A Lisbon-style bifana is the best;just ask someone from Lisbon!
A Lisbon-style bifana is the best;just ask someone from Lisbon!William Meppem

Bifanas are a matter of national pride. There are local variations of bifanas all over Portugal,but any Lisbonian will tell you theirs is the best. Thinly sliced pork is grilled and simmered in a rich,paprika-flavoured stock and served in a soft roll with sweet mustard and chilli. You'll need to marinate the pork overnight.

Advertisement

Ingredients

  • 400g pork loin,skin removed and cut into 3mm slices

  • 4 cloves garlic,crushed

  • 1/2 tsp flaked salt

  • 2 tsp hot paprika

  • 2 tbsp piri-piri sauce,or Tabasco,plus extra to serve

  • 1/4 cup white vinegar

  • 2 cups white wine

  • 1 bay leaf

  • 4 tbsp olive oil

  • 2 brown onions,peeled,halved and thickly sliced

  • 4 soft white rolls,to serve

  • sweet or American mustard,to serve

Method

  1. 1.Mix together the garlic,salt,1 tsp paprika,1 tbsp piri-piri sauce,vinegar,1 cup of wine and the bay leaf in a large press-seal bag or lidded plastic container. Add the pork,mix well and marinate overnight.

    2.Heat two teaspoons of the oil in a heavy frypan over medium heat. Remove the pork from the marinade,drain and fry in batches for a minute or so each side until lightly browned,then set aside. Add a little oil to the pan when cooking each batch. When all the pork is cooked,deglaze the pan with the remaining cup of wine and add the remaining one teaspoon of paprika and one tablespoon of piri-piri sauce.

    3.Bring to a boil and reduce to a coating consistency,then return all the pork to the pan for a further minute,stirring well to coat in the sauce.

    4.In a separate frypan,fry the onions in the remaining two tablespoons of oil until softened and caramelised.

    5.Serve the pork with the onions in soft white rolls with sweet mustard and extra piri-piri sauce.

    Also try: Adam Liaw'sFrancesinha (Portuguese croque-madame)

Continue thisseries

Eurovision party food recipes
Up next
Karrysild smorrebrod.

Karrysild smorrebrod:Curried herring and marbled egg open sandwich

Danish chef Bente Grysbaek of Melbourne's Restaurant Dansk shares her recipe for a traditional open sandwich.

Previous
Brigitte Hafner's Hungarian goulash.

Goulash

This hearty beef and paprika soup originated in Hungary,where they grow a lot of peppers. It can be enjoyed as a thick stew eaten with spatzle or potatoes or as a soup with just a little bit of sauerkraut added at the end,which I love.

See all stories

The best recipes from Australia's leading chefs straight to your inbox.

Sign up
Adam LiawAdam Liaw is a cookbook author and food writer,co-host of Good Food Kitchen and former MasterChef winner.

From our partners

Advertisement
Advertisement

Similar Recipes

More by Adam Liaw