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Pica-pau
Pica-pau: bite-sized beef in a buttery garlic and mustard sauce with pickles, eaten with toothpicks
Pica-pau means woodpecker, and that is how you eat it: a crowd round a shared dish in a Lisbon cervejaria, pecking cubes of beef out of the sauce with toothpicks and dunking bread into the rest. The beef is seared quickly, then bathed in garlic, butter, mustard and a splash of white wine, and finished with tangy pickled vegetables. The wine contains alcohol; use stock with a teaspoon of vinegar instead. A common mistake is putting in all the meat at once: it stews grey instead of browning. Chef's tip: cut the beef into small, even 2 cm cubes so every piece browns fast and stays tender.
- Total time
- 25 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
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Fresh ingredients (4)
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Pat 1 ⅓ lb beef sirloin or rump dry with kitchen paper and season with ¾ tsp salt and ½ tsp black pepper.
Step 2: Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large frying pan over a high heat until it shimmers. Add half the beef in one layer and leave it for 1 minute before stirring, then fry for another 1–2 minutes until browned on most sides but still pink in the centre. Lift out and repeat with the rest.
6 minStep 3: Lower the heat to medium, add 1 ⅜ oz butter, 5 cloves garlic and 1 bay leaf and cook for 1 minute until the garlic is fragrant and just golden.
1 minStep 4: Pour in ½ cup dry white wine and let it bubble for 2–3 minutes, scraping the pan, until reduced by half and no longer smells sharp.
3 minStep 5: Stir in 1 tbsp mild mustard and ½ tsp sweet paprika, then return the beef and its juices and toss for 1 minute to coat in the glossy sauce.
1 minStep 6: Add 4 oz mixed pickled vegetables and stir just to warm through. Scatter with 2 tbsp flat-leaf parsley and serve in the pan with toothpicks and 1 loaf crusty bread.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 380 kcal
- Protein
- 33 g
- Carbs
- 4 g
- Fat
- 24 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does pica-pau take?
- About 25 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 15 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- What can I use instead of butter?
- The same weight of ghee or coconut oil (for frying and most baking).
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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