Best 2 Bifana Portuguese Pork Cutlets Recipes

Bifana Portuguese pork cutlets are a traditional Portuguese dish that is bursting with flavor. This dish is made with thin slices of pork that are marinated in a flavorful mixture of garlic, white wine, paprika, and other spices before being grilled or pan-fried. The result is a tender and juicy cutlet that is packed with flavor. Bifana Portuguese pork cutlets can be served on their own or with a variety of sides, such as potatoes, rice, or salad. This dish is a popular choice for dinner parties and other special occasions.

Here are our top 2 tried and tested recipes!

BIFANA (PORTUGUESE PORK CUTLETS)

Bifana (Portuguese pork cutlets) image

Posted on behalf of a request. Here in Toronto (which has a large Portuguese community), every Portuguese food store likely sells bifana; except for the bakeries, I've seen it frequently. It's very tasty -- I've never made it, but I've bought it on occasion and eaten it at my Portuguese girlfriend's home many times as well. Bifana is regarded more as a snack than a meal. This recipe is from "Uma Casa Portuguesa" (Portuguese Home Cooking) by Carla Azevedo.

Provided by Lennie

Categories Pork

Time P1DT10m

Yield 6 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 11

Ingredients

1 1/2 lbs boneless pork cutlets, cut very thin
1 1/4 cups dry white wine, divided
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 bay leaf, crumbled
3/4 teaspoon pimiento, paste divided (available in Portuguese food stores)
1/2 teaspoon spanish paprika, divided
1/4 teaspoon whole black peppercorn, crushed
1/4 teaspoon whole cloves
1/4 teaspoon piri-piri, sauce (or Tabasco sauce, if necessary)
2 tablespoons lard

Steps:

Rinse the pork cutlets and then pat dry with paper towels.
Place pork in a large heavy plastic bag (like a freezer ziploc bag) and place in a large bowl.
In a mixing bowl, combine one cup of the wine, the vinegar, garlic, bay leaf, 1/2 tsp of the pimento paste, 1/4 tsp of the paprika, peppercorns, cloves and piri-piri sauce.
Pour this over pork, make sure all meat is coated, and seal the bag.
Refrigerate for several hours or overnight, turning bag over in bowl frequently.
Bring meat to room temperature before cooking.
To cook, remove pork from marinade and lightly pat pork dry with paper towels.
Heat a skillet over medium-high heat and melt lard, then cook pork in batches in hot lard; if your pork is thin it will likely only take a minute per side, at the most.
When all the pork has been sauteed, drain off the fat and add the remaining wine (1/4 cup), remaining pimento paste (1/4 tsp), remaining paprika (1/4 tsp) to the skillet, as well as salt and pepper to taste.
Bring this to a boil, stirring the pan to get up any brown bits.
Return all the pork to the skillet, reduce heat to low, and cook for about another minute.

BIFANA (PORTUGUESE PORK CUTLETS)

Bifana (Portuguese Pork Cutlets) image

My mom used to make these Portuguese sandwiches all the time. So yummy on fresh Portuguese buns and sauteed onions

Provided by Luci Vieira

Categories Pork

Number Of Ingredients 9

Ingredients

1 1/2 lb boneless pork cutlets, cut very thin
1 1/4 c dry white wine, divided
1/4 c white wine vinegar
3 clove garlic, minced
2 bay leaves
2 Tbsp pimento paste, divided (available at portuguese food stores) *only 1 tbsp if using the "hot"
1/2 tsp spanish paprikka
1/4 tsp piri-piri sauce (or tabasco if no piri-piri)
2 Tbsp lard

Steps:

1. Place pork cutlets in a large heavy plastic ziptop bag and place in a large bowl.
2. In a mixing bowl, combine one cup of the wine, vinegar, garlic, bay leaves, 1 tbsp pimento paste (1/2 tbsp if using hot), 1/4 tsp paprika and piri-piri sauce. Pour this mixture over pork, making sure all meat is covered and seal bag.
3. Refrigerate for severl hours or overnight, turning bag frequently.
4. Bring meat to room temperature before cooking; to cook, heat skillet over med-high heat and melt lard, cook pork in batches. When pork is sauteed, drain off the fat and add remaining wine (1/4 cup), remaining pimento paste (1 tbsp, 1/2 tbsp if using hot), remaining paprika (1/4 tsp) to the skillet, as well as salt and pepper to taste.
5. Bring to a boil, stirring and scrapping up any brown bits. Return pork to the skillet, reduce heat to low and cook for a couple minutes.
6. Serve pork on fresh Portuguese buns (Papo Secos) topped with sauteed onions and about a tsp of cooking sauce.

Tips:

For the best results, use fresh pork cutlets that are about 1 inch thick.
To make the marinade, you can use any type of white wine, but a dry white wine is best.
Be sure to marinate the pork cutlets for at least 30 minutes, but no longer than 24 hours.
When grilling the pork cutlets, be sure to cook them over medium heat so that they don't overcook and become dry.
Serve the bifana with your favorite sides, such as roasted potatoes, grilled vegetables, or a simple salad.

Conclusion:

Bifana is a delicious and easy-to-make Portuguese dish that is perfect for a weeknight meal or a special occasion. The pork cutlets are tender and flavorful, and the marinade gives them a delicious tangy flavor. If you are looking for a new and exciting way to cook pork, then you should definitely give bifana a try. You won't be disappointed!