The Authentic Portuguese Pork Steak Sandwich • Bifana de Porco

Nothing quite beats a good Portuguese bifana sandwich, well seasoned, properly fried, with a little yellow mustard to tie everything together. This version leans a bit heavier on the spices than the bare bones classic, giving the pork a nice kick that makes every bite a little more interesting.

Two quick lines to set the mood: Portugal has a gigantic culinary tradition, with its pastéis de nata, its bacalhau, its wine, and then it has the bifana, the sandwich that needs absolutely no introduction… except well i’m giving it one anyway 🙂

So what is a Bifana? The bifana is a pork steak sandwich (if its beef its called a “prego” sandwich) and it is an absolute classic sandwich in Portugal, you’ll find it everywhere, from tiny corner cafés to busy train station snack bars, always served with yellow mustard, always on a crusty roll, and always made to order.

As is common in Portugal, every place has its own take on it, some go heavy on the garlic, some simmer the pork in white wine and lard before frying, or simmer in beer, some use cheap cuts or pork and some use loin, some pile on extra spices. There will always be variations, and that’s part of the fun, you can really make it your own. But the recipe you have here is kinda the bulletproof standard, the baseline below which you really shouldn’t go. There are fancier versions out there, sure, but anything worse than this just isn’t that good hahahah, let’s check the recipe!

The Authentic Portuguese Pork Steak Sandwich • Bifana de Porco

Servings: 1
Time: 20mins
Difficulty: Normal
Rating: ★★★★★
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Oh you need to get the real deal, nothing like a properly seasoned, golden fried pork steak tucked into a crusty roll with a good squeeze of yellow mustard. Simple, honest, and absolutely legendary!!!!!!! ;D

Ingredients

Bread – 1 Loaf (Carcaça or Papo-Seco)
Pork – 2 Thin Steaks
Garlic – 2 Cloves
Olive Oil – A Drizzle
Pepper – A Pinch
Salt – A Pinch
Yellow Mustard – To Taste
Cayenne Pepper – A Pinch
Sweet Paprika – A Pinch

Directions

Season the pork steaks with thin slices of garlic, a pinch of salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, and paprika.
Heat a frying pan over medium heat with a drizzle of olive oil and fry both steaks until golden brown.
Finally, assemble the bifana with the two steaks and a little yellow mustard, and it’s ready, yes it’s that easy!

Notes & Tips: I made it like 1 sandwich but obviously it’s best to make 2 or 3 sandwiches in one go! ;D I rarely just make one 🙂

Ask your butcher for thin pork loin steaks, they should be about 3–4mm (⅛ inch) thin. Too thick and they’ll be tough, too thin and they’ll overcook in seconds. All supermarkets in Portugal will sell these already cut, it’s a very common pork cut in Portugal.

Don’t skip the garlic slices. Minced garlic burns. Thinly sliced garlic flavors. Use a knife, not a press.

The roll is also non-negotiable. A Portuguese carcaça/papo seco (a slightly crusty, airy wheat roll) is ideal. A kaiser roll or a Portuguese style water bread is the next best thing. A soft sandwich roll will get soggy and sad, avoid it.

This is not the place for Dijon, whole grain, or honey mustard. Classic American style yellow mustard is exactly what’s used in Portugal and it’s perfect for this, don’t overthink it.

Season the meat at least 10–15 minutes before cooking. Even better, season it the night before and let it sit covered in the fridge.

Olive oil, not butter. Keep it Portuguese. A light drizzle of good olive oil in the pan is all you need.

Double it up. This recipe makes one sandwich with two steaks, because one thicker steak alone is also common here in Portugal, but i think 2 or 3 thinner steaks work much better and are way more tender!

This recipe for The Authentic Portuguese Pork Steak Sandwich • Bifana de Porco was originally created on BakeAfter.com. Esta receita de Sandes de Bifana foi publicada em português no Iguaria.com.