Entree: Brazil – Brazilian Japanese – Sushi de Feijoada (Sushi rolls combining Brazilian feijoada-style black beans and seasoned pork wrapped in sushi rice and nori)

Serving Size: 4

Approximate Time

Prep 40 min

Cook 45 min

Additional 15 min

Total 1 hr 35 min

Ingredients

- 2 cups (360 g) sushi rice
- 2 1/4 cups (540 ml) water for cooking rice
- 3 tbsp (45 ml) rice vinegar
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) granulated sugar
- 1 tsp (5 g) fine salt
- 1 lb (454 g) boneless pork shoulder, cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm) cubes
- 4 oz (115 g) bacon, chopped
- 6 oz (170 g) linguiça or smoked pork sausage, sliced
- 2 cups (450 g) cooked black beans (homemade or canned, drained)
- 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped (about 5 oz / 140 g)
- 3 cloves garlic, minced (about 0.3 oz / 9 g)
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tsp (2 g) ground cumin
- 1 tsp (2 g) smoked paprika
- 1 tsp (2 g) coarse black pepper
- 1 tsp (2 g) kosher salt, plus more to taste
- 1 tsp (2 g) orange zest
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) fresh orange juice
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) vegetable oil
- 6 sheets nori (seaweed)
- 1 small cucumber, julienned (about 5 oz / 140 g)
- 1 small avocado, sliced (about 4 oz / 115 g)
- 4 collard green leaves, tough stems removed, or 1 cup (30 g) baby arugula for garnish
- 2 tbsp (30 g) farofa or toasted cassava flour (optional)
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) soy sauce or shoyu for serving
- Pickled ginger and wasabi for serving (optional)

Instructions

1. Make the sushi rice: rinse the sushi rice under cold water until water runs clear. Combine rice and 2 1/4 cups (540 ml) water in a rice cooker or pot; cook until tender. While warm, fold in rice vinegar, sugar, and 1 tsp (5 g) salt, then let cool to room temperature.
2. Prepare the feijoada-style pork and beans: heat 1 tbsp (15 ml) oil in a heavy pan over medium-high heat. Add chopped bacon and linguiça; cook until browned. Add pork shoulder cubes and brown on all sides. Add onion, garlic, bay leaf, cumin, smoked paprika, 1 tsp (2 g) black pepper, and 1 tsp (2 g) salt; sauté 2–3 minutes.
3. Add beans and braising liquid: stir in 2 cups (450 g) cooked black beans, 1 tbsp (15 ml) orange juice, and 1/4 cup (60 ml) water or stock. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 30–40 minutes until pork is tender. Remove bay leaf, shred pork with two forks, and fold shredded pork back into the beans. Taste and adjust seasoning; fold in orange zest.
4. Prepare a bean paste for assembly: reserve about 1/2 cup (120 g) of the cooked bean mixture and mash coarsely with a fork or pulse briefly in a food processor to make a spreadable paste; leave the remainder chunky for filling.
5. Prepare garnishes: quickly fry collard leaves in a little oil until crisp (about 1–2 minutes per side) or blanch and chop if preferred. Julienne cucumber and slice avocado.
6. Assemble rolls: place a bamboo mat on plastic wrap. Lay one nori sheet shiny side down. With wet hands, spread a thin, even layer of sushi rice over the nori, leaving a 1-inch (2.5 cm) border at the top. Spread a thin line of mashed black bean paste across the center, then a layer of shredded pork-and-bean mixture, cucumber julienne, and a few avocado slices.
7. Roll and cut: roll tightly with the mat, pressing gently to seal. Using a sharp wet knife, cut each roll into 6–8 pieces. Repeat with remaining nori and fillings.
8. Serve: plate rolls with fried collard garnish, a sprinkle of farofa if using, soy sauce, pickled ginger, and wasabi. Leftover pork-and-bean mixture can be spooned over nigiri-style rice portions for variation.