Portuguese Prego Sandwich

Photo from the Sandwich Tribunal

Portugal definitely left me with a new appreciation for sandwiches. During my trip, I was lucky enough to try several traditional Portuguese sandwiches, some made with pork and others with beef. Honestly, I couldn't pick a favorite—they were all delicious in their own way.

Since coming home, I've been recreating some of those flavors in my own kitchen. One of my favorites so far has been the Bifana, a classic pork sandwich served with an incredibly flavorful garlic-infused sauce that's almost like a light gravy. If you haven't tried one, you absolutely should.

This recipe, however, is something different. It's a beef sandwich with tender onions and plenty of savory flavor, but without the rich sauce that makes a Bifana so memorable. Different? Yes. Disappointing? Not even a little.

I tossed some mushrooms into the pan simply because I needed to use them before they went bad, and that turned out to be one of the best decisions I made. They soaked up all the delicious flavors and fit right in with the beef and onions.

My only misstep was the bread. I grabbed what I thought were sturdy hard rolls, but they were much thinner than I expected. There wasn't enough room to pile on as much of the beef and onion mixture as I wanted, so the bread-to-filling ratio was a little off. It certainly didn't stop me from devouring the sandwich, but next time I'll hunt down a heartier roll that can handle all that delicious filling.

Portuguese Prego Sandwich

Recipe from Portuguese Recipes

Serves 4

• 1/2 lb of sirloin steak, cut thinly
• 5 T butter
• 6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced (or to taste)
• 1 large onion, thinly sliced
• 1 tsp coarse sea salt to taste
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 2 Portuguese style sandwich buns, toasted

Lay out the steaks on a cutting board or other flat surface. Lay slices of garlic on on side of the steaks.

Using a tenderizing mallet, “nail” the garlic to the steak by pounding the slices into the meat.

Repeat on the reverse side of the steaks.

Melt 4 tablespoons of butter in a skillet over medium-high heat.

Fry each steak in the butter for barely two to three minutes, turning once.

Transfer to a dish and cover.

Melt the rest of the butter in the same skillet.

Add the onions and sauté until they are golden.

Return the beef to the onions and sauce and heat through for about 30 seconds.

Serve on the toasted sandwich rolls, enjoy!