Porto's legendary toasted sandwich layered with beef steak, chicken, and cheese, drenched in a spicy beer and tomato sauce and served with a golden crown of melted cheese and a side of fries.
Ingredients
4 slices thick white bread
200g beef steak, thinly sliced
150g cooked chicken breast, sliced
100g fresh cheese (queijo da serra or similar)
200g grated cheese for topping
For sauce: 1 onion diced, 2 cloves garlic, 200ml beer, 200ml tomato passata, 1 tbsp butter, 1 bay leaf, 1 tsp piri piri, 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce, salt
French fries for serving
Instructions
1Make the sauce: sauté onion and garlic in butter until soft. Add beer, tomato passata, bay leaf, piri piri, and Worcestershire sauce. Simmer 20 minutes until thick. Season and strain.
2Pan-fry the beef steak slices until browned. Set aside.
3Layer the sandwich in an oven-safe dish: bread, fresh cheese slices, chicken, beef steak, more cheese, and top bread slice.
4Cover the entire sandwich generously with grated cheese.
5Bake at 200°C for 10 minutes until cheese is melted and golden.
6Pour the hot sauce around and partially over the sandwich. Serve immediately with a side of crispy fries.
Did You Know?
The francesinha was invented by a Portuguese emigrant who returned from France and adapted the croque-monsieur with a decidedly more extravagant Portuguese attitude.