Portuguese barbecued pork (Febras assadas)

Method13 steps

1. 1

   Step 1: Cut each of the two tenderloins crosswise into five roughly equal sections, leaving its thin tail section a little longer. Put one section at a time inside a clean food-safe plastic bag, ready to flatten.

   Uses 2 pork tenderloins

2. 2

   Step 2: Flatten every actual pork section with a rolling pin into a thin escalope about the size of a side plate. Keep the flattened pieces together for marinating.

   Uses All actual cut pork sections

3. 3

   Step 3: Juice only the separate half lemon allocated to the marinade. Mix all that juice with all200 millilitres white wine, the smoked paprika (½ tsp), marinade salt and black pepper in a bowl and add all the actual flattened pork. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for twenty to thirty minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the barbecue until the coals glow with no flames, or heat a chargrill.

   Marinate flattened pork in the refrigerator · 30 minUses All actual thin pork escalopes · 200 ml white wine for marinade · ½ tsp smoked paprika · ½ lemon for marinade, juice only, from2 lemons total · Salt for pork marinade, to taste · Black pepper for pork marinade, to taste

4. 4

   Step 4: Peel all the potatoes (1 kg) and cut into thick chips, about three centimetres across. Immerse in a basin of cool water for five minutes, then drain off that first water and replace with fresh cool water.

   First cool-water chip soak · 5 minUses 1 kg potatoes for chips, peeled · Cool water for first soak; retain fresh water for the second

5. 5

   Step 5: Soak the actual chips in the fresh cool water for five more minutes, then drain thoroughly. Pat them completely dry with a clean towel or kitchen paper before lowering them into hot oil.

   Second cool-water chip soak · 5 minUses All actual cut chips · Fresh cool water for second soak

6. 6

   Step 6: Heat the vegetable frying oil in a deep fryer or suitable heavy deep pan to130°C, checking with a cooking thermometer and leaving enough space for the chips and oil expansion. Lower the actual completely dried chips into the oil in small batches. Blanch each batch for eight to ten minutes until softened without deeply colouring.

   Blanch each dried chip batch at130°C · 10 minUses The actual dried chips in small batches · Vegetable oil for deep-frying chips, enough for the vessel

7. 7

   Step 7: Lift out each actual blanched chip batch and drain well. Spread all the chips on a tray and let them cool before their second fry; retain the same frying oil.

   Uses All actual blanched chips; keep the frying oil for their second fry

8. 8

   Step 8: Reheat the actual retained frying oil to180°C and check its temperature. Lower the actual cooled chips back into the oil in batches. Fry for two minutes, then gently shake the fryer basket or stir the chips apart.

   Second chip fry before turning · 2 minUses Actual cooled chips in batches and the retained frying oil

9. 9

   Step 9: Cook each actual chip batch for about one further minute, continuing if needed until well coloured, crisp outside and tender in the centre. Lift out, drain well for a few minutes and season with the separate sea salt. Keep the completed chips warm for serving.

   Finish each chip batch until crisp and tender · 1 minUses Each actual partially crisped chip batch · Sea salt for cooked chips, to taste

10. 10

    Step 10: Lift the actual pork escalopes out of their marinade and discard the spent raw-pork marinade. Lightly rub the drained meat with the olive oil and put the first batch on the hot barbecue or chargrill, keeping room between pieces.

    Uses Actual drained pork in two batches; discard the spent marinade · Olive oil for coating drained pork, as needed

11. 11

    Step 11: Grill the actual thin pork for about one minute on each side as an initial guide, turning carefully and moving away from flare-ups. Continue as needed until the thickest part reaches63°C; time alone does not establish doneness.

    Uses The actual first grill batch

12. 12

    Step 12: Put the actual cooked first batch on a clean serving plate and rest for at least three minutes. Cook the remaining actual pork batch by the same two-sided grilling and63°C check, transfer to the clean plate and rest it for at least three minutes as well. Retain only the juices released by this fully cooked meat on the clean plate.

    Rest each cooked pork batch for at least three minutes · 3 minUses The actual first cooked batch · Only the actual second raw batch held in step10

13. 13

    Step 13: Cut only the remaining one and a half serving lemons (1½) into wedges. Divide the actual cooked chips between four plates, add the actual rested pork and spoon over only its cooked-meat juices from the clean plate. Top with mayonnaise as desired and serve with the actual lemon wedges.

    Uses All actual completed chips · All actual rested pork and its cooked-meat juices · Mayonnaise to serve, quantity as desired · 1½ lemons for serving wedges, from2 lemons total