Portuguese Espetada (with a South African twist)

Some of you may remember the wonderful Portuguese restaurant, Brazas, that we visited recently (read here). There I enjoyed the mouth-watering Portuguese espetada. However, Berto makes an equally delicious espetada (and puts a great South African twist to this dish).

The espetada was made during the camp weekend when we had the French toast (last week’s Dish of the Week – read here). So, we had the same beautiful views while sitting next to the fire.

Fire next to the Inchara Lagoon at Morgan Bay

Put it on the table:

This is such an easy dish to prepare. Besides just a few ingredients, you will also need a fire, long skewer and sharp knife.

Ingredients

1kg steak, cut into big cubes

3-4 big garlic cloves, finely chopped

handful of bay leaves

sea salt flakes

pepper

olive oil

Traditionally, espetada is made with beef, preferably with cuts such as sirloin. It’s even better when it’s marbled with fat, with a thin layer of fat on the outside as well.

Steak cut into cubes

Sprinkle the chopped garlic and bay leaves over the meat. Now add olive oil, just enough to cover the meat, and rub well into the meat.

Add the garlic and bay leaves and then the olive oil

Skewer the meat, with a bay leave between each piece of meat. Sprinkle salt flakes and pepper over.

Skewered meat

Sprinkle with sea salt flakes

Place it on the grill over hot coals and turn it frequently until it browns. Berto also throws a couple of bay leaves into the fire so that the pleasant aroma can be absorbed by the meat.

Espetada on the fire

Of course, the meat was too much for the two of us. But fortunately, we had a four-legged friend that visited us – the campsite’s dog. And he was very pleased with his portion of espetada.

“I’ll wait here by the fire for my dinner, thank you”

After the meat was cooked, we removed it from the fire and also from the skewer. Then it’s time to give this espetada a South African twist.

Cooked espetada

After buttering two fresh Portuguese rolls, I place sliced ​​cheese on top. The espetada now comes on top of the cheese and we finish it off with Nando’s mild peri-peri sauce.

Espetada with a South African twist

All that’s now left for us to say is:

  • Enjoy
  • Lekker eet (Afrikaans)
  • Bom apetite (Portuguese)