Portuguese Pica-Pau Recipe 🇵🇹 | Easy Portuguese Beef Petisco
Portuguese Pica-Pau is a classic petisco made with tender bites of sirloin seared until golden and tossed in a rich, garlicky white wine sauce with pimenta moída, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, Portuguese pickled vegetables and olives. Finished with butter for a silky sauce and served with crispy fries to soak up all that deliciousness. 🇵🇹🤌
Ingredients
- 1 ½-2 lbs sirloin, cut into cubes
- 1 tablespoon coarse salt
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1-2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper, to taste
- 3 tablespoon olive oil, as needed
- 4-6 garlic cloves, sliced
- 2 bay leaves
- 1-2 tablespoon pimenta moída, to taste
- 1 tablespoon mustard
- 1 ½ tablespoon worcestershire sauce
- ¾ cup dry white wine
- ½ cup beef broth
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1-2 tablespoon jardineira or pickle brine
- Portuguese black olives
- fresh parsley, optional for garnish
- crispy fries, for serving
- crusty portuguese bread, optional
Instructions
- 1. Season the beef.Add the cubed sirloin to a bowl and season with coarse salt, paprika, garlic powder and black pepper. Toss until evenly coated.
- 2. Sear the sirloin.Heat a large skillet over medium-high to high heat and add enough olive oil to lightly coat the bottom. Working in two batches, add the sirloin without overcrowding the pan. Press the pieces firmly into the hot skillet to develop a good sear. Toss and continue pressing the beef against the pan until browned and slightly crispy around the edges. Remove and set aside. Repeat with the second batch.
- 3. Start the sauce.Reduce the heat to medium-low. Add another drizzle of olive oil if needed, followed by the garlic and bay leaves. Cook gently until fragrant.
- 4. Build the flavour.Stir in the pimenta moída, mustard and Worcestershire sauce. Pour in the white wine and scrape the bottom of the skillet to release all the browned bits from the beef. Allow the wine to reduce slightly.
- 5. Simmer.Add the beef broth and 1 tablespoon of pickle brine. Simmer for 3–5 minutes, allowing the sauce to reduce slightly.
- 6. Finish the beef.Return the sirloin and any accumulated juices to the skillet. Toss through the sauce and cook for another 1–2 minutes, or just until the beef is cooked to your liking.
- 7. Add the butter. Turn off the heat and stir in the butter until melted and the sauce becomes rich and glossy.
- 8. Finish and serve. 🇵🇹Add the Portuguese pickled vegetables and black olives and gently toss. Finish with fresh parsley, if desired. Serve immediately with crispy fries to soak up the sauce or traditionally with crusty Portuguese bread and toothpicks.
Notes
Don’t overcrowd the pan: Searing the sirloin in batches helps create those browned, crispy edges instead of steaming the meat.
Don’t overcook the beef: The sirloin pieces are small and will cook quickly once returned to the sauce.
Pimenta moída: Start with 1 tablespoon and increase to taste.
Pickle brine: Start with 1 tablespoon and add more if you like a tangier sauce.
Don’t skip the butter: Adding it off the heat gives the sauce its silky, glossy finish.
Serving: Fries turn this traditional Portuguese petisco into an easy family dinner, while crusty bread and toothpicks keep it classic. 🇵🇹❤️
