Prego Roll

Lunch | Portuguese

Prep time: 15 min Cook time: 10 min Servings: 4

This Portuguese steak sandwich recipe is my new favourite lunch dish. It’s a no-fuss, ultra-satisfying sandwich made with juicy grilled beef, simple ingredients, and a punchy garlic and mustard sauce. Whether you’re craving a quick lunch or looking to level up your steak sandwich game, this recipe delivers loads of flavour with minimal effort.

What is a Prego Roll?

The Prego Roll is a Portuguese steak sandwich with roots in the Mozambican influence on Portuguese cooking. There’s a few variations of the Prego Roll and I believe the original recipe didn’t marinate the beef, rather there is an option to add a Peri Peri sauce for extra flavour and heat. For this recipe, we’re taking some of the ingredients you’ll find in the peri peri sauce and making a marinade for the beef.

The steak sits in this for at least 30 minutes, which both seasons the meat and gives you the sauce for free when you’re done cooking.

After the steak comes out of the pan, the marinade goes straight in and reduces down for a few minutes. The acidity in the wine and lemon cooks off and you’re left with a concentrated, punchy sauce that cuts through the richness of the garlic butter spread on the roll.

Ingredient Notes

Sirloin steak: Sirloin has the right balance of tenderness and flavour for a fast, high-heat cook. It’s lean enough to slice thin without being dry, and it holds up to the marinade without breaking down. Rump steak sliced thin also works and is a cheaper option. If using rump, pound it lightly to even out the thickness before marinating so it cooks evenly.

Peri peri sauce: Peri peri is a hot sauce made from African bird’s eye chillies, vinegar and spices. It adds both heat and a tangy acidity to the marinade. The amount in this recipe is intentionally variable (40-60ml) because brands differ significantly in heat level. Start with 40ml if you’re using a hot brand, and go to 60ml for something milder. You can also use a homemade peri peri sauce or substitute with any hot sauce you like.

Red wine: Use any dry red wine you’d actually drink. When the marinade is reduced in the pan after cooking the steak, the alcohol cooks off quickly and the wine becomes the flavour base of the sauce.

Equipment

Chopping board
Chef’s knife
Shallow tray or dish (for marinating)
Heavy-based frying pan
Tongs
Grill pan (for toasting rolls)

Ingredients

4 200g sirloin steaks
6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 fresh bay leaves, roughly torn
2 Birdseye chillies, finely chopped
2 tbsp chopped flat leaf parsley
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tbsp tomato paste (puree)
80ml (⅓ cup) red wine
40-60ml (2-3 tbsp) peri peri sauce
juice of 1 lemon
sea salt, to season
60g butter, at room temperature
1 tbsp olive oil
4 Kaiser or Ciabatta rolls, halved

Directions

Marinate the steaks
Sprinkle half of the garlic over the steak along with the bay leaves. Pound lightly to flatten steaks and infuse with the garlic and bay.
Combine chillies, parsley, oregano, tomato paste, red wine, peri peri sauce and lemon juice in a shallow tray, season with salt.
Add the steaks and toss to coat well, then refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to marinate.
Garlic butter
Combine the remaining garlic and butter in a small bowl, season with a little salt and set aside.
Cook steaks and sauce
Heat the oil in a heavy based frying pan over medium-high.
Cook the steaks, for 3-4 minutes, turning, until well browned and cooked to medium-rare. Set aside to rest.
Reduce heat to medium and add the marinade to the pan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 3-4 minutes, until thickened to a sauce consistency.
Finish and serve
Toast the ciabatta rolls lightly on a grill pan, then spread with the garlic butter.
Thinly slice the steaks, then pile onto the buttered rolls and drizzle with the sauce to serve. Enjoy!

Recipe notes

Chef Tips

Get the pan very hot before the steak goes in

A high-heat sear is what gives the steak its crust and the pan the fond that makes the sauce. Heat the pan over medium-high for at least 2 minutes with the oil before adding the steak. It should smoke slightly when the steak makes contact. A timid pan gives you grey, steamed beef instead of a proper sear. The marinade on the surface of the steak will caramelise in the heat and form a flavourful crust.

Rest the steak before slicing

After the steak comes off the heat, rest it for at least 3-4 minutes while the marinade sauce reduces in the pan. Cutting into a steak immediately after cooking releases most of the juices onto the board rather than keeping them in the meat. Resting allows the muscle fibres to relax and reabsorb the moisture. You’ll get a juicier, more evenly cooked result when you slice and it goes straight onto the roll.

Storage

This sandwich is best eaten immediately after assembly. The rolls soften quickly once the sauce and butter are on them. Leftover cooked steak can be stored in the sauce in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Reheat gently in a pan over low heat with a splash of water. Assemble fresh rolls when reheating rather than storing assembled sandwiches. The steak can also be marinated up to 24 hours ahead and stored covered in the fridge before cooking.

FAQs

Can I marinate the steak overnight? Yes, and I’d encourage it. An overnight marinade gives the flavours more time to penetrate the meat. Cover the tray tightly and refrigerate. Take the steak out 30 minutes before cooking to come back to room temperature. Pat off any excess marinade from the surface before it goes in the pan so the steak sears rather than stewing in liquid.

What bread works best for a Prego Roll? You want a roll with a proper crust so it doesn’t soak through and fall apart under the sauce. Ciabatta or Kaiser rolls are both good choices. Soft white rolls will go soggy quickly once the sauce is on them. Toast the cut sides on a grill pan or in a dry frying pan until golden before spreading with the garlic butter.

Can I cook this on a BBQ? Yes. Cook the steaks directly on the grill over high heat for the same time. For the sauce, pour the marinade into a small saucepan and reduce it on a side burner or on the stove inside. You’ll lose the fond from the pan, but the reduced marinade still makes a solid sauce with good flavour from the marinating time.