Bitoque

5 from 15 votes

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 Time1 hr

Cook Time20 mins

Total Time1 hr 20 mins

Course: Cape Verdean Dishes

Cuisine: Cape Verdean/Portuguese

Servings: servings

Calories: 340kcal

Author: Crystal DaCruz

Ingredients

2 8 ounce steaks thin-cut
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon black pepper
4 cloves garlic sliced or minced
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons onion powder
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon cornstarch
3 tablespoons red or madeira wine
2 tablespoons salted butter
½ cup water
fresh cilantro
2 large eggs
a few black Portuguese olives for garnishing

Instructions

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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.

Nutrition