Prego (Portuguese Sandwich)

Portuguese beef dish

Bitoque do PregoPlace of origin| Sintra

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Region or state| Lisbon
Associated cuisine| Portuguese cuisine
Created by| Manuel Dias Prego
Main ingredients| Beef patty

The Prego, also known as bitoque do prego, called prego no prato when served as a dish or prego no pão when served as a sandwich,[1][2] (Portuguese: Bitoque de Prego) is a typical Portuguese dish. It consists of a small beef patty which is normally served as a standalone dish or a sandwich,[3] sometimes on a bolo do caco.

## Composition

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The Prego is a common Portuguese dish and can be eaten on bread or as a standalone dish. Normally, it is prepared with mustard or a spicy, barbecue-like sauce.

When served as a dish, it tends to be paired with french fries, rice, egg, and salad. Sometimes, it can contain ham between the beef and the egg.

The composition varies, however all varieties contain a beef, or occasionally pork, steak [4] and some sides. When made with pork, usually a bitoque do porco (Portuguese egged pork) is used. From the beginning of the 2000s, many people begun to avoid this dish out of fear for infected meat due to the mad cow disease. [4]

## Origin

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The 1988 Portuguese book titled "Sintra's old shops VI" (Portuguese: Velharias de Sintra VI), named for the Portuguese city of Sintra, refers to Manuel Dias Prego in the food and drink business towards the end of the 20th century, as one of the founders of Praia das Maçãs (Apple Beach), at a rudimentary tavern where Colares wines were served, paired with fried or roasted veal, served on flavorful bread from local bakers.[5] The business prospered, thanks to the fame and renown the "bifanas do prego" (prego steaks) earned.[5][clarification needed]

The word entered the layman's lexicon before the turn of the 21st century, simply named "prego" in memory of its creator.

## References

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1. ^ Infopédia. "prego Definição ou significado de prego no Dicionário Infopédia da Língua Portuguesa". Infopédia - Dicionários Porto Editora (in Portuguese). Retrieved 2021-09-15.
2. ^ S.A, Priberam Informática. "prego". Dicionário Priberam (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 2021-09-15.
3. ^ "Prego". the Free Dictionary. Retrieved 26 October 2010.
4. ^ a b Correia, Maria (20 November 2015). "Prego ou Bitoque?". SIC (in European Portuguese). Archived from the original on 2020-06-23. Retrieved 2021-09-15. «O bife do "Prego" e do "Bitoque" pode ser frito ou grelhado e a carne pode ser bovina ou suína no entanto, a história diz-nos que a versão com carne de porco é muito recente e normalmente, só é usada para confecionar o "Bitoque" e não é tão usual para o "Prego". Tem-se recorrido à carne suína desde a altura da doença das vacas loucas, doença que surgiu no início da década de 2000. Este fenómeno, levou a que um grande número de pessoas, começasse a evitar o consumo de carne bovina»
5. ^ a b Azevedo, José Alfredo da Costa (1988). Velharias de Sintra. Câmara Municipal de Sintra. p. 260.