Prego Roll

The word “Prego” in Portuguese means nail. A Prego also refers to an extremely popular Portuguese steak consumed in Portugal and its colonial countries, such as Mozambique and Angola. It has become popular in places such as South Africa, due to the large Portuguese community.
The reason why a Prego steak is called a Prego, is because the meat in Portugal is known to be ‘as tough as nails’. The action of using a meat tenderizer, which is shaped like a hammer, to soften the meat, is also another reason for the name. The cut of meat used is “ox breast” better known as flank steak. This is a lean, flat cut that's fairly tender and extremely flavourful. It becomes very tough if overcooked and is another reason for the name. A Prego in Portugal is a Portuguese bread roll filled with meat which is either grilled or fried, preferably in butter. The meat is seasoned using bay leaves, salt, garlic and a hint of chilli. It is not prepared with any type of sauce and has no garnish. The flavour and aroma comes from the herbs and spices used to prepare it which then forms the gravy that saturates the buttered bread roll.
The bread roll traditionally used is called the “Paposeco” which is derived from two words, papo and seco. The word “Papo” refers to the oesophagus or gullet area (neck) of a pigeon which when blown up reminds one of the shape of the bread, and the word “Seco” means dry, as it is a crusty bread. A “Paposeco” is best described as an oval shaped Portuguese crusty bread roll with a crease in the centre and a “nipple” on either side).A Prego can also be ordered on the following types of bread which are all buttered.
A “Carcaça” (carcass or empty hull…awaiting a filling) is similar to “Paposeco” but without the “nipples.” The term “Carcaça” is usually used to describe a bigger “loaf of bread” in the same shape as the “Paposeco.”
A “Pão da avó” (granny’s bread) is a homemade bread loaf which includes rye flour and olive oil in its list of ingredients.
A “Bolo Do Caco” (bread from the stone-chip) is a low rising bread made on a piece of Basalt Stone (Volcanic Rock) or alternatively a slab of cement, traditional to the Island of Madeira.
A “Prego no Prato” (Prego on the plate) is a Prego steak on a bed of round deep fried potato chips, served on a plate and usually topped with an egg, with a small side order of pickled vegetables and olives.
A variation of a Prego is a “Bifana,” which is made using a pork fillet instead of beef.
A variation of the seasoning is using wine to form a marinade.
A variation of frying the steak in butter is frying the steak in olive oil.