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Meat, European

Bitoque, steak and egg with fries

Bitoque is a Portuguese beef steak pan seared with garlic, topped with a fried egg and coated in a white wine pan sauce, served with fries, rice, and salad for 4 people. It takes 40 minutes, rates easy, and costs about €3.50 per person. The key to this dish is the sauce, made by deglazing the steak's pan drippings with white wine.

Tonight, the favorite dish of Portuguese cafes, bitoque, a garlic pan seared steak topped with a fried egg, served with fries, rice, and salad.

Bitoque, steak and egg with fries
Total time
40 min
Difficulty
Easy
Cost per person
€3.50
Calories per person
630 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach
Season
Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall
The kids
They generally like it

Bitoque is the dish you order without hesitation at a Portuguese cafe, the one that arrives with the egg still wobbly and sauce soaking into the fries. The steak stays simple, just seared with garlic, but the white wine pan sauce is what makes it, with that buttery flavor pulled from the browned bits in the pan. Break the yolk and it runs into everything on the plate.

It's a weeknight dish that needs almost no planning, ideal for an evening when you want something hearty without spending hours cooking. Kids generally love the fried egg and fries, while adults enjoy the garlicky sauce. Mon Chou suggests this Portuguese classic as a change from the usual steak and fries, with no extra fuss.

The ingredients

4 people

Butcher

  • Beef steaks 4

Dairy

  • Eggs 4
  • Butter 40 g

Fruits and vegetables

  • Garlic 4 cloves
  • Green salad 1

Pantry

  • Dry white wineoften in the pantry 10 cl
  • Riceoften in the pantry 200 g
  • Wine vinegaroften in the pantry 1 tbsp
  • Olive oiloften in the pantry 3 tbsp
  • Saltoften in the pantry 1 pinch
  • Pepperoften in the pantry 1 pinch

Frozen foods

  • Frozen oven fries 700 g

Allergens Eggs, Lactose

The step by step recipe

  1. Put the fries in the oven and cook the rice in salted water. 20 min

    Start the rice first, it stays warm under a lid.

  2. Season the steaks with salt and pepper and cook them over high heat in a pan with a bit of oil, to your liking. 6 min

    Don't pierce them with a fork, turn them with tongs.

  3. Remove the steaks, melt the butter in the pan with the crushed garlic, deglaze with the white wine, and let it reduce. 3 min

    Scrape up the browned bits, that's where the sauce gets its flavor.

  4. Fry the eggs in another pan. 4 min

    A fried egg in hot oil keeps a runny yolk.

  5. Plate the steak with the sauce, top with an egg, and add the fries, rice, and seasoned salad.

    Dress the salad right before serving so it stays crisp.

Our tips to get it right

  • Take the steaks out of the fridge 15 minutes before cooking, they cook more evenly at room temperature.
  • Use a wide pan for the steaks so they brown instead of steaming in their own juices.
  • Keep the same pan you cooked the steaks in to make the sauce, that's where the flavor lives.

The variations

  • Swap the beef for thin pork cutlets, a cheaper option that's just as common in Portugal.
  • For a vegetarian version, place the egg and garlic sauce over a pan seared slice of halloumi instead of steak.
  • For a quicker version for kids, skip the white wine step and just serve the steak, egg, fries, and plain rice.

What to serve it with

  • A glass of dry white wine
  • An extra tomato salad
  • Bread for soaking up the sauce

Storage

Store the steak and rice separately in sealed containers in the fridge for up to 2 days. Don't freeze this dish, the fried egg and fries lose their texture. Reheat the steak gently in a pan and cook a fresh egg right before serving.

Questions about this dish

Can you make bitoque ahead of time?

You can cook the rice and prep the salad ahead. The steak and egg taste best cooked right before serving, so the meat stays tender and the yolk stays runny.

What cut of beef works best for bitoque?

A tender cut like sirloin or rump steak works well since it cooks quickly over high heat. Avoid stewing cuts, they're too tough for a quick pan sear.

Can you substitute the white wine in the sauce?

Yes, a splash of beef broth or water with a little lemon juice works to deglaze the pan. The flavor will be a bit milder but the sauce still does its job.

How do you get a fried egg with a runny yolk?

Use a hot pan with a little oil and crack the egg in gently. Cover it for a few seconds at the end to set the white without cooking the yolk.

How long does it take to make a bitoque, garlic steak and egg with fries, rice, and salad?

Count 40 min in total, prep and cooking included. The recipe is rated “easy”.

How many calories are in a bitoque, garlic steak and egg with fries, rice, and salad?

About 630 kcal per serving, for a recipe meant for 4 people. Calories are calculated by Kiloach, your weight coach, the app that partners with Mon Chou.

How much does a bitoque, garlic steak and egg with fries, rice, and salad cost?

About €3.50 per serving, or €14.00 for 4 people, based on average supermarket prices.

What allergens does this recipe contain?

This recipe contains eggs, lactose. Always check the labels of the products you buy.

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