The 3 Portuguese meat sandwich: bifana, prego and leitão

August 7, 2014

Forget burgers! The typical Portuguese meat sandwich has national ingredients and you won’t forget these flavors.

Learn these names:

Bifana

This is one of those typical Portuguese dishes that you have to taste. But what is it? Bifana?? If Americans have the burger on bread, the Portuguese have pork steaks on bread, sauteed with garlic and/or spices. Normally the pork fillets are seasoned with mustard or hot sauce. It has been featured in Lonely Planet and is so popular in Portugal that Mcdonald’s launched McBifana. In Mouraria you can enjoy a good bifana Zé dos Cornos or Bifanas do Afonso, a small tavern in Largo Adelino Amaro da Costa. Step off the Castle elevator, cross the road and look for the small corner tavern.

Prego

A beef sandwich that can be served in bread (with mustard or hot sauce) or in a plate (with fries, rice and fried egg). It is another typical dish of Portuguese cuisine, and the steak should be tender and thin. In Mouraria, Eurico restaurant is one of the places where you can taste a good Prego (nail in English. Why nail? Don’t ask, just eat).

Suckling pig sandwich

Forget the fat and calories and concentrate only in tasting this dish that you can find in Caneca de Prata restaurant, in downtown Lisbon. As the name indicates, the sandwich is made with Suckling pig meat from Mealhada, the most appreciated. Taste it with green red wine, which combines perfectly with this dish. A Boutique dos Leitões, in Campo de Ourique, is also known by connoisseurs. In addition to the sandwiches you can also taste the patties or suckling pig pies.

Three types of Portuguese sandwiches