Chef Margarida
Açorda de Camarão
The peasant bread soup of Alentejo dressed for company, sweet pink prawns swimming in a broth of garlic, coentros, and golden azeite. Humble origins, elegant result. This is who we are.
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Posta Mirandesa
Created by
The legendary steak of Trás-os-Montes, cut thick from cattle that graze the granite highlands, grilled over blazing coals and seasoned with nothing but coarse salt. This is beef that needs no help.
Main Dishes
Portuguese, Trás-os-Montes
Dinner Party
BBQ
10 min
Active Time
20 min cook•30 min total
Yield4 servings
There's a reason people drive three hours from Porto just to eat this steak. Posta Mirandesa isn't about technique. It isn't about sauce or marinade or any of the tricks chefs use to make mediocre meat taste good. This is about an animal, a place, and the wisdom to leave both alone.
The Mirandesa is an ancient breed, raised in the harsh granite highlands of Trás-os-Montes where winters are brutal and summers are short. These cattle have grazed that land for centuries. The meat is dark, marbled, intensely flavored. It tastes like the place it comes from. When you have beef this good, your job is simple: don't ruin it.
I traveled to Miranda do Douro to document this dish from the grandmothers who've been cooking it forever. They all told me the same thing. Thick cut. Hot fire. Coarse salt. That's it. One woman, Dona Emília, laughed when I asked about seasoning. "Seasoning? The cow did the seasoning. She ate the herbs. She drank the water. What more do you want?"
At Mesa da Avó, I serve this with batatas a murro and grelos, exactly as they do in the north. The potatoes get punched to crack them open, doused in olive oil and garlic. The grelos are bitter and green, the perfect contrast to the rich meat. Pão, azeite, vinho, sempre. This is a meal for people who understand that the best cooking is often the cooking that gets out of the way.
Mirandesa cattle have been raised in the Trás-os-Montes highlands since at least the 12th century, making them one of Portugal's oldest native breeds. The beef earned DOP (Protected Designation of Origin) status in 1994, recognizing the unique terroir of the Miranda do Douro plateau. The traditional posta cut, always at least four fingers thick, developed because thin steaks couldn't survive the intense heat of the region's wood-fired grills.
The technique, the tradition, and the story behind every dish.
Discover Culinary ExplorerIngredients
Mirandesa beef steaks
Quantity
2 steaks, 4-5 cm thick (about 500g each)
bone-in ribeye or sirloin, at room temperature
coarse sea salt (sal grosso)
Quantity
generous amount
small waxy potatoes
Quantity
1 kg
unpeeled
extra virgin olive oil (azeite)
Quantity
6 tablespoons
garlic
Quantity
4 cloves
smashed
grelos or broccoli rabe
Quantity
1 bunch (about 400g)
tough stems removed
olive oil for greens
Quantity
2 tablespoons
black pepper
Quantity
freshly ground, to taste
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| Mirandesa beef steaksbone-in ribeye or sirloin, at room temperature | 2 steaks, 4-5 cm thick (about 500g each) |
| coarse sea salt (sal grosso) | generous amount |
| small waxy potatoesunpeeled | 1 kg |
| extra virgin olive oil (azeite) | 6 tablespoons |
| garlicsmashed | 4 cloves |
| grelos or broccoli rabetough stems removed | 1 bunch (about 400g) |
| olive oil for greens | 2 tablespoons |
| black pepper | freshly ground, to taste |
Equipment Needed
- •Charcoal grill or gas grill
- •Long-handled tongs
- •Meat thermometer (optional but helpful for thick cuts)
- •Heavy cutting board for resting
Instructions
- 1
Bring the meat to room temperature
Remove the steaks from the refrigerator at least one hour before cooking. Two hours is better. Cold meat on a hot grill seizes up and cooks unevenly. The steaks should feel like room temperature when you press them. This is not optional.
A steak this thick needs time. Rushing this step means a cold center and an overcooked exterior. Patience. - 2
Build your fire
If using charcoal, light it and let it burn until the coals are white-hot with no visible flame, about 30 minutes. You want intense, direct heat. If using a gas grill, preheat to maximum for at least 15 minutes with the lid closed. The grates should be scorching. Hold your hand five centimeters above the grill. If you can't keep it there for more than two seconds, you're ready.
- 3
Cook the potatoes
While the fire builds, boil the potatoes in heavily salted water until a knife slides through easily, about 20 minutes. Drain them. Now comes the murro: place each potato on a cutting board and punch it firmly with your fist or the bottom of a heavy glass to crack it open without breaking it apart. Arrange on a baking sheet, drizzle generously with olive oil, tuck the smashed garlic between them, and season with salt. Keep warm in a low oven.
The punch cracks the potato so it drinks the olive oil and garlic. Don't be gentle. Give it a proper murro. - 4
Salt the steaks
Just before grilling, season the steaks generously on both sides with coarse salt. Press it into the meat. The salt should be visible, a rough crust. Don't be afraid. The thickness of the cut can handle it. No pepper yet. Pepper burns over high heat and turns bitter.
- 5
Grill the posta
Place the steaks directly over the hottest part of the fire. Don't touch them. Let them sear undisturbed for 4 to 5 minutes until a dark crust forms and they release easily from the grates. Flip once. Cook another 4 to 5 minutes for medium-rare. For a steak this thick, you want a good char on the outside while the center stays rosy pink. If you must, use a meat thermometer: 52°C for rare, 57°C for medium-rare.
Dona Emília in Miranda told me: "Turn it once. Only once. Every time you flip, you lose heat. You lose crust. Leave it alone." - 6
Rest the meat
Transfer the steaks to a wooden cutting board and let them rest for at least 8 minutes. This is crucial. The juices need to redistribute. Cut into a steak too soon and all that flavor runs onto the board instead of staying in the meat. Cover loosely with foil if your kitchen is cold.
- 7
Prepare the grelos
While the meat rests, blanch the grelos in boiling salted water for 2 to 3 minutes until just tender. Drain well. Heat olive oil in a pan, add a smashed garlic clove, and toss the grelos until coated and slightly crispy at the edges. Season with salt.
- 8
Serve
Slice the steaks against the grain into thick strips if sharing, or serve whole if each person gets their own. The interior should be pink and juicy. Finish with freshly ground black pepper now, after cooking. Serve immediately with the batatas a murro and grelos alongside. No sauce. No butter. The meat speaks for itself.
Chef Tips
- •True Mirandesa beef has DOP certification. If you can't source it, look for well-marbled, dry-aged beef from a heritage breed. The fat marbling is what makes this cut work with such simple preparation.
- •The thickness matters. Four fingers at minimum. A thin steak cooks through before it develops a proper crust. You need that contrast between charred exterior and rosy center.
- •Charcoal or wood is traditional and gives the best flavor. Oak is what they use in Trás-os-Montes. If you only have gas, get it as hot as possible and don't apologize.
- •In Miranda do Douro, they serve this with alheira, the bread sausage of the region, grilled alongside the meat. If you can find it, add it to the spread.
Advance Preparation
- •The steaks must come to room temperature before grilling. Remove from refrigerator 1-2 hours ahead.
- •Potatoes can be boiled up to 2 hours ahead and punched just before serving. Reheat in a hot oven with the olive oil and garlic.
- •This dish is best served immediately. There is no making ahead.
Frequently Asked Questions
Nutrition Information
1 serving (about 500g)
Calories
960 calories
Total Fat
69 g
Saturated Fat
21 g
Trans Fat
0 g
Unsaturated Fat
47 g
Cholesterol
144 mg
Sodium
900 mg
Total Carbohydrates
49 g
Dietary Fiber
6 g
Sugars
2 g
Protein
42 g
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