Portuguese barbecued pork (Febras assadas)
If you've got pork, white wine and mayonnaise, you're most of the way to this Portuguese pork: about 140 minutes of cooking across 23 steps. Scroll down for the ingredient checklist, a serving scaler and unit converter, and the method broken into 23 steps.
You'll mainly reach for grill / broiler and frying pan / skillet. At involved difficulty across 23 steps, it's worth setting aside proper time for.
What you'll need
Shopping list (4)
Pantry staples (you likely have these)
🔁 Unit converter
How to make it
- Cut the tenderloins into 5 equal-size pieces leaving the tail ends a little longer.
- Take a clear plastic bag and slip one of the pieces in.
- Bash it into an escalope the size of a side-plate with a rolling pin and repeat with the remaining pieces.
- Put the wine, paprika, some salt and pepper and the juice of ½ a lemon in a bowl and add the pork. Leave to marinate for 20-30 minutes, while you get your barbecue to the stage where the coals are glowing but there are no flames.
- To make the chips, fill a basin with cool water and cut the potatoes into 3cm-thick chips.
- Soak them in the water for 5 minutes and then change the water.
- Leave for 5 more minutes.
- Drain and then pat dry on a towel or with kitchen paper.
- Heat the oil in a deep fryer or a deep heavy-based pan with a lid to 130C and lower the chips into the oil (in batches).
- Blanch for 8-10 minutes.
- Remove from the oil and drain well.
- Place on a tray to cool.
- Reheat the oil to 180C (make sure it’s hot or your chips will be soggy) and lower the basket of chips into the oil (again, do this in batches).
- Leave to cook for 2 minutes and then give them a little shake.
- Cook for another minute or so until they are well coloured and crisp to the touch.
- Drain well for a few minutes, tip into a bowl and sprinkle with sea salt.
- The pork will cook quickly so do it in 2 batches.
- Take the pieces out of the marinade, rub them with oil, and drop them onto the barbecue (you could also use a chargrill).
- Cook for 1 minute on each side – they may flare up as you do so.
- This should really be enough time as they will keep on cooking.
- Take them off the barbecue and pile onto a plate.
- Repeat with the remaining batch.
- Serve by piling a plate with chips, drop the pork on top of each pile and pouring the juices from the plate over so the chips take up the flavours. Top with a spoon of mayonnaise and a wedge of lemon.
You'll use: Grill / broiler · Frying pan / skillet · Pan · Large pot · Deep fryer / pot
Watch how it's made
Hosted on YouTube — pressing play loads content from YouTube.
Ingredient substitutions
- White Wine
- chicken or vegetable stock + 1 tsp vinegar
- Lemon
- lime · 1 tbsp white wine vinegar per lemon
What to serve with Portuguese barbecued pork (Febras assadas)
Tips & common questions
How long does Portuguese barbecued pork (Febras assadas) take to make?
About 140 minutes from start to finish — an estimate based on the 23 steps and 9 ingredients. Times vary with your kitchen and how much prep you do ahead.
What can I use instead of white wine?
Try chicken or vegetable stock + 1 tsp vinegar. See the substitutions section above for more swaps.
Can I scale this recipe up or down?
Yes — use the servings control above the ingredients and every quantity rescales automatically (fractions included). Cooking times stay roughly the same; very large batches may need a little longer.
How should I store leftovers?
Cool leftovers quickly, refrigerate in an airtight container, and eat within 3 days. Reheat until piping hot throughout.
Related recipes
Recipe data for Portuguese barbecued pork (Febras assadas) via TheMealDB (open database). ▶ Video. Original source. Consomee adds the scaler, ingredient tools, timing and structure — how we source recipes.