Brazilian Feijoada - Slow Cooked Pork and Black Bean Stew

I love beans. I love pork. I love my slow cooker. Throw them all together and you have got Brazilian Feijoda. Not only was it super yummy, it made my house smell so good! About the only bad thing I can think of about my slow cooker is that I have to (or get to) smell the yummy food all day, but I can't eat it. I guess that could be a good thing too.

2 cups dried black beans
4 slices thick-cut bacon
2 pounds boneless pork shoulder, trimmed of fat and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/2 teaspoon salt, more for sprinkling the meat before browning
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
3 boneless beef short ribs, trimmed (about 1-2 pounds)
3 cups finely chopped yellow or white onion (about 2 medium)
1 (14 oz) can chicken broth
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 (9-ounce) smoked ham hock
1 tablespoon white vinegar
8 orange wedges
Hot, cooked rice, for serving

Place beans in a large saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil and cook for 2 minutes. Remove from heat; cover and let stand 1 hour. Drain.

Cook bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan; crumble. Let the bacon cool and then place in a covered container or bag in the refrigerator to use before serving. Sprinkle pork evenly with salt and pepper. Increase heat to medium-high. Add pork to bacon drippings in skillet; cook the pork 1-2 minutes per side until golden brown all over. Transfer the pork to a 6-quart slow cooker. Sprinkle ribs evenly with salt and pepper. Add ribs to skillet; cook 2-3 minutes on each side or until browned. Place ribs in slow cooker. Add drained beans, 1/2 teaspoon salt, onion, chicken broth, garlic and ham hock to slow cooker, stirring to combine. Cover and cook on low 8 hours or until beans and meat are tender.

Remove and shred ribs. Remove and discard ham hock. Add the meat back into the slow cooker and stir in vinegar and crumbled bacon. Serve with hot, cooked rice and orange wedges.

Recipe from Mels Kitchen Cafe.