Porto-Style Francesinha with Beer and Port Wine Sauce

What you need

• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 330 ml (1 bottle) lager beer
• 200 g (7 oz) tomato passata
• 400 ml (1 2/3 cups) beef stock
• 100 ml (7 tbsp) port wine
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 tsp chili flakes, or piri-piri, plus more to taste
• 1 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 4 thin beef steaks, sirloin, about 100 g (3 1/2 oz) each
• 2 linguica sausages, about 200 g (7 oz) in all, halved lengthwise
• 2 fresh pork sausages, halved lengthwise
• 8 slices white sandwich bread, thick-cut
• 4 slices cooked ham
• 16 slices mild melting cheese, such as flamengo or young gouda
• 4 eggs, optional, for topping
• salt, to taste
• black pepper, to taste
• french fries, for serving

Method

Restated from the original video

1. 1

   Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook the onion and garlic until soft, 5-6 min.

2. 2

   Pour in the beer and let it bubble for 2 min.

3. 3

   Add the tomato passata, beef stock, port wine, bay leaf and chili. Simmer uncovered for 20 min, stirring now and then.

4. 4

   Stir the flour with 3 tbsp cold water until smooth and whisk it into the sauce. Simmer 3-5 min more, until it coats a spoon but still pours easily.

5. 5

   Lift out the bay leaf and blend the sauce smooth with a stick blender. Season with salt and keep it hot on low heat.

6. 6

   Heat the oven grill (broiler) to high.

7. 7

   Season the steaks on both sides with salt and black pepper.

8. 8

   Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Fry the linguica and the fresh sausages cut side down, turning once, until browned and the fresh sausages are cooked through, 6-8 min. Set aside.

9. 9

   Sear the steaks in the same pan for 1-2 min per side so they stay pink inside.

10. 10

    Toast the bread.

11. 11

    In each of 4 shallow heatproof dishes, stack a slice of toast, a slice of ham, the sausages, a steak and a second slice of toast.

12. 12

    Lay 4 slices of cheese over each sandwich so they drape over the top and sides.

13. 13

    Slide the dishes under the grill until the cheese melts and starts to bubble, 3-5 min.

14. 14

    While the cheese melts, fry the eggs in a little oil until the whites set, if using.

15. 15

    Ladle plenty of hot sauce over and around each sandwich and top with an egg. Serve with fries and extra sauce on the side.

Imported from blog.giallozafferano.it. Recipe Grab pulled out what you need to cook it; the video stays where its author put it.