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Portuguese

Bifana

Non-vegetarian

Thin slices of pork marinated in garlic, wine and paprika, simmered in their juices and stuffed into a crusty roll. Portugal's favourite snack, eaten with mustard and a beer.

Bifana is a Portuguese sandwich from Portugal, ready in about 2 hours 25 minutes and made with pork loin, garlic and hamburger bun. It serves 4 and is rated easy to cook.

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Prep
10 min
Cook
15 min
Rest
2 h
Total
2 h 25 min
Serves
4
Level
Easy
Calories
460

Marinating can be extended overnight.

Ingredients

4 servings

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Mix the garlic (opens in a new tab), wine, paprika (opens in a new tab), bay leaf (opens in a new tab), salt and pepper (opens in a new tab), add the pork and marinate for at least 2 hours, refrigerated.

    • 5 min

    Food safety: Marinate raw pork in the fridge.

    Meat coated in a spiced marinade in a bowl
    How it looks · Photo: Ip Photographer on Pexels

  2. Step 2

    Lift the pork from the marinade and fry quickly in the hot lard (opens in a new tab) until browned on both sides.

  3. Step 3

    Pour in the marinade and simmer for a few minutes until the pork is cooked through and the juices reduce slightly.

    • 6 min
    • medium heat

  4. Step 4

    Split the rolls, dip the cut sides in the pan juices and fill with the pork. Serve with mustard and piri-piri.

    • 2 min
    A finished dish being plated
    How it looks · Photo: Willians Huerta on Pexels

About this dish

Origin
Vendas Novas (Alentejo), Portugal · Commonly attributedMore food from Portugal
Dish
Lunch · Snack · Sandwiches · Street food
Cooking method
Marinated / cured, Pan-fried, Simmered
Taste
garlicky, savoury, tangy
Diet
Dairy-free · No nut ingredients · High-protein
All labelsNon-vegetarian · Dairy-free · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · Beef-free · High-protein · Calorie-conscious
Without the optional extras: No added sugarWorked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
Street food · Portable / lunchbox · Everyday
Cook more with
Pork loin · Garlic · Hamburger bun · Dry white wine · Paprika · Bay leaves
Techniques
Pan-frying · Simmering · Marinating · Reduction · Curing

Allergens

  • May contain: Milkfrom hamburger bun
  • May contain: Eggsfrom hamburger bun
  • Contains: Wheatfrom hamburger bun
  • Contains: Glutenfrom hamburger bun
  • May contain: Soyfrom hamburger bun
  • May contain: Sesamefrom hamburger bun
  • Contains, can be adapted: Mustardfrom prepared mustard
  • Contains: Sulphitesfrom dry white wine, prepared mustard

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

460 kcal per serving

Calculated

1 serving ≈ 223 g · recipe makes 4

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 29%
  • Carbohydrate 26%
  • Fat 45%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
Energy460 kcal207 kcal
Protein31.8 g14.3 g
Carbohydrate28.1 g12.6 g
Net carbohydrate26.9 g12.1 g
Sugars4.1 g1.8 g
Added sugars0 g0 g
Fibre1.3 g0.6 g
Fat21.5 g9.6 g
Saturated fat7.2 g3.2 g
Trans fat0.1 g0.1 g
Cholesterol77 mg35 mg
Sodium935 mg420 mg
Salt equivalent2.3 g1.1 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
554 mg
Calcium
98 mg
Iron
2.7 mg
Magnesium
47 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
35 µg
Vitamin C
2 mg
Vitamin D
0.5 µg
Vitamin B12
0.6 µg
Folate (DFE)
66 µg

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
  • Optional ingredients are not included: prepared mustard, chilli sauce (sriracha-style).
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Serve with

  • A small cold beer (imperial in Lisbon, fino in Porto) is the classic partner.

Storage

  • Marinated raw pork keeps 1 day refrigerated.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

Used in steps 1, 4

Reviews & corrections

Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

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