Bitoque à Portuguesa

The definitive guide to a Portuguese comfort food classic

Course Main Course

Cuisine Portuguese

Keyword Bitoque

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 15

Servings person

Calories 1444kcal

Author Lusojourner

Trim off excess fat, season both sides with sea salt and black pepper, and tenderise with a meat hammer. If not already at room temperature, leave to rest at room temperature for at least 10 minutes (but no longer, as the salt will begin to pull moisture from the beef). Meanwhile, roughly chop 2 garlic cloves
Add the olive oil, bay leaf and garlic to pan over medium-high heat.
Add the steak and sear for 2 minutes, without moving it. This helps the crust to develop. If your garlic looks at risk of burning, remove it or place it on top of the steak. If cooking two steaks at once, make sure they each have sufficient cooking space to not overcrowd the pan and begin to steam.
Flip the steak over, and sear on the other side for another 2 minutes.
Remove steak from the pan and leave to rest on a surface - don’t touch it!
Maintaining the same heat, add around 100ml white wine to the pan, scrape up any brown bits (fond), and add the mustard and Worcestershire sauce. Reduce by just over half or until you reach a thick consistency.
Meanwhile, in a separate pan, heat a touch of vegetable oil over medium-low heat, crack egg and drop into pan to cook sunny side up, basting with the oil and seasoning lightly with sea salt and black pepper, until whites become solid.
Quickly add the steak back to the pan, add the butter and, using a spoon, gently incorporate the butter into the pan sauce.
Plate steak with the sauce all around it, place egg on the steak, and serve with fries and rice!

Peel the potatoes, slice into 4 or 5 parts lengthwise, then cut those discs lengthwise too into 4 or 5 chips.
Add potatoes to a bowl and wash well under cold running water, lightly massaging the potatoes with your hands as you go to remove as much starch as possibl (give them at least 2 changes of water). Once the water no longer runs cloudy, run the tap again with cold water until potatoes are just covered, add about 2-3 tablespoons of white wine vinegar, and reserve for about 5 minutes.
Remove potatoes from water and dry well with a paper towel or clean cloth. Meanwhile, heat the vegetable oil in a frying pan or deep fryer to cover the potatoes until the temperature reaches 60°C (140°F). On an electric hob, this should be just under midway on the dial; otherwise, use a thermometer to check the temperature.
Once the oil reaches 60°C/140°F, add the potatoes and deep fry for three and a half minutes.
Remove the potatoes from the heat, shake well to remove oil, and allow to cool. Meanwhile, reheat the oil to 180°C (360°F). If you dip the handle of a wooden spoon in the oil and small bubbles form around it, it's close to 180°C.
Fry the potatoes a second time for 3 and a half minutes, or slightly longer if needed (look for the desired colour), moving them with a fork as they become golden and crispy.
Add golden, crispy fries to a bowl, season to taste with table salt or another very fine salt which is able to get between the ridges of the potatoes, shake well to mix and serve.

Heat a small saucepan to medium heat with 1/2tbsp olive oil; meanwhile, roughly chop 1/2 clove of garlic.
Add garlic to the pan and fry until just beginning to turn golden. Add the rice, mix well, and make a small opening in the middle of the pan for the onion.
Peel a small onion (or half of a large onion), chop off the root, and place it in the middle of the pan surrounded by the rice.
Cover with hot water (the ratio here should be 1:1.5 between rice and water), close the pan with a lid, and cook for 15 minutes on medium-low heat.
After 15 minutes, turn off the heat and leave to rest, steaming the rice with the lid on for a further 5 minutes. If the rice is still not cooked to your liking at this point, add a touch more hot water and cook back on the heat for a further 5 minutes.
Check for salt, and serve!