Porto-style bifanas are thin slices of pork cooked directly in a spicy, flavorful sauce and served with plenty of that sauce inside a crusty Portuguese bread roll. They are one of the most famous sandwiches in Portuguese cuisine, along with francesinhas. They are commonly found at festivals and popular celebrations during the summer, but also at local taverns and cafés throughout the country, making them a cheap, simple, and quick snack.
As with most things related to food, there is no consensus on where to find the best bifanas in Portugal. In general, there are two main types: those from the North and those from the South and Central regions.
Bifanas from the South and Central regions originated in Vendas Novas and consist of a thin, whole slice of pork, marinated in wine, garlic, and sweet paprika. They are fried together with the marinade and served in a Portuguese-style bread roll, drizzled with some of the sauce they are cooked in and accompanied by mustard.
Northern bifanas are made with very thinly sliced pork cooked in a generous, spicy sauce. They are served in a small bijou bread roll and generously soaked in the sauce.
We love both, but since we are from Northern Portugal, we have a special soft spot for Porto-style bifanas. This recipe comes from my mother-in-law, and we love recreating that comforting flavor of a good bifana at home. Plus, it is an easy recipe to make.
It is important to keep in mind that there are countless variations of Porto-style bifana recipes, and this one may be different from those served in restaurants. But when it comes to flavor, we absolutely love these bifanas, which is why we decided to share the recipe.
In this article, we explain how to make my mother-in-law’s Porto-style bifanas, step by step, with all the tips you need. It is an easy recipe to prepare and packed with flavor!
Preparation
- Servings: 4 people
- Preparation time: 40 minutes (10 minutes prep time and 25–30 minutes cooking time)
- Difficulty: Easy
Equipment Needed
- Medium saucepan
- Wooden spoon or spatula
- Tablespoon
- Knife
- Immersion blender
Ingredients for Porto-Style Bifanas
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large onion
- 3 large garlic cloves
- 2 bay leaves
- 100 ml tomato pulp
- 2 tablespoons red pepper paste
- 1 tablespoon ketchup
- 2 tablespoons mustard
- 250 ml white wine
- 330 ml beer (one can)
- salt, to taste
- piri-piri sauce, to taste
- 700 g very thinly sliced pork
Porto-Style Bifanas – Step-by-Step Recipe
- Sauté 1 chopped onion, 3 chopped garlic cloves, and 2 bay leaves in plenty of olive oil until golden and soft.
- Add 100 ml of tomato pulp, 2 tablespoons of red pepper paste, 2 tablespoons of mustard, and 1 tablespoon of ketchup. Mix well and let the flavors cook together for 1–2 minutes.
- Add 250 ml of white wine and the can of beer, and let it simmer for 10 minutes to evaporate as much of the alcohol as possible.
- Season with salt and piri-piri sauce to taste. Keep in mind that the red pepper paste is already salty, so be careful not to add too much salt.
- Remove the bay leaves and blend the sauce with an immersion blender until there are no pieces of onion or garlic left. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
- Add the 700 g of bifanas, one at a time, separating them so that they can all cook at the same time.
- Let them cook for 10–15 minutes over medium heat, until they are completely cooked and coated in the sauce. The sauce should cover the bifanas, as shown in the image below. If there isn’t enough sauce, add a little boiling water.
- Once they are ready, remove from the heat and serve in a bijou bread roll, generously drizzling with the sauce.
Tips
- For this recipe, you need very thin pork slices, almost transparent. In Northern Portugal, some butcher shops and stores sell these bifanas already frozen. We usually buy them at Talhos Meireles, but you can also find them at Mercadona. Sometimes they are also sold as “bifanas laminadas.”
- We have heard that you can partially freeze a piece of meat and then slice it very thinly with a meat slicer, but we haven’t dared to try it ourselves.
- Keep in mind that bifanas are often sold frozen, so you will need to thaw them before cooking.
- As mentioned above, red pepper paste is quite salty. Keep this in mind when seasoning. Start by seasoning with the red pepper paste, taste it, and then add salt if needed.
- This is my mother-in-law’s recipe. Everyone has their own variation, and at traditional bifana restaurants, the sauce can be different. At the famous Conga, for example, it is even spicier but also more greasy.
Serving Suggestions and Accompaniments
Bifanas are typically served in a bijou bread roll, with plenty of sauce. For us, this is the best way to eat them! They are strongly associated with traditional festivals and fairs, where they are often sold from food trucks. But they can also be served on a plate with rice and salad.
They taste so good with a cold drink!
Storage and Reheating
You can store the bifanas with the sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3–4 days or in the freezer for 2–3 months. This dish freezes well without significantly affecting the flavor or texture.
Conclusion
When you’re craving a Porto-style bifana, you can now make one at home. With the right ingredients, this recipe is easy to prepare. Whether you serve them in a bread roll or on a plate, they are sure to be a hit at home. We hope you enjoy them!
Bom apetite!
Porto-Style Bifanas
Equipment
- Medium saucepan
- Wooden spoon or spatula
- Tablespoon
- Knife
- Immersion blender
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large onion
- 3 large garlic cloves
- 2 bay leaves
- 100 ml tomato pulp
- 2 tablespoons red pepper paste
- 1 tablespoon ketchup
- 2 tablespoons mustard
- 250 ml white wine
- 330 ml beer one can
- salt to taste
- piri-piri sauce to taste
- 700 g very thinly sliced pork
Instructions
- Sauté 1 onion, 3 garlic cloves, and 2 bay leaves in plenty of olive oil until golden and soft.
- Add 100 ml of tomato pulp, 2 tablespoons of red pepper paste and mustard, and 1 tablespoon of ketchup. Mix well and let the flavors cook together for 1–2 minutes.
- Add 250 ml of white wine and the can of beer, and let it simmer for 10 minutes to evaporate as much of the alcohol as possible.
- Season with salt and piri-piri sauce to taste. Keep in mind that the red pepper paste is already salty, so be careful not to add too much salt.
- Remove the bay leaves and blend the sauce with an immersion blender until there are no pieces of onion or garlic left. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
- Add the 700 g of bifanas, one at a time, separating them so that they can all cook at the same time.
- Let them cook for 10–15 minutes over medium heat, until completely cooked and coated in the sauce. The sauce should cover the bifanas, as shown in the image below. If there isn’t enough sauce, add a little boiling water.
- Once they are ready, remove from the heat and serve in a bijou bread roll, generously drizzling with the sauce.