Brazil: My Brazilian Feijoada
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I often turn to cooking when I want to find calm without shutting out the world. In LaBouffe, I rarely talk about a dish at random: I look for a recipe with substance, rhythm, and a real presence. Brazilian feijoada feels more like me than I would have thought. It calls for time, patience, and a certain kind of respect—exactly what I expect from a meal after spending the day listening, adjusting, balancing, as I do in my work as a sound technician. I think of Rio, Copacabana, of that vibrant heat running through the city, and I see a dish that does not rush. It comes together slowly, without ostentation, with quiet confidence. For a traditional Brazilian feijoada, I use black beans, salt pork, pork shoulder or collar, ham hock, smoked pork belly, smoked sausage, a little salted beef if I can find it, garlic, onion, bay leaves, black pepper, and water. I soak the salted meats ahead of time, then desalinate them carefully, because a dish this generous deserves attention. I sauté the onion and garlic, add the pieces of meat, then the rinsed black beans, bay leaves, and enough water to cover. I let it cook gently, for a long time, until the broth becomes rich and the flavours meld without overpowering one another. I adjust the seasoning at the end, never too early, because I prefer to let the dish speak before pushing it. I serve the feijoada with white rice, farofa, garlic-sautéed collard greens, and a few orange wedges. It is this contrast that moves me: the tenderness, the smokiness, the crunch, the light acidity. I find in it a kind of balance that reassures me. It is not a recipe trying to impress; it is a recipe that stands on its own. And perhaps that is why I love it in LaBouffe: it says something simple and solid, without judgment, with enough character to linger around a table and enough gentleness to make you want to stay.
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