pot

Step 9

Peel and thinly slice the garlic, then add to the pot. A whole head of garlic sounds like a lot, but slow cooking tempers it. You can also half the amount if you're sensitive to garlic.

Step 10

Add the bay leaves to the pot. Stir the pot to incorporate everything, but ensure the beans remain fully submerged.

Step 11

Note: It may look like there isn't enough water to cover everything, but as it heats up the beans and vegetables will release their water

Step 12

About an hour before your slow cooker is finished, begin making the rice. Chop your cilantro and add most to the pot, leaving some for garnish

Step 13

As your timer ends, test to ensure the beans are soft. Otherwise, add time as necessary. When finished, serve over rice and garnish with cilantro.

Step 14

For leftovers: allow the crockpot to cool on the counter before placing in a container and putting in the fridge. This recipe also freezes well for meal prepping.