Portuguese Smothered Francesinha Sandwich Recipe

Making a Francesinha Sandwich at Home

Making a francesinha sandwich at home is not that difficult, and due to its adaptability, you can tweak the sandwich to your individual tastes. Below is a guide to some of the basics and a few of our personal favorite ways of making the Portuguese sandwich.

Components of a Francesinha

To make a homemade Portuguese francesinha you will need a variety of meats and then ingredients for the beer sauce. In addition to the meats, you will also need cheese for melting on top and sandwich bread.

Bring on the meats

This monster sandwich boasts a variety of meats. Traditionally this meat masterpiece consists of a combination or steak, assorted sausages, ham or pork, and fried egg.

• Sausage– Traditional francesinha uses Portuguese sausage like linguiça or chipolata. Often a combination of cured and fresh sausage is used. For our sandwich we used traditional linguica and then used Texas style smoked sausage. Other sausages such as Spanish chorizo, andouille, or Kielbasa would also be good substitutes. Try to use at least 2 varieties of sausage.
• Ham– We selected smoked ham for the recipe, but deli ham or fresh ham can also be used. We have also made a BBQ centric francesinha with pulled pork, that turned out great.
• Steak-The sandwich is not complete without steak. We made this version with thin sliced, grilled flat iron steak, but other thin and tender cuts will work well too.
• Egg-The classic Portuguese francesinha is topped with a fried egg, and that is what we did here. A fried egg adds a richness and a delightful yolky drizzle, however, we have had the sandwiches both with and without egg, so make the sandwich based on your preference.

Best Cheese for a Francesinha Sandwich

• Cheese– Generous amounts of melted cheese blanket the meats in creamy goodness.  Traditionally flamengo cheese is used in Portugal, but that can be difficult to find in the United States. Other semi-soft cheeses work well in the recipe. Edam is the closest match, but it can be a matter of personal choice so use your favorite. Gouda, Havarti, mozzarella, or provolone would all work in the recipe. We went with a combination of smoked gouda and bourbon infused gouda.

Making the homemade molho de francesinha sauce

Making a hot, tomato-beer sauce called molho de francesinha is the final step in making this epic sandwich. Truly, the magic of the Francesinha lies in the sauce. There are many variations of Francesinha sauce recipes with most restaurants having their own version.  Almost universally, however, some sort of beer sauce is used and typically it is a tomato-based sauce.  Sauces can range from mild to spicy. To make the sauce, you will need a handful of ingredients:

Beer-Beer is used almost universally when making francesinha sauce. Use 12 ounces of your favorite beer. We prefer stronger flavored beers like a doppelbock or dunkel, but feel free to use your favorite.

Beef Broth-You will need about 1 cup of beef broth or beef stock to make the sauce for francesinha.

Porto Wine-This famous fortified wine from Porto adds a fantastic depth of flavor to the sandwich sauce.

Onion-We typically use yellow onion in the recipe, but other onion varieties work well to. We have also substituted 1 large shallot in the recipe with great results.

Garlic-You will need 3 garlic cloves, minced, to add to the aromatics in the sauce.

Worcestershire Sauce– Worcestershire sauce adds an element of umami flavor to the sauce.

Tomato Paste-Tomato is almost always included in a good francesinha sauce. We choose to use tomato paste in our recipe, but you may see others that use tomato sauce, or fresh tomatoes.

Hot Sauce– A touch of hot sauce adds just a touch of heat to the sauce. Traditionally peri peri sauce would be used, though this can be difficult to find in the US, so feel free you use your favorite.

Cornstarch Slurry– To thicken the sauce you will want to make a cornstarch slurry. To do this mix about 3 tablespoons of cornstarch with ⅓ cup of cold water. Add the slurry to the sauce 1 tablespoon at a time and bring back to a boil until you reach your desired thickness. You may not need all of the slurry.

Cook the meats:

You will need to precook any of the raw meats for the sandwich, like the sausage and steak. We prefer to do this on a grill for a little bit or fantastic smoky flavor, but you can cook the meats in a cast iron pan or skillet if desired.

Once cooked to your desired doneness, wrap the cooked meat in foil to keep them warm while you complete the other ingredients of the sandwich.

Making Your Own Francesinha at Home: Assembling the Sandwich

Prepare the Sauce:

To make the sauce, heat a couple tablespoons of olive oil in a saucepan or small pot over medium heat.  Add the diced onion and cook until soft, about 5 minutes, then add in the minced cloves of garlic and cook for about 2 more minutes.  

Next, stir in the beer, fortified wine, beef broth, bay leaf, tomato paste, Peri Peri sauce or hot sauce, and Worcestershire sauce.

Bring the sauce to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes.  Remove the pan from the heat and remove the Bay leaves.  If desired, for a smoother sauce, blend with an immersion blender.  Once smooth, return the pan to the stove and simmer for 15 more minutes.  If needed, thicken with a cornstarch slurry or your favorite thickening agent. Taste and season with salt and pepper as desired.

Layer the sandwich:

This is a wet sandwich, so you will definitely want to toast the bread slices prior to using in the sandwich.

Once the sauce is made, place a slice of toast in the center of a plate or bowl. Top the slice of bread with the sausages, thinly sliced beef steak, and a slice of ham.  

Next, top the meats with the other slice of toast and top with 2 cheese slices. If you are using fried egg, top the sandwich with the egg.

Next, the sandwich is then smothered in the beer-port sauce.  Pour the hot francesinha sauce over the sandwich.  The hot sauce will cause the slices of cheese to melt into a delicious gooey symphony of melted cheese. 

If desired you can also place the sandwich in a hot oven or under a broiler briefly to melt the cheese, prior to topping with the sauce.

What to serve with a Francesinha sandwich

Don’t be shy, utensils are your friend when it comes to the Francesinha. Consider splitting it with someone to fully appreciate its deliciousness without reaching a food coma.

Serve the Portuguese sandwich with a glass of port wine.  Crispy French fries or chips are commonly served with the delicious sandwich. You’ll typically find French fries swimming in the leftover sauce – perfect for soaking up all the delicious flavors. 

A cold beer is another classic beverage pairing for a francesinha. The crispness of the beer cuts through the richness of the sandwich, making each bite even more enjoyable.

We have all of the best sandwich recipes from across the globe. Be sure to give some of these other classic sandwiches a try:

The Francesinha is a culinary icon of Porto. It’s a dish that embodies the city’s vibrant spirit and love of bold flavors.  So next time you’re looking for a taste adventure, consider tackling this glorious mess of a sandwich.  With a little planning and the right amount of appetite, you can experience the magic of the Francesinha right in your own kitchen.

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