Dish · portuguese
Francesinha
A layered sandwich of steak, cured sausage, and ham between bread, covered in melted cheese and a spiced beer-and-tomato sauce, usually served with fries on the side.
Where it comes from
The sandwich was created in Porto, adapted from the French croque monsieur by cooks who added Portuguese cured meats and a distinct sauce. The name means little Frenchwoman, a nod to that borrowed origin.
What cooks argue about
The real argument in Porto is the sauce: recipes vary widely on the beer-to-tomato ratio and whether to add piri piri, beer, or even whiskey, and each cafe tends to guard its own version.
Versions
Nobody has published a francesinha here yet. When somebody cooks one from a video and publishes it, their version appears in this list, with a link back to the original.
What goes in it
Each one opens everything else made with it.
bread
black forest ham
beer lager