Bifana Sandwiches

Ingredients

  • Thinly sliced pork loin (eg hotpot meat)

  • Dry white wine (I used sauvignon blanc)

  • Garlic - minced, split

  • Bay leaves

  • Olive oil

  • Paprika

  • Cayenne

  • Light beer (I used Sapporo)

  • Fish sauce

  • Salt

  • Piri-piri oil

  • Crusty bread (eg baguette, dutch crunch, rustic rolls)

  • Butter, optional

Instructions

  1. Marinade the pork with salt, half of the minced garlic, bay leaf and dry white wine for at least 1 hour. If marinading for longer than a few hours, do not salt too generously as the pork slices are thin.

  2. After marinading, drain the liquid from the meat and remove bay leaves. Add a generous sprinkling of corn or potato starch. Massage to coat evenly. Then drizzle with oil and coat evenly again. This helps lock in moisture to keep the meat moist.

  3. In a large skillet or sauce pan on low heat, heat olive oil, paprika, cayenne, bay leaf and remaining minced garlic until fragrant. Turn heat on high, add in meat and and cook.

  4. With heat on high, add in 1/2 cup white wine and enough beer to cover the meat. Let the alcohol fully evaporate.

  5. Then add fish sauce and salt, and piri piri oil. Let simmer until the meat is tender. If simmering liquid is not very thick, create a starch water mixture and add, boil with lid off until the sauce thickened.

  6. Cut sandwich bread in half, butter if desired, and toast until crispy and crunchy.

  7. Sandwich stewed pork between the bread, add more piri-piri oil if desired, and serve.