A well-made sandwich is a work of art. We swoon over bean-smeared tortas in Mexico, cheesesteaks in Philadelphia, Vietnamese banh mi in downtown Chicago, a classic pastrami in a New York City deli, and bocadillo with jamón serrano in Spain.
Pork sandwiches prove ubiquitous in Portugal, from simple ham on crusty rolls to the roasted suckling pig (leitao) on bread in Aveiro. We love the combination sandwiches—sandes mistas found in the traditional old-school restaurants known as a tasca. There, we swoon over moist, juicy pork with cured ham and sheep’s cheese.
The over-the-top, many-layered, sauce- and egg-topped francesinha receives a lot of attention in Porto, Portugal. We most enjoy this knife-and-fork creation sitting at the counter at Café Santiago in Porto, with a tall glass of something sparkling.
Bifanas, also renowned in Portugal, immediately made our list of sandwiches to recreate at home. The humble bifana consists of thin slices of marinated roast pork on a soft, fluffy roll. There are regional variations, but the best versions, such as those served at Casa Louro in Porto, arrive juicy and moist with a hint of zest from mustard and hot peppers.
Delicious bifana memories motivate the sandwich recipe that follows. Marinated, thinly sliced pork tenderloin sears quickly on a hot grill or skillet. A batch of oil-vinegar seasoning serves as a pork marinade, bread spread, and coleslaw flavoring to accompany the sandwich. Slices of fresh queso fresco or mozzarella and ripe tomato add flavor and moisture to the sandwich. Crusty ciabatta rolls or kaiser rolls make a fine substitute for the soft buns used in Portugal.
This sandwich is perfect picnic fare, too, because it is just as delicious at room temperature or chilled as it is warm. When transporting the sandwich, add the tomato slices at the last moment to keep the bread from getting too soggy. Serve the sandwiches with the coleslaw, and an assortment of olives, pickled vegetables, and crisp chips.
A port and tonic makes the perfect summer drink to accompany the sandwiches.
Grilled Pork and Fresh Cheese Sandwiches with Coleslaw
Note: The spicy mixture of oil and vinegar gets divided for use in the coleslaw, as a bread spread, and as a marinade for the sliced pork.
Serves 4- 1/3 cup fruity olive oil
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar or sherry vinegar
- 1 tablespoon whole grain mustard or Dijon
- 5 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1 teaspoon agave syrup or honey
- 1 package (14 ounces) three-color shredded cabbage for coleslaw
- 1/2 red bell pepper, seeded, very thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup tomato paste or 1/3 cup ketchup
- 4 ciabatta rolls, kaiser rolls, or French sandwich rolls, split
- 1 pork tenderloin, 1 to 1 1/4 pounds
- 8 thin slices fresh queso fresco, farmer’s cheese, or fresh mozzarella
- 1 large tomato, cored, cut into 4 slices
- Hot sauce, such as piri-piri, optional
Mix oil, vinegar, mustard, garlic, sweet paprika, salt, smoked paprika, cumin, pepper and pepper flakes in a large bowl until emulsified. Spoon about 1/4 cup of this oil mixture into a shallow baking dish; set aside.
For coleslaw, stir mayonnaise and agave syrup into the oil mixture remaining in the large bowl. Stir in coleslaw mix and red pepper slices. Mix well and refrigerate covered at least 1 hour or up to two days.
Stir tomato paste into the oil mixture that you reserved in the shallow dish until smooth. Using a small spatula, spread a thin layer of this mixture over the cut sides of the rolls. Set the rolls on a baking sheet. Reserve the shallow dish with the remaining oil-tomato paste mixture.
Pat pork tenderloin dry. Using a very sharp thin knife, cut the pork on the diagonal into 1/8-inch thick slices. You should have about 16 thin slices.
Put pork into the oil-tomato paste mixture remaining in the shallow dish. Turn to coat pork on all sides with the oil mixture. Marinate pork covered for 30 minutes at room temperature or 1 hour in the refrigerator.
Heat a gas grill to medium-hot or prepare a charcoal grill and let coals burn until glowing red and covered in ash. (Alternatively, do all the cooking on a well-seasoned heavy skillet or griddle set over medium heat; turn on the exhaust fan while cooking)
Toast the rolls directly over the heat until golden and crisp. Remove to a serving board.
Lay pork on the grill in a single, uncrowded layer over the heat. Cover grill. Cook until golden, about 2 minutes. Flip pork slices with tongs and brown the other side, about 2 minutes.
Layer the pork on the bottoms of the rolls. Top with slices of cheese and tomato. Place top of rolls over everything. Serve accompanied by the coleslaw and hot sauce.
Port Tonic
Makes 1 drink
- Ice cubes
- Thin slice cucumber
- Strip of orange or lemon peel
- Mint sprig or lavender sprig
- 1/4 cup white or tawny port
- 1/2 to 2/3 cup tonic water, very cold
Fill a tall glass with ice. Add cucumber, citrus peel, and mint sprig to the glass. Pour port into glass. Top off with tonic and serve.
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