Portuguese braised steak & onions

Portuguese braised steak & onions

In Portugal this braise would be served with fried potatoes or rice, but it goes just as well with a pillow of buttery mash

Difficulty and servings

Easy

Serves 4

Preparation and cooking times

Preparation time

Prep 10 - 15 mins

Cook time

Cook 2 hrs 20 mins

Freezable

Method

  1. Heat oven to 140C/120C fan/gas 1. Heat half the oil in a shallow casserole dish. Brown the steaks well on each side, then remove from the pan. Splash the vinegar into the pan and let it bubble and almost evaporate. Add the rest of the olive oil and the onion, and gently fry on a medium heat for 10-15 mins until softened and starting to colour.
  2. Once the onion has softened, stir in the garlic and the paprika. Cook for 1 min more, tip in the red wine and chopped tomatoes, then stir through the tomato purée and bay leaves. Season, pop the steaks back into the pan, then cover and place in the oven for 2 hrs, stirring halfway through and adding a splash of water if needed. Cook until the meat is very tender. The stew can now be cooled and chilled for 2 days and reheated or frozen for up to 3 months. To serve, scatter with coriander.
Try

Braising steak

For the best-quality beef at the cheapest prices, opt for braising cuts. Although different cuts are sold as braising steak, some work better than others. If you want to cook a whole piece of meat, as in this recipe, use the flank or skirt - also known as feather blade. If you want diced meat for stew, the best cut is shin. In supermarkets, where labels don't state cuts, look for meat that isn't too lean and has a good proportion of fat and muscle running through it.

Per serving

430 kcalories, protein 44.0g, carbohydrate 11.0g, fat 23.0 g, saturated fat 8.0g, fibre 2.0g, sugar 8.0g, salt 0.46 g

Recipe from Good Food magazine, March 2010.

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Latest comments and suggestions

Results 1-20

  • Binder photo Lynsey

    28 February 2010

    Lynsey rated this recipe

    4 stars

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  • Binder photo Fluffy

    01 March 2010

    Fluffy rated this recipe

    3 stars

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  • Binder photo Mojito84

    04 March 2010

    Mojito84 rated this recipe

    5 stars

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  • Binder photo HarrietT

    10 March 2010

    HarrietT rated this recipe

    4 stars

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  • Binder photo Pewtersfood

    29 March 2010

    Pewtersfood rated this recipe

    1 stars

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  • Binder photo krizzah

    29 March 2010

    krizzah rated this recipe

    3 stars

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  • Binder photo Cat

    21 April 2010

    Cat rated and commented on this recipe

    3 stars

    Nice enough, but not particularly special, I thought.

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  • Binder photo kimkap

    23 June 2010

    kimkap commented on this recipe

    This dish was so simple to make and was simply delicious. Served it with mashed potatoe and sweetcorn with some bread to dip the gravy up. My husband gave this one 10 out of 10 and can't wait til I make it again.

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  • Binder photo Beth

    15 July 2010

    Beth rated this recipe

    3 stars

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  • Binder photo Louisa

    15 August 2010

    Louisa commented on this recipe

    I made this last night and it was superb and very easy. A definite winner I served it with Sugar snap peas and potatoe wedges.

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  • Binder photo Siobhan

    22 August 2010

    Siobhan rated and commented on this recipe

    1 stars

    No great depth of flavour in the sauce and found that the steak was still tough after two hours cooking. Definitely needs something else to perk it up. Really disappointing - wouldn't make again.

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  • Binder photo Marcella

    26 September 2010

    Marcella commented on this recipe

    Have cooked this a few times now. I put it in the oven and cook slowly for hours! Sometimes do Boulangere potatoes then dinner done and cooking and just need to do veg when I am ready to eat! Very tasty and popular in my house!

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  • Binder photo Belkey

    03 October 2010

    Belkey rated and commented on this recipe

    4 stars

    I made this in advance for entertaining and the only change I made was to add 200ml of stock. I used a mixture of sweet smoked paprika and hot smoked paprika and have to admit that whilst it was very tasty, it just reminded me of goulash. Served it with mashed potato and greens.

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  • Binder photo weezles

    08 November 2010

    weezles rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    I've made this dish a few times and always really enjoyed it. Last time I added a couple of tsp of redcurrant jelly, this added a sweetness to the dish. I'll definitely be doing this from now on.

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  • Binder photo mitch

    14 December 2010

    mitch commented on this recipe

    Although I made a few alterations, this is a decent recipe and one which I'll be using again, soon. Didn't have any vinegar so instead reduced down some of the red wine to start, worked out fine. Would probably add a bit more paprika next time. Good and filling but not outstanding.

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  • Binder photo mrscartwright

    16 May 2011

    mrscartwright commented on this recipe

    I found this very bland about 1hr into the cooking so I added 3 beef stock cubes into a small amount of water so that it was very concentrated and would not make the dish too watery. I also added a spoon of sugar some balsamic vinegar and an extra spoon of paprika. Fab !

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  • Binder photo jap

    18 May 2011

    jap commented on this recipe

    Made this a few times and every time very good,some of the suggestions I think I will try

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  • Binder photo evelyn-r

    20 November 2011

    evelyn-r rated and commented on this recipe

    4 stars

    I first encountered this dish in the Azores, where it is served with chips AND rice together! I was delighted to come across a recipe for it, and made no changes. It came out well, but a little more tomatoey than I remember it. Think I added too much purée by accident.

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  • Binder photo Chris from Aike

    25 November 2011

    Chris from Aike rated and commented on this recipe

    1 stars

    Not impressed. I took previous commentators' advice and doubled paprika and I added an extra bay leaf but still :-( Also ended up having to cook it for 3.5 hours (fortunately I'd allowed extra time for cooking as I have previously found Barney Desmazarey's recipes significantly underestimate cooking time....... ) I suggest you don't bother trying this recipe

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  • Binder photo Sauvignontank

    25 January 2012

    Sauvignontank rated and commented on this recipe

    1 stars

    I thought this was horrible and I'm a huge fan of braised beef, the cooking time wasn't long enough and there was no depth to the flavours!

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Difficulty and servings

Easy

Serves 4

Preparation and cooking times

Preparation time

Prep 10 - 15 mins

Cook time

Cook 2 hrs 20 mins

Freezable

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 4 braising steaks , about 200g/8oz each
  • 4 tbsp red wine vinegar
  • 3 onions , finely sliced
  • 3 garlic cloves , finely chopped
  • ½ tsp paprika
  • 100ml red wine
  • 400g can chopped tomatoes
  • 1 tsp tomato purée
  • 2 bay leaves
  • chopped coriander , to serve
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Per serving

430 kcalories, protein 44.0g, carbohydrate 11.0g, fat 23.0 g, saturated fat 8.0g, fibre 2.0g, sugar 8.0g, salt 0.46 g

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