Bifanas — Garlicky Pork Sandwiches

Ingredients

• 1 lb pork loin, sliced very thin
• 4 cloves garlic, crushed
• ½ cup dry white wine
• 1 tbsp sweet paprika
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 pinch chili flakes
• 2 tbsp lard or olive oil
• 2 crusty rolls (papo secos or ciabatta)
• Yellow mustard and piri-piri sauce
• Salt and black pepper

Method

1. Marinate the pork slices with garlic, wine, paprika, bay, chili flakes, salt, and pepper for at least 15 minutes — the wine is doing tenderizing work while you wait.
2. Heat the lard in a skillet over high. Sear the pork in a single layer, in batches, about 1 minute per side.
3. Return all the pork with the marinade and boil hard 2–3 minutes until the liquid reduces to a clingy, garlicky jus and pork reaches 145°F.
4. Split the rolls and dunk the cut faces briefly in the pan juices — this step is non-negotiable.
5. Pile in the pork, add mustard and a shake of piri-piri, and press closed. Napkins are a formality.