Trinchado is a traditional Portuguese braised meat dish that’s found mostly in South Africa and Mozambique. Dark brown and rich with spicy sauce, tender cubes of steak wallow in a thick of expanse of flavour.
Most Portuguese families seem to have their own version of the Trinchado recipe that’s been passed down from one generation to the next. Whether scribbled on dusty cards in biscuit tins or learnt over the shoulder in grandma’s kitchen, the end result is unbelievably flavoursome and unmistakably Portuguese.
They just know how to make spice sing in harmony with heat.
If you’ve never tried Trinchado before, you’ll find this unique preparation of red meat absolutely mouthwatering and completely unforgettable. And when you’re not making your own at home, you’ll soon be searching for it on menus everywhere.
Trinchado
Ingredients
- 1 kg rump steak cut into 1-inch cubes
- 2 medium onions chopped
- 50 ml Worcestershire sauce
- 1 cup red wine
- 3 cloves garlic crushed
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tsp paprika
- 2 small red chilies chopped
- 40 g Butter
- 50 ml olive oil for frying
- 1 tsp cornflour mixed to a paste with a little cold water
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Create a marinade by mixing the Worcestershire sauce, garlic, wine, salt, pepper, paprika, chilies, and bay leaf in a deep dish or tray
- Add the beef, stir to coat the beef, and then cover with cling film and set aside in the fridge to marinate
- Marinate for at least 2 hours but overnight is best, to keep the beef tender and let the flavours permeate right through the meat
- Remove the steak cubes from the fridge, remove them from the marinade and dry them with paper towel – keep the marinade juice
- In a pan on medium-high heat, add the oil and butter and fry the beef cubes until brown all over
- Remove the steak and set aside in a bowl
- Add the garlic and onions and fry until softened
- Add the remaining marinade
- Season with salt and pepper
- Simmer for about 10 minutes
- Add the beef cubes and simmer for a further 10 minutes
- Add the cornflour mix to thicken the sauce and simmer for a further minute or two
Notes
This frying pan's aluminum encapsulated base heats quickly and spreads heat evenly through its triple-layer heavy bottom to the stainless steel cooking surface, eliminating hot spots and delivering professional results every time.
