Espetada (Portuguese Beef Skewers)
Big, juicy grill-seared chunks of beef served over thick slices of artisan bread. Espetada, or Portuguese Beef Skewers, is a recipe that calls for a party!
Big, juicy beef skewers
Espetada (ace-PAE-ta-da) is a dish originating from the island of Madeira.
It traditionally consists of large chunks of beef that are rubbed with garlic and salt and skewered onto a bay laurel branches before being grilled over hot coals.
The bay branches infuse the meat with flavor as the skewers grill.
Since there aren't a whole lot of bay laurel trees in Wisconsin, we decided to infuse the meat with the bay flavor through the marinade.
How to serve espetada
It is common for the dish to be served with the skewer hung vertically from a hook, so the the juices can drip down onto a plate of thick-sliced crusty bread.
Likely, you don't have a hook and skewer set up for your table, so serving these skewers atop thick, grilled slices of artisan bread is the next best thing.
How to cook these beef kebabs
Cooking skewers can be tricky to get the perfect doneness of the meat. And even if you're a master at other skewers, these are a bit different because the cubes of meat are so thick.
Our advice: treat them like a steak.
We use a medium high heat to get a good sear on the cubes. Then we cook them until they just start to feel firm.
Resting the skewers, covered, helps finish off the cooking slowly and stabalize the juices.
The goal is to achieve a nice medium to medium rare color and juiciness in your meat.
A simple dish with big flavor
Even though this dish consists of a surprisingly small number of ingredients, the flavor is incredible!
Paired with some crusty bread, each bite of this party meal is summer heaven!
More Portuguese and Portuguese inspired recipes
Take a trip to Portugal with some of these recipes inspired by Portuguese flavors!
- Caldo Verde (Portuguese Green Soup)
- Caipirinha Colada by A Kitchen Hoor's Adventures
- Chorizo Eggs Salad by Cindy's Recipes and Writings
- Sofrito Marinated Beef Skewers by Nik Snacks
- Queijadas de Sintra by Food Lust People Love
Espetada (Portuguese Beef Skewers)
These big, juicy beef skewers are ready for a summer cookout party!
Letting the beef marinate for at least four hours is key to the incredible flavor of this dish. If possible, let the beef marinate overnight.
Ingredients
- 1 ½ lbs beef sirloin, cubed into 2" chunks
- 6 garlic cloves, minced
- 12 bay leaves, crumbled
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¼ c Madeira wine
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 Roma tomatoes, halved
- 2 green pepper, halved and seeded
- 2 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- In a small bowl, mix together minced garlic, crushed bay, and black pepper. Rub the beef chunks with the mixture and place them in a flat baking dish or ziploc bag.
- In another small bowl, mix together the Madeira wine and olive oil. Pour the wine mixture over the beef cube, making sure they are well coated. Place the beef in the refrigerator to marinate for at least 4 hours, or overnight.
- When you are ready to cook your beef, preheat your grill to medium high heat. (You should be able to hold your hand over the cooking grate for approximately 5 seconds.)
- Place the beef chunks on soaked, sturdy, wooden skewers (or metal skewers if you have them), interspersed with the tomato and green pepper halves. Sprinkle the beef and vegetables with salt.
- Grill the meat for 3-5 minutes. Flip the skewers and grill for an additional 3-5 minutes, until the beef is just starting to become firm. Remove the skewers from the grill to a platter. Cover the skewers with aluminum foil and let them stand for 10 minutes before serving.
- Serve the skewers on a bed of crusty bread, drizzled with any juices that pooled in the platter as they rested.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
6Serving Size:
⅙ of recipeAmount Per Serving: Calories: 343
Sarah founded Curious in 2010 as a way to save her recipe creations and share culinary experiences. Her love for cultural cuisines was instilled early by her French Canadian Grandmother. Her experience in the kitchen and in recipe development comes from over 10 years working in professional kitchens. She has traveled extensively and enjoys bringing the flavors of her travels back to create easy-to-make recipes.
These skewers look divine! I love the colors. Thank you for participating in the celebration. What a wonderful recipe for Isabel's birthday!
Thanks Terri, and thanks for hosting such a fun event!
Looks like you've master minded the perfect post for Isabel's birthday party, Sarah. Love the history behind your yummy dish, too =)
Thank you! We had fun deciding what to make!
"...each bite was summer heaven" - Yes! I can just imagine it and almost taste it by reading your post. I'll have to make this and see for myself.
Thanks Renee! You'll have to make it and let us know what you think!
Big, beefy, and ooohhh sssoooo goooood!
Oh yes!! 🙂
YUM and I still have some sirloin left in my freezer from my last beef purchase. Thanks for this great recipe.
You will love this Wendy!
Now THIS is my kind of party food! I'm sure your Portuguese beef skewers would be Isabel's favorite!
We do love skewers for a party!
A delicious tribute, Sarah! Yum!
Thanks Cindy!
These look absolutely delicious! You might even say it's similar to my dish because they're both served on bread!
Agreed DB! Thanks!
I've never heard of these Portuguese skewers, but I'm now a fan! Perfect for the birthday girl 🙂
They are definitely worth discovering!
Sarah, this dish is totally summer heaven! I want to run out, buy some beef and start grilling right now!
I wouldn't fault you if you did. These babies are worth it!
I love grilling all times of the year. These look so good and the spices are great. I will have to give them a try before the summer is over.
They are the perfect way to celebrate summer!
Nice two-fer -- Portugese AND beef! Well done Sarah!
Thanks Dorothy!
Oh wow these look delish and I'm sure Isabel isn't the only one who would enjoy them!!!!!! WOW!
Thanks Tammi!
Those beef chunks are grilled to perfection, Sarah! What a flavorful gorgeous dish! (And I wouldn't mind sip or two of the sangria in the background either.)
Thanks Stacy! The sangria recipe is coming later this week! 🙂
:Perfect birthday meal for Isabel and they look super delicious!
Thanks Shelby!