Espetada Madeirense

The story

Espetada Madeirense is a traditional Portuguese main presented with exact metric quantities, practical preparation detail, controlled temperatures, visual doneness cues and a method suitable for confident home cooking.

Ingredients

• Main ingredients
• 800 g beef sirloin4 cm cubes
• 20 g Garliccrushed
• 6 piece bay leavesfinely crumbled
• 12 g coarse sea salt
• 30 ml olive oil
• 15 ml red wine vinegar

Method

1. Step 1

   Cut beef into even 4 cm cubes and pat dry. Mix garlic, bay, salt, oil and vinegar. Coat beef and marinate 1 hour.

   Look for: The food should match the colour, texture and doneness cues described in the instruction. Tip: Prepare every cut to the stated size so the ingredients cook evenly. Avoid: Do not rush the heat or skip the stated resting, cooling or preparation stage.

2. Step 2

   Thread onto metal or soaked wooden skewers, leaving a few millimetres between pieces for heat circulation.

   Look for: The food should match the colour, texture and doneness cues described in the instruction. Tip: Prepare every cut to the stated size so the ingredients cook evenly. Avoid: Do not rush the heat or skip the stated resting, cooling or preparation stage.

3. Step 3

   Heat grill or barbecue to very high heat. Grill 2–3 minutes per side, turning to brown all faces.

   Look for: The food should match the colour, texture and doneness cues described in the instruction. Tip: Prepare every cut to the stated size so the ingredients cook evenly. Avoid: Do not rush the heat or skip the stated resting, cooling or preparation stage.

4. Step 4

   For medium-rare, remove at 54–56°C; for medium, 58–60°C. Rest 6 minutes.

   Look for: The food should match the colour, texture and doneness cues described in the instruction. Tip: Prepare every cut to the stated size so the ingredients cook evenly. Avoid: Do not rush the heat or skip the stated resting, cooling or preparation stage.

5. Step 5

   Serve hanging if traditional equipment is available, with juices dripping onto bread or potatoes.

   Look for: The food should match the colour, texture and doneness cues described in the instruction. Tip: Prepare every cut to the stated size so the ingredients cook evenly. Avoid: Do not rush the heat or skip the stated resting, cooling or preparation stage.

Nutrition

per serving

Estimated from a representative ingredient basket; verify against exact brands and edible yields before publication.