Cantonese Feijoada — Chinese Black Bean Stew with Sausage & Dried Shrimp

pork belly

🥗Healthier: lean pork loin

💰Cheaper: pork shoulder

Pork shoulder is more affordable and still flavorful.

chorizo

🥗Healthier: turkey sausage

💰Cheaper: smoked sausage

Smoked sausage offers a similar flavor profile at a lower cost.

black beans

🥗Healthier: lentils

💰Cheaper: canned beans

Canned beans are convenient and budget-friendly.

soy sauce

🥗Healthier: low-sodium soy sauce

💰Cheaper: tamari

Tamari is gluten-free and often similar in price.

Blanch Chinese cured pork belly in boiling water for about 5 minutes to rinse off surface sugar.

Set aside the blanched pork belly.

Soak dry shiitake mushrooms and dry shrimp in water; discard the shrimp soaking liquid but keep the mushroom soaking liquid.

Minced the soaked shiitake mushrooms into bite-sized pieces.

In a cold pan, add the cured pork belly and gradually bring in heat to render out the fat.

Add the dry shrimp to the pan to concentrate the marine sweetness.

Add minced shiitake mushrooms and their soaking liquid to the pan.

Add ginger to the pan to release moisture and bring everything closer to boiling point.

Add chopped onion and garlic to the pan; cook to evaporate their water content.

Add soy sauce to the pan for salinity and umami, adjusting the amount based on the amount of sausage used.

Optionally add Shaoxing wine for complexity.

Add black beans to the pot; you can use soaked beans or dried beans rinsed before cooking.

If using dried beans, add a lot of water to the pot.

Optionally add grated daikon for texture and sweetness, and coriander stalks for herbal notes.

Mix everything well and cover the pot; cook for 2.5 to 4 hours for dried beans, or 40 minutes to an hour for soaked beans in a pressure cooker.

After cooking, add Chinese sausage to the pot, starting in a cold pan to render out the fat.

Brown the sausages in the pan, then add ginger, garlic, and minced scallion for freshness and flavor.

Add more Shaoxing wine or water to mop up fond in the pan and deepen the flavor.

Allow the stew to gently reduce for the last 20 minutes, monitoring the texture of the liquid.

Finish with hot sauce, scallion greens, and serve with rice.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Dietary