Bifana

Method

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1. Beat the pork slices between cling film until about 3 mm thick.

   Mark done

2. Mix the wine, garlic, bay, paprika, piri-piri, salt and pepper and pour it over the pork. Refrigerate at least 4 hours, ideally overnight.

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3. Lift the pork out and pat it dry, keeping every drop of the marinade.

   Mark done

4. Heat the lard in a wide frying pan until very hot. Sear the pork in batches for 45 seconds a side — it should colour, not stew. Set aside.

   Mark done Start 45 sec timer

5. Pour the marinade into the same pan and boil hard for 5 minutes, scraping the base, until it has reduced by half and lost its raw wine smell.

   Mark done Start 5 min timer

6. Whisk in the butter to give the sauce a little body.

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7. Return the pork to the pan and turn it through the sauce for 1 minute only.

   Mark done Start 1 min timer

8. Split the rolls and dip the cut sides briefly in the pan sauce.

   Mark done

9. Pile three or four slices of pork into each roll, spoon a little more sauce over, and add mustard and piri-piri to taste.

   Mark done

Chef’s Tips

• Beat the pork properly thin. Thickness is what makes a bifana tough.
• Reduce the marinade hard before the meat goes back in.
• Dip the bread in the sauce. That is how it is served in Lisbon.

Common Substitutions & Variations

• An eighth of a teaspoon of garlic powder per clove is the usual stand-in when you are out of fresh garlic — it will not caramelise the same way, but it carries the flavour.
• A dry vermouth keeps for longer than an open bottle of white wine and is the closer swap than a random white left in the fridge; for an alcohol-free version, use the same amount of stock with a squeeze of lemon.

Pairing Suggestions

• A cold Sagres or Super Bock
• Yellow mustard and piri-piri
• Chips

Storage & Reheating

The marinated pork keeps 2 days raw. Cooked bifanas are best eaten immediately.

Common questions

Nutritional Highlights

Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list. Treat these as an estimate — brands and cuts vary.