(Real) Feijoada

At Epcot Center M and I had the opportunity to try Feijoada. We weren't fully convinced that we had tried the real thing so when we went to Rice 'N Beans, and it was listed as the specialty, who was I to deny? My first impression, this is not black beans and hot dogs.

Full Feijoada Spread
Rice and Collard Greens
The main accompaniments to the Feijoada were rice and garlic sauteed collard greens. The greens had a crisp texture and were full of garlic flavoring. The rice was necessary since that's what you use to eat the Feijoada.

Farofa
Farofa is a topping consisting of garlic and onion seasoned toasted Yucca flour. The easiest description I can give as the flavor of this topping is that it tastes like bacon infused bread crumbs. It added a smokiness to the dish and also helped to thicken up the beans.

Feijoada
Black beans, meat, and farofa on top of rice
This feijoada looked almost nothing like the dish we had at Epcot's Food and Wine Festival. Black beans stewed with so many different cuts of meat. Bacon, Portuguese sausage, pork ribs, and prime-aged beef chunks cook within the beans to add flavor and also to soften and stew for eating. The bacon was a bit fatty, but it had an amazing flavor to it. The sausage adds saltiness to the dish without actually overpowering everything with salt. The ribs are tender and soft and are easily eaten right off the bone. The prime-aged beef chunks definitely have some sort of spice rub on them, and they're cooked to a perfect pink middle. The beans themselves? Amazing. As mentioned they've been infused with some saltiness from the sausages, and they've also been infused with richness from the meats and the bones in the stew. Eating the beans with parts of the meat and also with the Farofa on top is an unbelievable experience. Rich, thick, hearty, and very delicious.