Blooming onion appetizer, then bifanas with salad, and apricot cake and vanilla ice cream

GrateEggspectations

We’ve been away in Portugal and Spain the last several weeks, so have had little opportunity to cook. Great adventures!

Decided to try to replicate one of our favourite dishes from Lisbon - Bifana sandwiches. Bifanas are a classic Portuguese street food consisting of thinly sliced pork marinated in garlic, white wine, spices, and paprika, simmered until tender, and served on a soft bread roll. Had them numerous times from different vendors, including at Bifanas do Afonso, which is arguably considered the best in the city. 

I asked my wife to make homemade Portuguese buns and set to work on flattening some pork loin before making the aromatic marinade and letting it sit. Then browned the pork before reducing the marinade. Heated it all up and made the sandwiches before topping them with sharp cheddar and mustard for some added flavour and texture. 

Cannot overstate the amazing smell of the house during the pork cook! The buns, in particular, were intoxicating, @Canugghead. 

Also wanted to make an (unrelated) app, so decided to try my hand at a blooming onion or two in the air fryer. First time, and would make again!

Dessert was a contribution from my mother-in-law. Apricot cake (homemade) and vanilla ice cream. 

Fun night reconnecting with the fam and just enjoying food. 

Thanks for looking. 

Botch

Wow.  I hope you folks plan on traveling, a lot!  

johnmitchell

Fantastic post!!! Everything sounds and looks amazing 😋😋

paqman

Can you elaborate on the blooming onion process/recipe?

GrateEggspectations

paqman said:

Can you elaborate on the blooming onion process/recipe?

Super simple. Just popped up in my video feed and I was sold. 

https://youtu.be/zZJS6Y3nhn8?si=tW3YqUdW4eufLWqr

GrateEggspectations

GrateEggspectations said:

paqman said:

Can you elaborate on the blooming onion process/recipe?

Super simple. Just popped up in my video feed and I was sold. 

https://youtu.be/zZJS6Y3nhn8?si=tW3YqUdW4eufLWqr

And while the base sauce is good, I added cayenne, lemon juice and dried dill to wake it up. 

fishlessman

GrateEggspectations said:

We’ve been away in Portugal and Spain the last several weeks, so have had little opportunity to cook. Great adventures!

Decided to try to replicate one of our favourite dishes from Lisbon - Bifana sandwiches. Bifanas are a classic Portuguese street food consisting of thinly sliced pork marinated in garlic, white wine, spices, and paprika, simmered until tender, and served on a soft bread roll. Had them numerous times from different vendors, including at Bifanas do Afonso, which is arguably considered the best in the city. 

I asked my wife to make homemade Portuguese buns and set to work on flattening some pork loin before making the aromatic marinade and letting it sit. Then browned the pork before reducing the marinade. Heated it all up and made the sandwiches before topping them with sharp cheddar and mustard for some added flavour and texture. 

Cannot overstate the amazing smell of the house during the pork cook! The buns, in particular, were intoxicating, @Canugghead. 

Also wanted to make an (unrelated) app, so decided to try my hand at a blooming onion or two in the air fryer. First time, and would make again!

Dessert was a contribution from my mother-in-law. Apricot cake (homemade) and vanilla ice cream. 

Fun night reconnecting with the fam and just enjoying food. 

Thanks for looking. 

i need to try that sandwich.  the recipe looks very similar to vinha d'alhos (not sure how the translation in my family changed to vingah dolls over the generations).  my recipe says to marinade it under the sink for 4 to 5 days the bifana looks to be much quicker

GrateEggspectations

@fishlessman

Well, well worth making, IMO. 

https://leitesculinaria.com/282255/recipes-bifanas-portuguese-pork-sandwiches.html

https://leitesculinaria.com/282693/recipes-papo-secos-portuguese-rolls.html

paqman

Thanks, strange timing, but I had a craving for a blooming onion.  Nostalgia from « Le Bifthèque » maybe.

GrateEggspectations

Nice, @paqman. Visually, our results look pretty similar. How did you like yours?

paqman

GrateEggspectations said:

Nice, @paqman. Visually, our results look pretty similar. How did you like yours?

Pretty good and easy to make.  I followed the method but I used Dizzy Pig Jamaican Firewalk instead of spices in the flour.  I also added some of it to the eggs.  Definitely a keeper.  Not visually appealing but tasty!