Portuguese Bifana de Porco done Southern-Style

Bifana de Porco done Southern-Style

If you’ve spent any time at all in Portugal, you KNOW Portugal loves thinly sliced meat sandwiches. There’s the bifana (pork), the prego (beef), and the Francesinha (pork with cheese smothered in sauce). And everyone has their own recipe, including me.

Today, I’m sharing with you my take on the Bifana de Porco tempered with my Southern flare. I’ll admit the local version is healthier because it’s grilled – not fired or breaded – pork cutlets. But this recipe is so damn delicious! And while I try to be mostly healthy with my cooking, it’s okay to have the yummy ‘BAD’ food sometimes.

Can you go wrong with thinly sliced pork that’s been marinated in piri piri sauce and seasonings, then breaded and fried? Then you put those spicy cutlets between a crusty roll. Top it all off with more piri piri sauce and the slightly sweet, spicy Portuguese mustard.

P.S. If you haven’t spent any time in Portugal, it’s highly recommended that you visit and do try the meat sandwiches!

The Bifana de Porco Roll

Like with any sandwich, the bread can make or break it and my Bifana de Porco done Southern-Style is no different. You want a roll that will stand up to having a sauce on it without going soggy. BUT it needs to be soft on the inside to absorb those juices from the sauce and meat, with a slightly chewy, crispy outside. Something textured sorta of like a good baguette.

Stay away from heavily flavored breads, like rye or heavy whole wheat or ones with lots of seeds. You don’t want a bread that competes with the flavors but instead compliments it and adds to the experience.

Traditional Bifana de Porco Marinade Compared to Southern-Style

The traditional Portuguese bifana marinade includes white wine, bay leaf, lemon juice, paprika, and garlic. It makes a great base to start from and I LOVE it. But I’m sharing with you my version today and I skipped white wine.

Gasp! I know! Me skipping out on adding white to a recipe is almost sacrilegious. BUT I love how quick this marinade using piri piri sauce for Bifana de Porcos comes together. Plus, it makes up the spicy base for breading the pork cutlets.

Now if you aren’t familiar with piri piri sauce, I do recommend that you try it. The Portuguese use it for BBQ chicken. Or top off the wonderful bifanas and pregos, or any dish you want to add a bit of heat to. Piri piri sauce is the staple hot sauce to the Portuguese like Tabasco sauce is in the States. It’s delicious and spicy with a hint of lemon, garlic, and bay.

I’m using milk in the place of the white wine. Which also means skipping the lemon juice because I don’t want buttermilk. And using A LOT of piri piri mixed with garlic and bay leaf.

Marinading overnight gives you optimal flavors. BUT if you forgot or decided at the last minute to make Bifana de Porco done Southern-Style at the last minute, 30 minutes to a couple of hours will do.

Bifana de Porco done Southern-Style

Substitutions

If you can’t find piri piri sauce, substitute with your favorite hot sauce. It will change the flavor but that is the beauty of cooking. The same with the milk. Substitute for your favorite milk if you don’t do the cow version. And for a gluten-free option, switch out the wheat flour with the flour of your choice. Personally, I love using Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-free All-Purpose flour.

Don’t like or want to use pork? That’s okay. Thinly sliced chicken and turkey breast also make a wonderful substitution for pork in the bifana. Or you want a different chicken sandwich, check out my recipe for Crispy Buttermilk Fried Chicken with Spicy Pickle Slaw and Sriracha Aioli.


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Lick-a-licious Yumminess

Hubby gives a huge UMMMMMMM with a nod of satisfaction as he bites into his Bifana de Porco done Southern-Style. I just have to laugh at the mustard and piri piri that ends up on his chin. I hope you’ll enjoy them the same as we do.

If you have questions, please let me know. And I’d love to hear your thoughts of the recipe down in the comments.

Bifana de Porco done Southern-Style

Bifana de Porco done Southern-Style

Spicy marinaded pork cutlets are breaded and lightly fried than topped with piri piri sauce and mustard for a Southern play on the tradtional Portuguese bifana de porco.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Course Sandwiches
Cuisine Portuguese
Servings 4 sandwiches

Ingredients
  

  • 1 lb thinly sliced pork loin half kilo

Marinade

  • ¾ cup milk
  • ¼ cup piri piri sauce
  • 3 bay leaves
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1 tbsp smoked paprika can be substituted with sweet
  • salt and pepper to taste

Breader

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 1 tsp pepper
  • ½ tsp smoked paprika
  • ½ tsp garlic powder

Finishing Up

  • ½ cup vegetable oil for frying
  • 4 chewy, crusty rolls
  • piri piri sauce
  • spicy, sweet mustard

Instructions
 

Marinade

  • Cut pork slices into smaller pieces for easier slices – 2 to 4-inch pieces.
  • Combine marinade ingredients in a Ziploc bag or container with a lid. Add sliced pork, cover or seal, and place in the fridge to marinated.
  • Overnight adds the most flavor but minimum time is 30-minutes.

Cooking Up the Pork

  • Heat 2 to 3 tablespoons of the oil over medium-high heat until almost smoking. While oil is heating, combine breader ingredients in a swallow bowl.
  • To prepare for frying, dip pork into breader mix and then place into hot oil. Continue adding pork to the pan until it's full. Cook until golden brown on each side.
    Because the pork is so thin, it's going to cook fast, so keep an eye on it, as not to overcook and dry it out.
  • Place pork on a rack to keep crispy while you fry up the rest in batches.

Putting It All Together

  • Depending on your roll size, add 3 to 4 pieces of the pork, then top with piri piri sauce and mustard to taste. Enjoy.
Keyword Piri Piri Sauce, Pork