Pica Pau
Pica pau is a spicy Portuguese dish featuring bite-sized pieces of beef or pork cooked in garlic, olive oil, white wine, and piri-piri sauce, often served with pickles and bread.
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.