If you visit me, there’s something I know will happen sooner or later.

You’ll hear people talking about it.
You’ll see it arriving at tables.
And eventually you’ll give in.

My most legendary dish.

The king of sandwiches.
My proud cholesterol bomb.
A heart attack on a plate.

Yes, I’m talking about Francesinha.

For many travelers, it’s one of the first things they think about after booking a trip to me. And very often, it’s one of the Portuguese flavors they miss the most once they go back home.

So today, I’ll let you in on a little secret: I’ll show you how locals make Francesinha. And if after this you’re still hungry for more, you might enjoy exploring more of my flavors through Taste Porto’s cooking classes.

How to make Francesinha (like a local)

Before we cook together, let me tell you a little about it. Francesinha means “Little Frenchie.” But between you and me, the only small thing about it is the name. What I serve is a glorious layered sandwich made with:

• Bread
• Steak
• Ham
• Two different sausages
• Lots of melted cheese
• A rich, slightly spicy sauce

Often topped with a fried egg. Almost always served with fries. Every restaurant in my streets prepares it a little differently. And people here love to debate the big question: What makes the perfect Francesinha?

Some swear the secret is in the sauce. Others insist it’s the quality of the ingredients. Personally? I think both matter.
So if you want to recreate it at home, here’s how locals do it.

Ingredients for the Francesinha

• 2 thick slices of loaf bread/pp
• 1 Linguiça/pp (Portuguese cured sausage)
  Cured traditional Portuguese pork sausage with a distinct orange look due to the usage of paprika. Aka “Portuguese Sausage” in the New England area and Hawai’i. Also can be found in Brazilian stores/butchers.
• 1 fresh sausage/pp (salsicha fresca)
  Uncured traditional Portuguese pork sausage. The closest equivalent would be Italian sausage.
• 2 thin slices of ham/pp
• 2 slices/pp Baloney (sliced thin)
• 1 steak/pp rump steak (cut thin)
• 5-6 slices/pp Flamengo cheese slices
  Typical Portuguese semi-soft, cow-milk cheese. Aka “Flemish Cheese”. If this cannot be found, the alternative should be a bland, neutral-type of cow-milk cheese. Provolone could be an option.
• 1 egg/pp (optional)
• 130 g/pp fries (optional)

Ingredients for my Francesinha sauce

• 1 medium yellow onion
• 20 ml/1.5 tbsp olive oil
• 200 ml/13.5 tbsp white wine
• 4 tbsp ketchup
• 4 tbsp tomato puree/paste
• 2 tbsp oxtail soup mix
• 100 ml/6.5 tbsp whiskey
• 50 ml/3.5 tbsp tawny Port wine
• 2x 250 ml pilsner beer
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 tbsp piri-piri sauce
  Preferred brand: Paladin – Sacana Extra Picante
• 1 uni. chicken Knorr Natura Boullion
  The Knorr Natura line is sold in units of 28g and has a lot less salt than the original cubes. If this cannot be found, use the powder instead in order to control the salt level better, or cut one cube in half.
• 100 ml/6.5 tbsp milk
• 1 tsp flour

In the case of not having deep dishes that can go in the oven, use an oven tray lined with parchment paper and then transfer the francesinha onto a deep dish, and add the sauce.

How to make Francesinha

• Slightly toast the bread – in the oven or in the toaster but without smooshing it, so it doesn’t lose its thickness.
• Cook the steak medium/rare and allow it to rest away from the heat for a few minutes, to retain the juices. Slit it slightly so that it’s easier to cut later on.
• Cut the linguiça and the Italian sausage length wise and trim them, if necessary, to match the size of the bread. Cook them in the same pan as the steak.
• Fry the egg(s) in the same pan again (optional). Fry the potatoes on the side (opcional).
• Assembling: after toasted, place one slice of bread in a deep dish that can go in the oven, and lay the slices of ham and baloney over the bread; place the sausage and the linguiça interspersed, side by side, and then the steak; place the second slice of bread on top and cover it all with cheese slices.
• Turn on the broil and place it in the oven until the cheese has melted.
• Remove from the oven, (place the egg on top), pour at least two ladles of sauce over the francesinha and serve immediatly.
• Pour the rest of the sauce in a gravy boat and serve seperately (as well as the fries).

How to make the famous Francesinha sauce

• Dice the onion and braise in the olive oil, until soft and transparent.
• Add the wine, the ketchup and the tomato puree/paste – bring it to a boil and allow it to stay there while you prepare the next step.
• Disolve the oxtail soup mix in 520 ml of boiling water and add to the pot.
• Add the whiskey and the Port, and allow it to boil for 35 minutes until the alcohol evaporates (with the lid half on).
• Use the immersion blender to turn the mix into a smooth sauce.
• Add the beers, the Worcestershire sauce, the piripiri sauce and the boullion.
• Disolve the flour in the milk, add to the pot and allow it to boil for 15 minutes, with the lid on.
• Lower the heat to the minimum until it’s time to serve. Resist the temptation to open the pot as much as possible!

If you’d like to explore the story behind this iconic Portuguese meal, check out this Porto blog post.

Taste buds craving more Portuguese flavors?

If you’ve made my signature dish, you’ve already tasted an important part of me. But I have many more flavors to show you. Beyond Francesinha, there are traditional dishes, local wines, hidden taverns, and food stories waiting around my streets.

One of the best ways to discover Portuguese flavors beyond Francesinha is by joining an authentic Porto food tour, walking through my neighborhoods, tasting the dishes locals love, and learning the history that shaped my cuisine..

Whenever you’re ready, I’ll be here!

Bom apetite,
Your foodie friend,
Porto Portugal