In Porto, francesinhas are everywhere. The monster-sized sandwich of white bread with steak, ham, cured cold cuts, and melted cheese smothered in a beautiful spicy sauce is a ubiquitous dish that says a lot about the city. When he first visited Porto, Anthony Bourdain asked after eating an entire francesinha with fries: “What is the rate of coronary disease in this country?” He didn’t know at the time that, more than clogging the arteries, the beloved local dish warms local hearts.
It also generates lively discussions. Every Porto inhabitant has their preferences: some like their francesinha with more sauce or even with a fried egg on top; others prefer different types of bread, from brioche to crusty bread roll. It is impossible, therefore, to reach a consensus on which venue serves the best francesinha in the city.
What is true, however, is that local restaurants and chefs are willing to dedicate themselves to serving the best version of the sandwich they can to please their guests. Almost a decade ago, chef Fernando Jorge decided to give up cooking other items and dedicate himself almost exclusively to francesinhas at Francesinha Café, a small restaurant with an elegant interior just a few meters from Praça do Marquês, one of the busiest areas in Porto.
In recent years, he decided to improve his preparation techniques to serve a “flawless version of the recipe,” as he explains. The sauce – with subtle flavors of tomato and beef, very rich in umami – is one of the most important components; Jorge says he sautés the ingredients in three different steps so that the thick copper-colored liquid reaches just the right flavor. “First, I make a sauté using beef, then one with shellfish, shrimp heads, and everything else. The third step I will never reveal, but I can say I use lots of herbs,” he adds. “I may spend a whole day making it from scratch.”
But as the francesinha is made of many other layers, he says he is meticulous throughout the process, especially when choosing ingredients. “The meat must be tender, and the ingredients must be top-quality. There is no way to make good food with bad products,” he sums up. The mortadella Jorge uses is Italian, and the Gouda cheese is cut into thin slices to melt with the sauce’s heat. “The steak is served medium-rare, the same we use for our famous prego [another popular local sandwich, comprised of the tender beef with cheese, ham and pickles on a slightly crunchy bread],” he explains.
According to the chef, many venues specializing in francesinhas are more concerned with quantity than quality. “Not here; we are a small restaurant precisely to serve the best,” Jorge says. With just over 20 seats, the space he has been running for two decades in Rua da Alegria is very different from his previous gig. In his twenties, he opened a restaurant that was emblematic in Porto, Café Diu. But he got tired of the busy routine and decided to embrace a smaller project. “I had 30 employees; it was crazy,” he says.
Today, his right hand helper is his wife Lourdes, to whom he has been married for almost 40 years. While he prepares the sandwiches in his small but well-equipped kitchen, she is responsible for the service: welcoming customers, taking orders and serving tables. These days, a waiter helps her with the endless stream of guests – you must make a reservation to get a table at Francesinha Café. “I’ve been at this for so long that I wouldn’t know how to do something else,” she says. Lourdes had already worked with her husband since the days at Café Diu. “I remember having to take my young son to work. He stayed in the back while we dedicated ourselves to the patrons until the shift was over,” she recalls.
The effort, says Fernando Jorge, has paid off. Their small venue has attracted famous chefs and well-known gourmands, becoming a crucial reference point for francesinhas in Porto. “Everyone comes in and says we make the best version in town,” he says. The praise ignited a new goal for Jorge, perhaps his most ambitious yet: to have his francesinha recognized by the Michelin guide.
“Things are changing in the gastronomy scene; I heard that there are even street food restaurants that already have a star. Why can’t my francesinha have one too?” he asks. Jorge is paving the way to make his dream a reality. The restaurant recently underwent a renovation, gaining wooden panels on the walls, cushioned chairs, and designer chandeliers. “We wanted to create a slightly fancier atmosphere to show that francesinha can also be a more elevated dish,” Jorge says. A star would definitely help him prove his point, but meanwhile, the sandwich at Francesinha Café is already a star in its own right.
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