How to prepare

Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring, until soft and lightly golden. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, until fragrant.

Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute. Pour in 250 ml of the beer and the stock, then add the bay leaf and hot sauce. Bring to a gentle boil, reduce the heat, and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes, until reduced by about one-third.

Remove the bay leaf and blend the sauce until smooth. Return it to the pan, stir in the remaining beer, and simmer for 3 minutes. Whisk in the cold butter a cube at a time, then taste and adjust the hot sauce; keep warm over very low heat.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the remaining olive oil, season the steaks lightly, and sear for 2 to 3 minutes per side, or until browned and the centers reach 63°C for medium doneness. Rest for 3 minutes. Cook the split sausages cut-side down for 3 to 4 minutes per side, until browned and the centers reach 74°C.

Beef steaks and split sausages seared until browned and cooked through

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Toast the bread slices until crisp at the edges but still pliable in the center. Place four slices on ovenproof plates. Top each with a steak, two slices of ham, and one sausage. Cover with the remaining bread slices.

Drape four slices of cheese over each sandwich, covering the top and sides as much as possible. Spoon a little warm sauce around each sandwich, leaving the cheese exposed.

Broil the sandwiches 10 to 15 cm from the heat for 2 to 4 minutes, watching closely, until the cheese is fully melted, bubbling, and lightly browned. Pour the remaining hot sauce over and around each sandwich, then serve immediately with fries.

Francesinha covered with bubbling melted cheese and rich beer sauce

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Why this recipe works

Toasting the bread protects its crumb, while the seared beef and sausage provide savory contrast to the sweet, spicy beer sauce. A final broil melts the cheese into a cohesive, richly coated sandwich.

Storage and reheating

How to store it

Store the sauce separately from the assembled sandwich in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Store cooked meat separately and assemble only what will be eaten.

How to reheat it

Reheat the sauce gently in a saucepan until steaming. Rewarm the meat briefly, assemble a fresh sandwich, and broil until the cheese is fully melted and bubbling; do not reheat an assembled sandwich more than once.