Prego Rolls

An epicurean adventure to: South Africa (with a nod to Portugal)

These easy Portuguese Prego rolls are, simply put, a flavour explosion in a bread roll!

Succulent, tender steak cooked to perfection, piled onto a lightly toasted garlic butter roll, topped off with a quick and delicious homemade Prego sauce.

Introduced by Portuguese immigrants in the mid-20th century, the Prego steak roll quickly became a hugely popular sandwich in South Africa, gaining fame in Johannesburg's Portuguese eateries and as a street food.

The South African version features a larger roll and spicy Prego sauce, while the Portuguese version is often plain or served with hot sauce and mustard, sometimes with a fried egg.

If you love your Portuguese food you should also give our popular Beef Trinchado a go. It's a spicy, creamy Portuguese beef stew, particularly popular in South Africa.

Fast facts - South Africa

Location	Southernmost tip of the African continent. It is bordered by Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Eswatini (formerly Swaziland) and Lesotho.
Language	South Africa has 11 official languages - English, Afrikaans, Zulu, Xhosa, Sotho, Tswana, Pedi, Venda, Tsonga, Swati and Ndebele. English is widely spoken and is the language of business, while Zulu and Xhosa are the most commonly spoken African languages.
Population	Circa 60.2 million
Trivia	South Africa is home to the longest continuous wine route in the world, the Route 62, stretching over 850 kilometres (530 miles).

Key ingredient notes and substitutions

**Please see the recipe card at the bottom of this post for the full list of ingredients.

Oil

We typically use olive oil but feel free to substitute with vegetable or sunflower oil.

Steak

Rump steak, sirloin or fillet are all excellent choices for Prego rolls.

For a more budget-friendly option, 'minute steaks' work great.

Alternatively, you can cut the steak horizontally into thinner pieces.

Red wine

Red wine should always be your first choice for the best flavour, but you can use beef stock and a dash of Worcestershire sauce as a non-alcoholic substitute.

Keep in mind that most of the alcohol will evaporate during cooking, leaving just the rich flavour.

Garlic

We use two cloves of minced garlic. For convenience, substitute with two teaspoons of pre-minced garlic from a tube or tub.

Half of the garlic will go into the Prego sauce, while the other half is used for toasting the cut sides of the rolls.

Red chilli

Fresh chilli is ideal, but if you don’t have any, you can use half a teaspoon of chilli flakes as a substitute.

Chopped tomato

We use canned tomatoes for convenience, but fresh tomatoes work just as well.

If you choose fresh, use about three medium-sized tomatoes, totalling roughly 150g.

Bread rolls

Traditionally, Prego rolls use soft, floury Portuguese buns (papo secos).

If you can't find these, ciabatta or any soft rolls will work.

Just ensure they're pillowy enough to soak up all the delicious juices from the steak and Prego sauce.

Onion marmalade or chutney

Red onion marmalade and peach or mango chutney works wonderfully, We’re particularly fond of a dash of Mrs Ball’s chutney!

Optional

You can customise your sandwich with a sprinkle of black pepper, rocket leaves, lettuce, sliced onions, fresh tomatoes, cheese and even a fried egg (traditional in Portugal)

Step-by-step instructions:

Cook the steaks

1. Cook the steaks in a hot frying pan (or large griddle pan) to the doneness of your liking. You can also cook the steaks over an open flame on the barbeque for extra flavour.

2. Season to taste and cover with foil to keep them warm. Set aside to rest.

Make the Prego sauce

3. Heat the tablespoon of olive oil over a medium heat. Add the red wine, minced garlic and chopped chilli. Fry for 20 seconds. Add the tomatoes and season to taste.

4. Turn the heat to low and cook until the sauce is significantly reduced, more 'paste'-like and has a deep, dark red colour.

5. Transfer the sauce to a small bowl. Wipe out the pan with a piece of kitchen paper before toasting the bread.

Toast the bread

6. Slice the bread rolls in half horizontally.

7. Heat the oil in the same frying pan. Add the garlic and stir through.

8. Place the bread rolls cut sides down into the garlic oil and fry for 1-2 minutes until light golden brown and toasty.

Assemble the Prego rolls

9. Spread the marmalade or chutney on the bottom halves of each roll.

10. Place a piece of steak on the bottom halves of each roll.

11. Top with a spoonful of the Prego sauce.

• Optional - Add lettuce, rocket leaves, sliced onion, fresh tomato slices or cheese.

12. Finish off with the top halves of the rolls. Serve hot.

Variations

• If you're short on time, feel free to use store-bought Prego sauce or even peri-peri sauce instead of making the homemade version.

• Switch up the steak sandwich for a chicken version.
  
  Tenderise a chicken breast with a meat mallet until it's schnitzel-thin.
  
  Fry the chicken a bit longer than the steak to make sure it's fully cooked and follow the rest of the instructions in the recipe.

What to serve with a Prego steak roll

• Chips or loaded wedges.
• Onion rings
• Nando's spicy rice
• Crispy crumbed mushrooms
• Panzanella Toscana salad
• Brown rice salad
• Rainbow salad
• Shoestring fries
• Parmentier potatoes
• Fried eggs
• Masala chips
• Crumbed mushrooms
• Fried courgettes
• Arroz Amarillo

Storage

These rolls are at their best served immediately. If you find yourself with leftovers, remove any fresh ingredients you may have added, like lettuce.

Wrap the rolls in foil and keep them in the fridge for up to two days. To reheat, remove the meat from the rolls and warm the steaks in a frying pan until heated throughout.

Reassemble the sandwiches and add fresh lettuce leaves.

Not suitable for freezing.

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Bunny chow

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Classic American Club Sandwich

Cottage Cheese Toast

The Best Sourdough Grilled Cheese Sandwich