Pica pau, a tantalising traditional Portuguese dish, is loved by many for its delicious combination of flavours. Known for being served as a flavourful snack alongside glasses of cold beer and bread to mop up the sauce, this dish is perfect for any social gathering or simply for a taste of Portugal in the comfort of your own home.
The primary ingredient is small pieces of beef that are fried and then cooked in a light gravy made from beer, garlic, oil, chilli, and mustard.
Preparing pica pau properly means having fresh, quality ingredients on hand and taking care to follow the cooking steps that have been passed down through generations.
Once you’ve mastered the art of making pica pau, presenting it with pickles or olives as a garnish will elevate your dish to an authentic Portuguese experience.
What Is Pica Pau
Pica Pau is a traditional Portuguese dish that originated in Porto. Its name translates to “woodpecker” in English. This delicious snack is commonly enjoyed in bars and restaurants across Portugal as a “petisco” – a small, shareable plate of food.
When you order Pica Pau, you can expect to receive bite-sized, quick-fried pieces of beef, typically served in a light gravy. This flavourful sauce is made with ingredients such as beer, garlic, oil, chilli, and mustard. The dish is best enjoyed with a side of bread, which you can use to soak up the rich sauce. No Portuguese social gathering is complete without a few glasses of cold beer to accompany Pica Pau.
In Portugal, Pica Pau is typically found in bars and restaurants as a popular snack or appetiser. This delicious dish not only satisfies your hunger but also creates a friendly, communal atmosphere. Its shareable nature encourages socialising, making it a staple of Portuguese dining culture.
As you savour your Pica Pau, you will notice its various flavours and textures. The tender beef mingles with the tangy, spicy sauce and the crusty bread acts as the perfect vessel to mop up any remaining gravy. You will quickly gain an appreciation for this traditional Portuguese dish, and it will undoubtedly become a must-have treat on your next visit to Portugal.
Pica Pau Ingredients
In this section, we will discuss the essential ingredients to prepare a delicious Pica Pau dish. The various ingredients can be categorised into three sub-sections: Meat Choices, Vegetables and Herbs, and Beverages and Seasonings.
Meat Choices
The primary meat used in a traditional Pica Pau recipe is typically either beef or pork. You can choose sirloin or flank steak, based on your preference. If you’d like to add a twist to the dish, feel free to give cured ham a try, such as ibérico, serrano, or Parma ham. Always ensure that the meat is cut into small pieces for that authentic Pica Pau experience.
Vegetables and Herbs
Incorporating a variety of vegetables and herbs will further enrich your Pica Pau dish. Some popular options include onion, cauliflower, and carrots. You can also add pickled vegetables like gherkins, olives, or even pickles. Additionally, the use of fresh herbs like parsley or bay leaves is highly recommended for enhancing the dish’s flavour.
A selection of spices, such as black pepper, ground white pepper, and black peppercorns, can be used to season the dish. The essential part of the recipe is piri piri oil, which consists of fresh piri piri chillies, dried piri piri chillies, garlic cloves, and olive oil.
Beverages and Seasonings
To create the sauce that characterises Pica Pau, you can use white wine or beer, along with some lemon juice. Certain types of mustard such as Dijon or yellow mustard are mixed into the sauce for added flavour. Other seasonings such as salt (preferably sea salt), garlic, and lemon wedges can also be utilised to your liking.
Remember to serve the Pica Pau with some slices of bread, as it is traditionally consumed as a snack or appetiser, often accompanied by a cold beverage. The bread will help you mop up the delicious sauce!
Now that you have all the necessary ingredients, go ahead and prepare this mouth-watering Pica Pau dish to share with your friends and family. Happy cooking!
Pica Pau
Ingredients
For the pickled vegetables
- 600 ml Japanese rice vinegar
- 600 g caster sugar
- 50 g fine sea salt
- 2 bay leaves
- ½ tsp black peppercorns
- 1 small head cauliflower cut into bite-sized florets
- 2 carrots cut into 5mm slices
- 1 onion cut into eighths
For the piri piri oil
- 5-7 fresh piri piri malagueta or bird’s eye chillies
- 4 garlic cloves finely chopped
- 1 tsp fine sea salt
- 300 ml olive oil
- 10 dried piri piri or malagueta chillies
- 2 tbs brandy or aguardente velha
- Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
- 1 tbs lemon juice
- 1 tbs white wine vinegar
- 3 bay leaves
- A few black peppercorns
For the pica pau
- 1 tbs good-quality pork fat
- 1 tbs olive oil
- 1 garlic clove smashed
- 1 small long red chilli deseeded (optional) and halved lengthways
- 300 g beef fillet rump or sirloin, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 150 g thick-cut cured ham ideally Ibérico, Serrano or Parma ham, finely chopped
- 10 small gherkins finely chopped
- About 1tbs dry white wine to taste
- A small handful of parsley leaves finely chopped
- Lemon wedges to serve
- Piri piri oil to serve (see above)
- Sea salt flakes and ground white pepper
Instructions
- Once you have your utensils ready and your meat marinated, heat some olive oil in your frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the marinated meat to the pan and cook it until browned on all sides. Be sure to stir the meat occasionally to ensure even cooking.
- While the meat is cooking, you can optionally boil some vegetables like carrots and cauliflower to serve with your Pica Pau. Place the vegetables in a saucepan with water, bring to a boil, and then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook the vegetables until just tender, then drain and set aside.
- When the meat is browned, reduce the heat to a simmer and add some beer, brandy, or aguardente velha to the pan. The alcohol will help to deglaze the pan and create a delicious sauce that’s perfect for dipping with bread. Let the sauce simmer for a few minutes to thicken and develop its flavour.
- To serve your Pica Pau, arrange the cooked meat on a plate and top it with olives, pickled vegetables, and the sauce from the pan. Provide toothpicks for your guests to use as they enjoy this tasty Portuguese dish. Remember to serve it with some cold beer and crusty bread to complete the experience.
Pica Pau Presentation and Serving
Pica pau is a delightful appetiser that you can enjoy anytime you fancy a flavoursome snack. To elevate your pica pau experience, it’s essential to present and serve it in a way that complements its delightful taste.
It’s customary to serve pica pau with cold or draught beer, as it enhances the flavours of the dish and creates an authentic Portuguese experience. You can offer a variety of beers to cater to different preferences and make the occasion even more enjoyable.
When it comes to presentation, simplicity goes a long way. You can use a large sharing plate and carefully arrange the pieces of fried beef, ensuring that they are coated evenly in the sauce. To add a pop of colour and a burst of tanginess, decorate your plate with lemon wedges and scatter pickles and olives over the dish. This adds a delightful contrast to the flavours and enhances the overall visual appeal.
Don’t forget to provide slices of fresh bread for your guests. Choose a hearty, rustic bread with a good crust, which can absorb the sauce and flavours of the pica pau. Place the bread in a separate basket or alongside the pica pau so that everyone can easily enjoy the harmonious pairing.
While enjoying the pica pau as a group, everyone can engage in lively conversation and appreciate the quality of this traditional Portuguese dish. The combination of cold beer, zesty lemon wedges, and crusty bread truly completes the experience and creates a memorable culinary moment.
Traditional Variations of Pica Pau
Pica Pau is a popular Portuguese dish that has its roots in Lisbon and Porto. It is commonly enjoyed as a snack or appetiser, known as “petiscos”, and can be found in many local restaurants and bars. In this section, you will discover some of the traditional variations of Pica Pau that makes it a staple in these regions.
The classic Pica Pau recipe includes small pieces of fried beef, seasoned with a light gravy made of beer, garlic, oil, chilli and mustard. To enhance its flavour, it is often served with bread to mop up the sauce and accompanied by a few glasses of cold beer. This version is particularly prominent in Lisbon, where the dish has a longstanding history as a favourite bar snack among locals and tourists alike.
In Porto, you might come across a slightly different take on Pica Pau. This variation often replaces beef with tender chunks of pork, marinated in white wine or beer, garlic, sweet chilli, Herbes de Provence, salt and mustard. To give it its distinctive Porto touch, butter may be added to the mix or used as a substitute for olive oil, lending an extra richness to the dish. As with the Lisbon variation, pickles and olives are commonly added to enhance the overall taste and texture.
While the core ingredients of Pica Pau remain consistent across recipes, regional preferences can dictate specific additions or omissions. For example, some chefs might choose to include Portuguese-style pickles, typically made of carrots and cauliflowers, or experiment with different types of chillies such as piri piri or malagueta. The versatility of this recipe makes it a great option for you to prepare at home, allowing you to customise it to your taste.
In conclusion, the traditional variations of Pica Pau showcase the dish’s versatility and appeal in different regions of Portugal. By exploring these different styles, you can immerse yourself in the authentic flavours of Lisbon and Porto, while also having the opportunity to make your own unique version of this delicious Portuguese snack.
Frequently Asked Questions
What ingredients are needed for a pica pau dish?
For a traditional pica pau dish, you will need small pieces of beef, beer, garlic, oil, chilli, and mustard. The dish is usually topped with olives and pickled carrots or other pickled vegetables. Additionally, you might need salt and bread to serve alongside the dish for dipping into the sauce. Find the full recipe here.
How do you make pica pau sauce?
To make pica pau sauce, start by frying garlic in oil until fragrant, then add chilli and beer to the pan. Cook for a few minutes before adding mustard. Stir well and allow the sauce to simmer, thickening slightly. Once the sauce has reached your desired consistency, toss in the cooked beef pieces to coat them with the sauce. You can find a detailed recipe here.
What variations exist for pica pau recipes?
Pica pau recipes can vary in terms of the protein used, with some dishes calling for pork instead of beef. The choice of pickled vegetables can also vary, with some recipes including pickled cauliflower or other pickled vegetables. The choice of beer in the sauce can change the overall flavour, so experiment with different beers to find one that best suits your taste.
What is the origin of pica pau style dishes?
Pica pau has its origins in the Ribatejo region of Portugal. The name translates to “woodpecker” in English, as the dish is traditionally eaten with a cocktail stick, similar to how a woodpecker picks at food. Pica pau is a popular snack in Portugal and is typically enjoyed alongside a cold beer.
Which restaurants serve the best pica pau dishes?
While it’s difficult to pick one specific restaurant that serves the best pica pau, you can find various establishments throughout Portugal and countries with a strong Portuguese influence. Look for local Portuguese restaurants or taverns that offer traditional snacks like pica pau. In Lisbon, Portugal, popular places for pica pau include Cervejaria Ramiro and Tasca Mastai.
What wine pairs well with pica pau?
Pica pau is typically served with beer, but if you prefer wine, consider pairing a dry, medium-bodied white wine such as Vinho Verde or Alvarinho with this dish. These Portuguese wines offer a refreshing contrast to the spicy and savoury flavours of pica pau, enhancing and balancing the overall taste experience.
