Bifana | Portuguese Marinated Pork Sandwich
Bifana is one of the classic sandwiches made throughout Portugal! This pork sandwich is marinated then served on a fresh bread roll.
Ingredients
- 4 bay leaves
- 7 cloves garlic roughly chopped
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tbsp white wine vinegar or lemon juice
- ½ cup white wine
- black pepper to taste
- 1¼ tsp salt
- 1 tbsp piri piri sauce hot sauce
- 4 bread rolls papo secos
- 1½ lbs pork loin chops boneless pork chops or pork loin roast thinly sliced
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- mustard
Instructions
- In a bowl mix together the bay leaf, garlic, paprika, white wine vinegar, white wine, black pepper, salt and piri piri sauce.
- Trim the fat from the pork cutlets (optionally reserve the fat to cook the pork in later). Slice your pork cutlets in half so each piece is about ½" thick.
- Cover the cutlets in plastic wrap then tenderize the meat with a meat tenderizing hammer or the back of a frying pan. Hammer then to ¼-⅛" thick.
- Place the cutlets in the marinade. Stir to coat all pieces. Marinate for 3 hours. Stir every hour to ensure all pieces of pork are in contact with the marinade.
- After 3 hours remove the pork from the marinade and pat dry with a paper towel. To a medium saute pan add the olive oil. When the pan is hot add the pork cooking for 1-2 minutes on each side, depending on the thickness.
- In another pan add the marinade. Bring the marinade to a bowl to kill any bacteria from the raw meat. Once at a bowl remove from the heat and set aside. This will be used as a sauce.
- Deglaze the pan used to cook the meat with 1-2 tablespoons of the marinade. Place your sliced bread roll into the pan to soak up the juices.
- To serve, place the pork and yellow mustard on the sliced bread roll. In a small dish place the cooked marinade and use as a dipping sauce.