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Simply referred to as ‘Bitoque’ by Cape Verdeans, this steak dish is topped with a signature fried egg and is also referred to as ‘Bife a Portuguesa’ in Portuguese restaurants. The dark pan-sauce is made of wine, garlic and butter. Fried potatoes and white rice are served on the side.

Bitoque is one of my favorite restaurant-dishes. It’s a simple dish, but isn’t something I grew up eating at home when I was growing up. Bitoque is Portuguese in origin but often served in Cape Verdean and Portuguese restaurants alike. ‘Bife a Portuguesa‘ is another name used for this presentation which has a brown sauce. In the context of Portuguese food, bitoque doesn’t have to have a sauce.
How to pronounce bitoque
In Portugal and some of the northern islands of Cape Verde, bitoque is pronounced bee-tok. Other Cape Verdean islands pronounce it bee-tok-ee.
What cut of of meat should I use to make bitoque?
For bitoque, you’ll want to select a thin cut of steak that cooks quickly, like sirloin or a New York strip. Ribeye is another suitable alternative. Prepare the steak to your desired level of doneness. My recommendation is medium or medium-rare.
Bitoque Ingredients – (see recipe card below for exact measurements)
- 2 thin-cut steaks (sirloin or New York strip steaks are great choices)
- Paprika
- Salt and black pepper
- Minced or sliced garlic
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- Cornstarch
- Red or Madeira wine
- Salted butter
- ½ cup water
- Fresh cilantro
- Garnish: black Portuguese olives (optional)
- Accompaniments: white rice and fried potatoes
How to make bitoque:
Step 1: Season the steaks
Pat the steaks dry and season them with salt, pepper, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder. Place the steaks in a bowl, and cover the bowl with plastic wrap. If you’re feeling ambitious, you can tenderize the steaks by pounding them with a meat mallet before placing them in the refrigerator, but this is totally optional!
Steps 2 and 3: Bring steaks to room temperature and sear them
Remove the steaks from the refrigerator and let them rest at room temperature for 15-20 minutes. While the steaks are resting, prepare the slurry by whisking the cornstarch and water together in a small bowl or liquid measuring cup.
Pre-heat a large cast iron skillet over a high-flame. Once you start to see smoke rising from the skillet, brush the skillet with 2 tablespoons of olive oil . Sear each steak for 1-2 minutes on each side. Once both sides are seared, transfer the steaks to a plate, and cover the plate with foil to keep the steaks warm.
Step 4: De-glaze the skillet and prepare the sauce
Once you’ve transferred the steaks to a plate, turn the flame under the skillet down very low, and pour the wine into the skillet to de-glaze it. Loosen any bits from the bottom of the skillet using a wooden spoon or rubber spatula . It’s very important to de-glaze the pan over the lowest heat-setting so you don’t end up with burnt bits in your sauce.
Add the butter, sliced or minced garlic and sweet peppers to the skillet. Once the butter melts, pour in the water/cornstarch slurry, stir and let the sauce simmer over low heat for about 5 minutes. Cut the flame, and stir in the freshly chopped cilantro.
Step 5: Fry the eggs
In a separate frying-pan or skillet, crack the eggs and fry them to your liking. Sunny-side up is the traditional way, but you can also prepare the eggs over easy. Season the eggs with a little salt and black pepper.
Step 6: Top the steaks and serve!
Plate the steaks and spoon the pan-sauce over them. Top each steak with a fried egg and serve with white rice and fried potatoes on the side. Garnish with a few black Portuguese olives and a sprinkle of fresh chopped cilantro (optional).
Check out these other Cape Verdean and Portuguese Recipes:
Caldo Verde (Portuguese Soup made from Greens)
Cape Verdean-Style Linguiça with Peppers and Onions
Canja – Cape Verdean Chicken Soup Recipe
PrintBitoque
Simply referred to as ‘Bitoque’ amongst Cape Verdeans, this steak dish is topped with a signature fried egg and is also referred to as ‘Bife a Portuguesa’. The dark pan-sauce is made of wine, garlic and butter. Fried potatoes and white rice are served on the side.
- Prep Time: 1 hour
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour and 20 minutes
- Yield: 2 servings 1x
- Category: Cape Verdean Dishes
- Cuisine: Cape Verdean/Portuguese
Ingredients
- 2 thin-cut 8 oz. steaks*
- 1 teaspoon of paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
- 4 cloves garlic, sliced or minced
- 2 teaspoons of garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons of onion powder
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil
- 1 teaspoon of cornstarch
- 3 tablespoons of red or madeira wine
- 2 tablespoons of salted butter
- ½ cup of water
- fresh cilantro
- 2 large eggs
- a few black Portuguese olives for garnishing
Instructions
1. Pat the steaks dry, and season them with salt, pepper, paprika, onion powder, and garlic powder. Place the steaks in a bowl and cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Let the seasoned steaks marinate in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour, or overnight.
2. Remove the steaks from the refrigerator and let them rest at room temperature for 15-20 minutes prior to searing them. While the steaks are resting, prepare the slurry by whisking the cornstarch and water together in a small bowl or liquid measuring cup.
3. Pre-heat a large cast iron skillet over a high-flame. Once you start to see smoke rising from the skillet, brush the skillet with 2 tablespoons of olive oil . Sear each steak for 1-2 minutes on each side. Once seared on both sides, transfer the steaks to a plate, and cover the plate with foil to keep the steaks warm.
4. Turn the flame under the skillet all the way down and pour the wine in to de-glaze the skillet. Loosen any bits from the bottom of the pan using wooden spoon or rubber spatula. Add the butter, sliced or minced, garlic and sweet peppers to the skillet and continue to stir until the butter melts. Pour in in the water/cornstarch slurry, give one last stir, and let the sauce simmer for about 5 minutes on the lowest heat setting. Turn the flame off and stir in the chopped cilantro.
5. In a separate frying-pan or skillet, crack the eggs and fry them to your liking. Sunny-side up is the traditional way, but you can also prepare the eggs over easy. Season the eggs with a little salt and black pepper.
6. Plate the steaks and spoon the pan-sauce over them. Top each steak with a fried egg, and serve with white rice and fried potatoes on the side. Optional – garnish with a few black Portuguese olives and a sprinkle of fresh chopped cilantro.
Notes
*Sirloin or New York strip steaks work best for this dish, ribeye is another good choice.
Keywords: bitoque, bife a portuguesa, pan sear, steak, red meat, dinner, eggs, steak and eggs
Marta says
Another hit! Thank you for the pronunciation, too. I love how simple this bitoque was to make. Much easier than our bistek.
★★★★★
Kate says
One of the best steak recipes I have ever had! I am so glad I came across this bitoque recipe and cannot wait to make it again!
★★★★★
Robin says
What a sensational dish! I plan to make it again for my brother’s birthday as he loves steak and eggs.
★★★★★
Jessica Lawson says
Steak and eggs is one of my favorite breakfasts ever and this was a great way to mix up the routine! I had it with some rice and was an amazing weekend brunch.
★★★★★
Chenée says
I’m so glad I found this recipe! It was definitely the best steak and eggs I’ve ever made! Thank so much for the recipe!
★★★★★
Jen says
I am always looking for ways to add more flavor to my steaks. Though I love searing them I wouldn’t mind a little sauce sometimes so this recipe ticked all the boxes! Definitely making this again
★★★★★
Kaluhi says
An effortless hit! I especially loved that i could get all the ingredients with ease here in Kenya!
★★★★★
Tamara says
Wow! My friend was visiting from out of town and we found your recipe, it was absolutely delicious! We will definitely be making this again very soon!
★★★★★
Lilly says
Oh my gosh! This meal was such a treat! I used ribeye and wow! I couldn’t get enough! Thanks for sharing the recipe!!
★★★★★
Jazz says
Love this sauce and will be making this dish again…maybe as soon as tomorrow!
★★★★★
Cheryl R Walwyn says
Looks Exquisite and Scrumptious! A job well done to perfection.
★★★★★