Portuguese Bifana Sandwiches
Thin Portuguese pork cutlets in a garlicky white-wine paprika sauce, served in crusty rolls.
Equipment
- Shallow nonreactive dish
- Large stainless-steel skillet
- Tongs
- Chef's knife
- Small bowl
Ingredients
Pork and Marinade
- 1 1/2 lb boneless pork loin cut across the grain into very thin cutlets
- 1 tsp fine salt
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- 5 cloves garlic thinly sliced
- 2 tsp sweet paprika
- 1/4 tsp piri-piri flakes or cayenne
- 2 whole bay leaves
- 3/4 cup dry white wine
- 2 tbsp white wine vinegar
Cook and Serve
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp lard or additional olive oil
- 4 whole Portuguese papo seco rolls or crusty sandwich rolls split
- 1/4 cup yellow mustard for serving
Instructions
Marinate:
- Season the pork with salt and pepper. Combine it with the garlic, paprika, piri-piri, bay leaves, wine, and vinegar. Cover and refrigerate for 2 to 12 hours.
- Remove the pork from the marinade and pat it lightly dry, reserving the marinade.
Cook:
- Heat the olive oil and lard in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the pork in batches for about 1 minute per side and transfer it to a plate.
- Pour the reserved marinade into the skillet and boil for 3 minutes. Lower the heat, return the pork, and simmer gently for 5 to 7 minutes until cooked through and tender.
Assemble:
- Dip the cut sides of the rolls briefly into the pan sauce, then fill each roll generously with pork.
- Spoon over a little extra sauce and serve hot with mustard and piri-piri sauce.
Notes
- Do not simmer thin pork for too long or it will tighten.
- Papo seco rolls are traditional, but any crisp, light sandwich roll works well.
Nutrition
Calories: 530kcalCarbohydrates: 39gProtein: 44gFat: 20gSaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 105mgSodium: 920mgFiber: 2gSugar: 4g