See Also: Beef Dishes · Cooking Club · Meat Dishes
Bife a Portuguesa with Batatas
From Dorothy McNett's recipes at www.dorothymcnett.com. One of many versions of beef cooked with the salty and smokey flavor of ham with fried potatoes. It is a good idea to have the oven preheated to 250 degrees so that when the potatoes are done, slip them in to keep warm while preparing the steaks.
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 - 1 1/2 pounds small white potatoes
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
freshly ground pepper
4 cloves garlic, sliced
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2-4 beef steaks, about 1/2 - 3/4 inch thick
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 bay leaf, broken in half
8 thin slices Serrano ham (or other ham as desired)
1/4 cup dry red wine
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1-2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 lemon, cut into wedges
Thinly slice the potatoes, peeling if needed. In heavy bottomed skillet, heat the oil and butter. Add thinly sliced potatoes, salt and pepper and cook about 10-15 minutes over medium heat, turning gently to brown on both sides. Remove to a serving platter. In meantime while potatoes are cooking, combine the slivered garlic, vinegar, salt and pepper to make a smooth paste and rub it into the steaks. In a heavy bottomed 10-12 inch skillet, melt the butter in the olive oil and add the bay leaf. Cook for one minute, and then remove and discard the bay leaf pieces. Heat the pan at medium high heat, add the steaks and cook for 2-3 minutes on each side, until browned nicely but still pink inside. Transfer the steaks to individual dishes or a large platter. Set aside. Quickly warm the ham slices in the skillet and then arrange 1-2 slices on top of each steak. Add the wine and lemon juice to the pan juices and bring to a boil, scraping in any browned bits. Cook and stir (use the Figure 8) just to reduce the liquids a bit. Pour sauce over steaks, sprinkle with parsley and garnish with lemon. Serve with the fried potatoes. The potatoes are traditionally arranged in a symmetrical ring around the meat.
Recipe created 2006-01-24.
