PALEO FEIJOADA (BRAZILIAN STEW)

I went out with my fantastic and beautiful Brazilian friend Sophia the other day, and we started talking about the good old days when we used to be roommates. It was the living situation...I loved to cook and she loved to clean. Our house was always spotless and our bellies were full. She has been dabbling in the paleo lifestyle recently, and so this dish is for her. Even though she doesn't like pork so she wont make it. I will just have to come up with another recipe for her I guess.
Feijoada is a Brazilian/Portuguese stew traditionally made with beans, beef and salted pork. This dish is not heavy on seasonings and relies on the great tastes of the meats to carry the flavor. For this recipe I substituted diced portabello mushrooms for the beans to keep it paleo friendly. Sophia's tiny grandmother would probably drive over and smack me around a little if she knew that I didn't use the traditional beans (she is small but fierce), so let's keep that secret between us. If you are feeling daring, you can also add more exciting ingredients such as pork ears and beef tongue. The most exciting thing we are adding today is some ham hock. Mmmm....ham hock.
Feijoada is a Brazilian/Portuguese stew traditionally made with beans, beef and salted pork. This dish is not heavy on seasonings and relies on the great tastes of the meats to carry the flavor. For this recipe I substituted diced portabello mushrooms for the beans to keep it paleo friendly. Sophia's tiny grandmother would probably drive over and smack me around a little if she knew that I didn't use the traditional beans (she is small but fierce), so let's keep that secret between us. If you are feeling daring, you can also add more exciting ingredients such as pork ears and beef tongue. The most exciting thing we are adding today is some ham hock. Mmmm....ham hock.
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Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 cups onion, chopped
- 3 cloves of garlic, crushed
- 6 sliced bacon, cooked and crumbled
- 3 Tbsp. lard/bacon fat or tallow
- 1 pound boneless pork shoulder, cut into 1 inch cubes
- 2 pounds bone-in beef short ribs
- 2 smoked ham hocks
- 3 bay leaves
- 1 1/2 cups beef broth
- 1 1/2 tsp. cumin
- 3 large portabello mushrooms
- Sea salt and ground black pepper to taste
- Cilantro (optional)
- Orange wedges (for garnish)
Equipment:
- Crock pot
- Garlic press
- Cutting board
- Kitchen knife
- Large skillet
- Wooden spoon
Directions:
1. Prepare the bacon, onion and garlic and turn your crock pot on low. Add the garlic and bacon to the crock pot and set the bacon aside for later. Resist the temptation to eat the bacon, you will need it for later.
2. Heat a large skillet over medium high heat and add the lard/bacon fat or tallow. Season the pork shoulder with a little sea salt and pepper. Saute the pork pieces for about 5 minutes, making sure to brown all sides. Add the pork to the crock pot.
3. Using the same skillet, brown the short ribs on all sides and place in crock pot. Add the ham hocks, bay leaves, beef broth and cumin to the crock pot as well. Give everything a few good stirs to combine. Cover and allow to cook on low for about 8 hours. Go find something fun to do with your day.
4. After the 8 hours is up and you have had all the fun you can possibly have, remove the short ribs and ham hocks from the crock pot. Throw out ,the ham hocks (or find another use for them). Remove the bones from the short ribs and shred the meat, and return the meat to the crock pot along with the bacon that you cooked earlier. Unless you ate the bacon already, then make more bacon.
5. Chop the portabello mushrooms into bean-sized pieces and add to the crock pot. Stir all ingredients together and allow to cook for another 30 minutes.
6. Serve with an orange wedge, cilantro and some cauliflower rice. Bom apetite!
- 1 1/2 cups onion, chopped
- 3 cloves of garlic, crushed
- 6 sliced bacon, cooked and crumbled
- 3 Tbsp. lard/bacon fat or tallow
- 1 pound boneless pork shoulder, cut into 1 inch cubes
- 2 pounds bone-in beef short ribs
- 2 smoked ham hocks
- 3 bay leaves
- 1 1/2 cups beef broth
- 1 1/2 tsp. cumin
- 3 large portabello mushrooms
- Sea salt and ground black pepper to taste
- Cilantro (optional)
- Orange wedges (for garnish)
Equipment:
- Crock pot
- Garlic press
- Cutting board
- Kitchen knife
- Large skillet
- Wooden spoon
Directions:
1. Prepare the bacon, onion and garlic and turn your crock pot on low. Add the garlic and bacon to the crock pot and set the bacon aside for later. Resist the temptation to eat the bacon, you will need it for later.
2. Heat a large skillet over medium high heat and add the lard/bacon fat or tallow. Season the pork shoulder with a little sea salt and pepper. Saute the pork pieces for about 5 minutes, making sure to brown all sides. Add the pork to the crock pot.
3. Using the same skillet, brown the short ribs on all sides and place in crock pot. Add the ham hocks, bay leaves, beef broth and cumin to the crock pot as well. Give everything a few good stirs to combine. Cover and allow to cook on low for about 8 hours. Go find something fun to do with your day.
4. After the 8 hours is up and you have had all the fun you can possibly have, remove the short ribs and ham hocks from the crock pot. Throw out ,the ham hocks (or find another use for them). Remove the bones from the short ribs and shred the meat, and return the meat to the crock pot along with the bacon that you cooked earlier. Unless you ate the bacon already, then make more bacon.
5. Chop the portabello mushrooms into bean-sized pieces and add to the crock pot. Stir all ingredients together and allow to cook for another 30 minutes.
6. Serve with an orange wedge, cilantro and some cauliflower rice. Bom apetite!