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Bifana — Portuguese Roll with Juicy Pork
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Source: https://recipheon.com/en/recipes/main-dishes/bifana-portuguese-roll-with-juicy-pork
About this recipe
Bifana is a Portuguese sandwich with thin pork slices, garlic sauce and a warm wheat roll. A juicy filling depends mainly on thin slicing and brief frying. Slice the pork loin across the grain, gently pound it and marinate it in white wine with garlic, sweet paprika and a bay leaf. Brief frying in batches gives the edges a light golden color; the meat then returns to the sauce for just a few minutes. The roll should have a warm, soft center and a lightly crisp crust. Spoon the sauce onto the meat in small amounts so the bread is moist without becoming soggy. These quantities make four sandwiches for a warm meal.
Ingredients
Meat, marinade and rolls
500 g raw boneless pork loin, trimmed of membranes and the thick layer of fat
4 ready-made plain oblong wheat rolls with a crisp crust, approximately 80 g each, approximately 320 g total
100 ml dry white wine
16 g raw garlic, weighed after peeling
30 g pure pork lard without additives, for frying
50 ml water for the sauce
3 g fine salt
2 g ground sweet paprika
0.5 g ground black pepper
1 whole dried bay leaf, approximately 0.2 g, to remove after cooking
Steps
Slice the chilled pork loin across the grain into slices approximately 5–6 mm thick. Gently pound each slice with the flat side of a meat mallet between two pieces of plastic wrap to approximately 3–4 mm, without tearing the meat. Cut any oversized slices into pieces that fit comfortably in the rolls.
AI-generated Finely chop the garlic and mix it in a bowl with the wine, salt, paprika, pepper and whole bay leaf. Add the pork and turn the slices to coat them with the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for about 1 hour. Toward the end of the marinating time, preheat the oven to 180°C on the conventional (no-fan) setting so you can quickly warm the rolls later.
Lift the slices out of the marinade and let them drain briefly over the bowl; reserve all the liquid, garlic and bay leaf for the sauce. Remove any visible garlic pieces from the meat and put them back in the bowl so they do not burn in the skillet. Heat some of the lard in a wide skillet over medium-high heat. Fry the pork in three batches, in a single layer, for about 2 minutes per side until the edges are lightly browned; add the remaining lard between batches. Transfer the seared slices to a plate.
AI-generated Reduce the heat to medium. Pour 50 ml water into the skillet and gently scrape up the browned juices from the bottom with a spatula, then add all the reserved marinade with the garlic and bay leaf. Bring to a boil and cook uncovered for about 5–8 minutes until the garlic softens and some of the liquid evaporates. The sauce should remain fluid and glossy; do not let the skillet boil dry. Meanwhile, put the whole rolls in the preheated oven for about 5 minutes until warm, with a lightly crisp crust.
Return the seared pork to the skillet along with the juices from the plate. Turn the slices in the sauce and heat over low heat at a gentle simmer for about 2–3 minutes until evenly hot and coated with sauce. Do not prolong this stage without a reason, so the thin slices do not dry out. Remove and discard the whole bay leaf.
Split the warm rolls horizontally, leaving one side attached. Divide the meat and sauce among the four rolls, arranging a few thin slices in each. Spoon the sauce onto the meat in small amounts rather than pouring it straight into the bottom of the roll: the crumb should be moist and the rolls should remain intact.
AI-generated Close the rolls, transfer them to plates and serve immediately, one bifana per portion, while the meat and sauce are warm and the rolls still have a lightly crisp crust.
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