Pica-Pau – Portuguese Woodpecker Beef Recipe

Pica-pau or woodpecker beef, is a traditional Portuguese petisco made up of small pieces of tender beef in a light gravy with crunchy pickles.

I am a big fan of Portuguese petiscos, small portions of food that are meant to be shared or eaten casually with a glass of wine or an imperial. From all the different petiscos available, pica pau is one of my favourites. Tender pieces of beef served in a tangy sauce that will make you order extra bread to mop up the plate. The name pica-pau, meaning woodpecker, is just a fun reference to how you eat the dish, pecking the pieces of beef with a cocktail stick.

Portuguese Pica-Pau “Woodpecker Beef” Recipe

What makes a good pica-pau? Well, to me the secret to a good pica pau is a good cut of beef. Since the meat will be only seared, I recommend choosing a tender beef cut such as tenderloin. Tougher cuts of meat will need to be stewed for longer and are not the best option for this Portuguese dish. Another important element of a pica pau is the sauce that ties all the ingredients together.

My sauce includes white wine, butter, mustard and a dash of Worcestershire Sauce. The white wine will help deglazing the pan and all the flavourful little bits leftover from the beef sear. The butter will emulsify the juices of the pan creating a delicious glossy sauce. 

Pica Pau Beef Frying

The rest of the ingredients are garlic, olive oil, bay leaf, fresh thyme, mixed pickled veggies and olives. I also used some brown mushrooms; the umami flavour goes amazingly well with the tangy sauce! I recommend prepping the ingredients before you start since it’s all done in less than 30 minutes, and we don’t want anything to overcook. This recipe is traditionally served with bread as a snack, but it’s also amazing when paired with steamed rice for a more wholesome meal.

How to Make Pica-Pau Beef

Pica-Pau – Portuguese Woodpecker Beef Recipe

Recipe by Ana Veiga
5.0 from 1 vote
Course: Main, Sides, AppetizersCuisine: Mediterranean, PortugueseDifficulty: Easy
Servings

4

servings
Prep time

10

minutes
Cooking time

25

minutes
Calories

405

kcal

Pica-pau or woodpecker beef, is a traditional Portuguese petisco made up of small pieces of tender beef in a light gravy with crunchy pickles.

Ingredients

  • 500 g Beef Tenderloin – Small strips or cubes

  • 100 g Brown Mushrooms – Sliced

  • 2 tbsp Olive Oil (30ml)

  • 80 ml White Wine

  • 25 g Cold Butter

  • 4 Garlic Cloves – Sliced

  • 1/2 tsp Salt

  • 1/2 tsp Smoked Paprika

  • 1 tsp Worcestershire Sauce

  • Black Pepper

  • 3 sprigs Fresh Thyme

  • 1 Bay Leaf

  • 1 cup Mixed Pickled Vegetables

  • 1/3 cup Pitted Black Olives (50g)

Directions

  • Take the beef out of the fridge 30 minutes before cooking.
  • Season the beef with salt and pepper, then place a large skillet over medium to high heat.
  • Once the skillet is hot, add in the olive oil, and the cut beef. Sear it for about 2 minutes on each side. It’s best to divide the beef in two or three batches depending on the size of the skillet, to properly brown it. Transfer the beef to a separate bowl. Set aside.
  • In the same pan you browned the beef, fry the sliced mushrooms for about 5 minutes or until they are soft and lightly golden. Transfer the mushrooms to the beef bowl.
  • Fry the sliced garlic with the bay leaf and thyme in the same pan over medium heat, add a little more olive oil if needed. Once the garlic starts to gain some colour, deglaze with the white wine, scrapping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to loosen the brown bits.
  • Once the alcohol has evaporated, reduce the heat to low. Add in the cold butter, the paprika and the Worcestershire sauce, stir well to emulsify. Toss in the beef and fried mushrooms, stir until everything is coated in the sauce and the sauce has reduced slightly. Remove from the heat.
  • Season with more salt and black pepper if needed, garnish with the pickled veggies and olives. Serve with fluffy bread or some white rice. 
Pica Pau Woodpecker Beef

Have you tried this recipe? Let me know in the comments!

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