Francesinha (Francesinha) — Porto Beer-Sauce Steak Sandwich

• 2 tbspolive oil
• 1yellow onion (finely chopped, about 180 g)
• 3 clovegarlic (minced)
• 1 leafbay leaf
• 400 mltomato passata
• 330 mlPortuguese-style lager beer
• 120 mldry white wine
• 60 mlruby Port wine
• 250 mlbeef stock
• 1 tbspWorcestershire sauce
• 2 tspyellow mustard
• 1 tsppiri-piri sauce
• 1 tspsweet paprika
• 3 gfine sea salt
• 12 gcornstarch
• 30 mlcold water
• 20 gunsalted butter
• 8 slicewhite sandwich bread
• 400 gthin beef sirloin steaks (cut into 4 steaks)
• 1 tspblack pepper (freshly ground)
• 200 glinguiça sausage (split lengthwise)
• 200 gfresh pork sausage (cooked through and split lengthwise)
• 8 slicesmoked ham
• 16 sliceFlamengo cheese slices (Edam or young Gouda also works)
• 4eggs (for the common Porto cafe Francesinha Especial finish)
• 1 tbspneutral oil

Instructions

1. 1

   Start the sauce by heating 2 tbsp olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, and bay leaf, then cook for 8 minutes until the onion is soft and lightly golden but not browned.

2. 2

   Stir in the tomato passata, lager beer, white wine, Port wine, beef stock, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, piri-piri sauce, paprika, and 3 g salt. Bring the mixture to a steady simmer and cook uncovered for 25 minutes so the alcohol softens and the sauce becomes rounded.

3. 3

   Remove the bay leaf and blend the sauce until smooth with an immersion blender or countertop blender. Mix the cornstarch with 30 ml cold water, whisk it into the simmering sauce, and cook for 3 minutes until glossy; whisk in the butter at the end.

4. 4

   Heat the oven broiler to high and lightly toast the bread slices so they can hold the sauce without collapsing. Season the steaks with 2 g salt and 1 tsp black pepper, then sear them in 1 tbsp olive oil over high heat for about 90 seconds per side.

5. 5

   In the same pan, brown the linguiça and cooked fresh sausage for 2 minutes per side until fragrant and lightly crisped. Keep the meats warm while you set the toasted bread on a broiler-safe tray or individual heatproof plates.

6. 6

   Build each sandwich with 1 slice of toast, 2 slices of ham, 1 steak, one-quarter of the linguiça, one-quarter of the fresh sausage, and a second slice of toast. Cover each sandwich completely with 4 slices of cheese, letting the cheese drape over the sides.

7. 7

   Broil the sandwiches for 2 to 4 minutes until the cheese melts fully and begins to bubble at the edges. Watch closely because the cheese should be molten and lightly blistered, not browned hard or separated.

8. 8

   While the cheese melts, fry the eggs in 1 tbsp neutral oil until the whites are set and the yolks remain slightly runny, about 3 minutes. Place one egg on each sandwich, then ladle about 200 ml of hot sauce over each Francesinha and serve immediately.