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4.9 from 132 votes

Bifanas ~ Portuguese Pork Sandwiches

Bifanas are traditional Portuguese sandwiches made with thin slices of pork that are marinated and simmered in a sauce of white wine, garlic, and paprika and served on soft rolls with plenty of mustard and piri-piri sauce.

Prep Time
25 mins
Cook Time
1 hr 25 mins
Total Time
2 hrs
Servings: 4 sandwiches
Calories: 541 kcal
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Portuguese

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 pounds thinly sliced pork top round or cutlets, or thin-sliced boneless pork chops, trimmed of fat
  • 1 1/2 cups white wine
  • 6 garlic cloves chopped
  • 2 bay leaves broken in half
  • 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon sweet paprika
  • 2 teaspoons Diamond kosher salt (or 1 1/4 teaspoon Morton kosher salt)
  • 3 tablespoons lard
  • Papo secos or crusty rolls to serve
  • piri-piri sauce for serving (optional)
  • mustard

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Slip a slice of top round, a pork cutlet, or pork chop into a zip-top bag or between two pieces of plastic wrap and pound it with a meat tenderizer or rolling pin until it's very thin but not torn. Ideally, you want it to be the thickness of deli meat, less than 1/8 of an inch (3mm) thick. Repeat with the rest of the pork.
  2. In a small bowl, stir together the 1 1/2 cups white wine, 6 garlic cloves, 2 bay leaves, 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar, 1 tablespoon sweet paprika, and 2 teaspoons Diamond kosher salt.
  3. Add the pork slices to a shallow pan and pour the marinade over top. Stir the pork in the liquid, making sure the slices are pretty much submerged. Refrigerate the pan for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, stirring the meat several times.
  4. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat until very hot and add the 3 tablespoons lard. Fry the bifanas quickly until cooked through, about 1 minute per side. Add more lard if the pan threatens to dry out. Transfer the cooked bifanas to a plate.
  5. Discard the bay leaves and pour the reserved marinade into the skillet and scrape up any stuck-on bits. Let the mixture boil until reduced by about 1/3, 4 to 6 minutes.
  6. Add the bifanas back to the skillet, reduce the heat to low, and simmer to warm them through.
  7. Slice the Papo secos or crusty rolls in half. Spoon some of the sauce over each half, pile with the pork, and, if desired, serve with the mustard and piri-piri sauce.

Nutrition Information

Serving 1sandwich Calories 541kcal (27%) Carbohydrates 24g (8%) Protein 41g (82%) Fat 23g (35%) Saturated Fat 7g (35%) Monounsaturated Fat 10g Trans Fat 1g Cholesterol 114mg (38%) Sodium 1470mg (61%) Fiber 2g (8%) Sugar 1g (2%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 4sandwiches

Amount Per Serving

Calories 541

% Daily Value*

Serving 1sandwich
Calories 541kcal 27%
Carbohydrates 24g 8%
Protein 41g 82%
Fat 23g 35%
Saturated Fat 7g 35%
Monounsaturated Fat 10g 50%
Trans Fat 1g 50%
Cholesterol 114mg 38%
Sodium 1470mg 61%
Fiber 2g 8%
Sugar 1g 2%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.