Winters are cold and wet in north Idaho, and it is not pleasant enough outside to stand by a grill or smoker - those activities are best enjoyed in the summer 
Our solution for the winter is a simple one, but lots of fun. We call it an international dinner club, and it consists of 6-8 members. Once a month, one of the couples in the club will host a dinner which has an international menu. The next month another couple and a different theme, and so on. The hosting couple researches international favorites, and then assembles a complete menu so all can enjoy an "international" experience. We even try to find the DirectTv music stations that play authentic music to get everyone into the proper spirit. 
When it came to our turn one month quite q while ago, I contacted a friend in Brazil who recommended feijoada, or meat and black bean stew. Feijoada is an all day affair, starting early in the day with friends visiting, chatting, and preparing the food. The experience I can liken it to is an all-day Texas style brisket smoking party where the socialization is almost as good as the food.If you have never had feijoada, then this is something to consider for your bucket list. We've served it to several of our groups of friends and it is always a big hit. Because of the types of meats, and how long they are cooked together, the broth is unbelievably good - something I have never tasted before in my life!
Meats- salt pork
- preserved beef (corned beef is also great and likely easier to find)
- fresh beef roast (any kind will do)
- baby back ribs
- linguica
- smoked ham hocks
FeijoadaThe absolute quantities of meat are not important - use whatever you think you would like. Feijoada is the peasant stew of Brazil, and they use whatever meats they have (or can scrounge up).
First the salt pork and preserved beef were cubed and soaked in water to remove some of the salt. Next, the salt pork was heated with a bit of olive oil to render the fat, becoming brown and crisp. Then the preserved beef was added and browned. Next came onions, garlic, and a single sliced Serrano pepper (with seeds for heat). Then the fresh beef chunks, pork baby back ribs, and linguiça, were placed in the pot - finally the black beans with their boiling water were poured over, and the smoked ham hocks were pushed into the mixture and covered with water. I boiled this for most of the afternoon until the meat almost fell off the ribs (you had to be careful) and the bones of the ham hocks almost fell apart. I took out the ham hocks, removed and discarded the skin, then returned the pulled meat back into the feijoada.
[Click the images to zoom]Continuing a traditionWhile browsing the net, I read of a tradition in which a small amount of the black bean broth from the feijoada is spooned into shot glasses, then a dash of hot pepper sauce added. It is said that you drink this to prepare the palate for the feijoada - I must admit that I did not think it would be tasty to drink salty broth, but it was surprisingly delicious, and unlike anything I have ever tasted. The broth alone was worth the preparation time.
Plating the feijoadaFinally it was time to plate the feijoada! White rice was placed in the bottom of a bowl, then the feijoada spooned on top, ensuring that each bowl contained a generous portion of each kind of meat in the pot. A spoon of collard greens and slices of orange garnished each bowl.
The chow line
Finally time to sit down and enjoy!
