Ingredients

• 1 kg dried black beans (feijão preto)
• 500 g carne seca (dried salted beef)
• 500 g salted pork ribs (costelinha salgada)
• 400 g salted pork loin (lombo salgado)
• 400 g smoked linguiça calabresa sausage
• 400 g paio smoked pork sausage
• 200 g smoked bacon (bacon defumado)
• 4 L water
• 4 leaves bay leaves
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 large onions
• 8 cloves garlic
• 1 tsp ground black pepper
• to taste salt
• 3 oranges

Method

1. 01
   Desalt the meats Put the carne seca, salted ribs and salted pork loin in a large bowl, cover with cold water and leave them in the fridge for twelve hours, changing the water every three to four hours.
2. 02
   Soak the beans Put the rinsed black beans in a separate large bowl, cover them with plenty of cold water and leave them to soak overnight, for about twelve hours.
3. 03
   Blanch the salted meats Drain the salted meats, put them in a pot of fresh water, bring it to a boil and boil for ten minutes, then drain and discard the water.
4. 04
   Simmer beans with beef Drain the beans and put them in a pot of at least eight litres with the four litres of water, the bay leaves, the carne seca and the ribs, bring it to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer partly covered for one hour.
5. 05
   Add loin and sausages Add the salted pork loin, the calabresa and the paio to the pot and keep simmering for another forty five minutes, until the beans are very soft.
6. 06
   Render the bacon While the beans finish, cook the diced bacon in a large frying pan over medium heat until the fat runs out and the bacon is crisp, about eight minutes.
7. 07
   Fry onion and garlic Add the oil and onions to the bacon and fry until soft and golden, about five minutes, then stir in the garlic and black pepper and cook for one more minute.
8. 08
   Mash beans into pan Ladle two ladles of cooked beans with a little broth into the frying pan, mash them roughly with the back of a spoon and fry for two minutes.
9. 09
   Thicken the stew Scrape everything from the frying pan into the big pot, stir well and simmer uncovered for thirty minutes, stirring now and then, until the broth is thick and dark.
10. 10
    Rest and serve Take the pot off the heat, remove the bay leaves, let it rest for ten minutes, and serve with white rice, sautéed couve, farofa and orange slices.