Chef John's Brazilian Stew

Prepare the stew by submerging black beans in a large container, covering them with water, and allowing them to rest for 8 hours or overnight. Discard the excess liquid.

Combine the cooked black beans with 2 quarts of water in a heavy cooking vessel. Heat it over medium-high heat until the mixture reaches a gentle simmer. Gradually decrease the temperature to low and continue cooking for 1.5 to 2 hours, or until the beans are tender but still retain some firmness.

Introduce chopped dried beef into the pot and add a bay leaf along with pork chop bones. Stir well and cook over low heat for an additional 2 hours.

Simultaneously, cook bacon in a dry skillet over medium heat until it's almost crispy. Add Italian sausage links and linguica; cook, stirring frequently, until the meats are nicely browned, taking around 10 minutes. Remove the cooked meats and reserve the accumulated fat in the skillet. Slice the Italian sausage into smaller pieces.

Sauté chopped onion and garlic in the reserved fat of the skillet over medium heat until they're translucent and soft, stirring occasionally to deglaze the pan. Season with cumin, coriander, cayenne pepper, salt, and black pepper. Add parsley; cook and stir until wilted, approximately 2 minutes.

Combine the onion-spice mixture with the pot containing the beans. Add the cooked bacon, both sausages, and pork chop meat. Pour in enough water to cover the meats just barely. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring the mixture to a gentle simmer. Gradually decrease the temperature to medium-low and cook, uncovered, until the beans are very soft and the liquid begins to thicken, taking around 1 hour. If the beans appear dry, add more water as needed.

Concurrently, prepare the bread crumbs: heat olive oil in a skillet and cook the bread crumbs until they're toasted. Stir in Italian parsley and orange zest.

Once the beans are cooked, discard the pork chop bones. Serve the stew in bowls and top with the toasted bread crumbs.