This delicious steak sauce was made famous after the opening of a beautiful brewery in Lisbon. On the 10th of June, 1925 Cervejaria Portugália opened its doors and soon became an icon. Along with the fantastic beer on tap, were the delicious, and now iconic, foods it was serving from the kitchen. The steak with the characteristic yellow sauce, rich and creamy was a hit.
Sadly, Portugália today is now a chain in many malls across Portugal. I have eaten there only once or twice, but will not return. The quality just isn't there anymore. Since I am too young to have tasted this beauty in all its glory, as told to me by my grandmother, I will leave you with my rendition of what I think it is to me. Several online recipes seem to state similar obvious ingredients, but I have taken it up a notch with the addition of Worcestershire sauce and the egg blending technique. Instead of mixing the eggs with the cream and adding to pan, I make them in the blender first. A sort of a classic, lemony Hollandaise. It was brilliant and produced a silky sauce that did not break/separate, when added to pan to finish. My husband said it was possibly the best steak sauce he has ever had! The sauce is bangin' on fries too. Mine just might even be better than the original. I made the sauce pretty much with the ingredients you are supposed to use, but felt something was missing. The sauce is a guarded secret and nobody really knows what goes into it exactly. One can only speculate, and to me that's a challenge! Accepted! The real secret ingredient here is the Worcestershire sauce. It is not optional, trust me. The fried egg on top is a must, as breaking the yolk and mixing it with the sauce is divinial. Wash it all down with an ice cold, Imperial, Lisbon lingo for a draft beer. Crispy thin french fries on the side optional ;)
Enjoy XOXO
Bife à Cervejeira com Ovo a Cavalo ❦ Brewery Style Steak with Egg on Horseback
Serves 4
Under 30 minutes
*You will need a stick/ immersion blender for this recipe
4 Beef ribeye steaks, on the thicker side.
I like mine cooked to medium. If you prefer more or less, adjust times, a minute more or a minute less.
8 Cloves of garlic, peeled and left whole
200 ml. Beer, I used Sagres. Corona, Stella Artois....all fine substitutes
100 ml. Heavy cream /double cream
2 tsp. Yellow mustard, such as French's, not dijon.
4 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce , I only use Lea & Perrins brand.
1 Bay leaf
1 tbsp. Lard (optional) if omitting, use 1 tbsp. unsalted butter instead
4 tbsp. Extra virgin olive oil, divided
Eggy sauce* recipe follows, make this first!
Salt, pepper and piri-piri/ chilli oil to serve
4 Large eggs, fried sunny side up
For the eggy sauce (that's what my daughter called it)
It really is a very simple blender Hollandaise
Under 1 minute and foolproof
250g. unsalted butter
2 tbsp. water
30 ml. Lemon juice (half a lemon)
3 large egg yolks, room temperature
Place egg yolks in beaker with water.
Place butter in small saucepan on medium heat to melt, once foaming, it is ready.
Place your immersion blender into beaker and turn on, slowly pour a thin stream of the hot melted butter into the beaker whilst continuously running blender until all butter is in. Continue to blend for about a minute more. You will have a fabulously glossy and creamy sauce. Set aside until ready to finish the steak sauce. Make this first before starting the recipe.
For the steaks and to finish sauce.
1. In a heavy bottomed frying pan on high heat, add lard, if using, and 2 tbsp. olive oil, bay leaves and garlic. Season steaks liberally with coarse sea salt. Fry steaks, 2 at a time in batches, until your desired doneness. Remove to a plate. Do not cover. Reserve.
2. Add mustard, worcestershire sauce and beer. Using a whisk, stir vigorously to dissolve mustard.
Let this reduce to about half. Mine took about 7 minutes on a medium high heat.
3. Lower heat, discard bay leaf and add cream, eggy mixture. Stir to incorporate. Taste and adjust salt, pepper and add chilli oil if you like some heat. Place on back burner and keep warm, do not let the sauce boil.
4. In another frying pan on high heat, add remaining 2 tbsp. olive oil, and fry all 4 eggs, until whites are set and yolk still runny. Carefully, remove to a plate and reserve.
5. Have 4 individual plates ready. Using the frying pan you used to fry eggs, heat it until it is very hot. Add steaks and fry for 20-30 seconds per side to heat through. If there are any beef juices on plate tip them into sauce and stir through. Add one steak onto the centre of each plate and top with a fried egg. Ladle hot sauce on top. Enough to puddle around the steak.
Serve with extra chilli oil and freshly cracked black pepper.