A Portuguese favourite
Anyone who has eaten a Prego Roll will know that it is fine food. Another iconic recipe from Portugal, the Prego, is grilled steak (with lots of garlic) in a soft Portuguese roll with onions and topped with a Prego sauce. It gets its name from the Portuguese word for nail, a reference to how the traditionally tough meat (flank steak) used for Prego is made more tender by hammering it with a tenderising mallet.
Another favourite, particularly in Lisbon, is the Bifana. Bifanas are similar to Pregos, but are made with pork rather than beef. Bifanas and Pregos can be found virtually everywhere at Tascas (small, no frills bars) that are just about on every street corner.
There are many recipes for Prego and Bifana sauces. As with Piri-Piri sauces, these recipes are closely guarded secrets that never get shared with anyone who is not family. The most traditional way to serve a Prego is "com tudo" (with everything), which includes a fried egg on top, adding an extra layer of richness to the sandwich. In Porto, you'll often find Pregos served as a dessert after a seafood meal, a curious but beloved local tradition. While both sandwiches are considered casual street food, they've become so iconic that even high-end Portuguese restaurants now offer their own gourmet interpretations, though purists insist the best ones are still found at humble Tascas.
A recipe for Prego sauce
This authentic recipe for a traditional Prego sauce ticks all the boxes in terms of flavour and piquancy that you find in all the best Prego sauces. To make it, you will need the following ingredients
Ingredients
- Butter – four tablespoons ( or half a cup of olive oil).
- Piri- Piri paste -two tablespoons ( Sambal Oelek or Harissa will work as well)
- Dry red wine – half a bottle (preferably Portuguese).
- Bay leaves – four
- Peppercorns – six
- Garlic – six cloves (slivered)
- Onion – one (finely chopped) optional
- Salt for seasoning
Method.
This sauce is better made while cooking the meat simultaneously. The flavour of the meat juices makes the sauce richer in flavour. It can be made without the meat, but it won’t be anywhere near as good
To make it with meat
- Place the meat on a wooden surface. Sprinkle with the slivered garlic, and then cover with cling film.
- Bash the meat with a tenderising mallet until it has softened
- Heat the butter or oil to the frying temperature.
- Place the meat in the pan and cook until browned on both sides. Remove the steaks from the pan and keep warm to rest.
- A finely chopped onion can be added at this stage. Cook until starting to brown.
- Now add the remaining ingredients
- Cook until the sauce is reduced by a half
- Serve the sauce over the steaks in the rolls with sauce poured over.
Without the meat
- Start with the butter or olive oil
- Add the onions. Cook until starting to brown.
- Add the garlic. Cook for a minute
- Now add the remaining ingredients and allow to reduce.
- Use as required. It can be kept in the fridge for a week
Final notes
Pregos can be served with a fried egg to add even more flavour. They are typically served with fried chips. A Piri-Piri sauce can be served with these for dipping
A good Prego will benefit if the meat is marinated in the other ingredients before it is cooked. The remaining marinade is added after the steaks/onions are cooked.
While traditionally made with flank steak, Pregos can also be made with fillet, sirloin or rump steak
Image credit
Stu Spivack /CC BY SA 2.0 / via Flickr