Brazilian recipe
Easy Baked Beef with Tomato Sauce (Bife à Baiana)
A delicious, no-fuss take on a Brazilian classic: tender seared steaks topped with tangy tomato sauce, bubbly melted cheese, and crusty bread. Perfect for a quick, comforting weeknight dinner.
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Ingredients
6 steaks (your choice of cut)
2 crusty rolls (day-old bread works best)
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 medium onion, diced
1 can (approx. 340g) store-bought tomato sauce
100g mozzarella cheese, shredded
Salt to taste
Dried oregano to taste
2 crusty rolls (day-old bread works best)
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 medium onion, diced
1 can (approx. 340g) store-bought tomato sauce
100g mozzarella cheese, shredded
Salt to taste
Dried oregano to taste
Where to find ingredients
Find standard steak cuts at your local butcher or supermarket meat counter. For the bread, look for crusty rolls like bolillo or French-style baguettes in the bakery section; day-old bread is ideal as it holds up better to the sauce. Mozzarella and tomato sauce are readily available in any grocery aisle. If you have trouble finding specific Brazilian items, any high-quality store-bought marinara or plain tomato purée works perfectly as a base for the sauce.
Preparation method
- Season the steaks with salt and the minced garlic to your preference
- Sear the steaks in a skillet with a drizzle of oil until they develop a nice brown crust
- Arrange the seared steaks in a single layer in a baking dish
- Slice the crusty rolls into rounds about 1 cm thick
- Place the bread slices evenly over the steaks in the baking dish
- Combine the tomato sauce with the diced onion, stirring well, and season with salt to taste
- Pour the tomato sauce mixture generously over the steaks and bread slices
- Scatter the shredded mozzarella over the top of the dish
- Sprinkle with a pinch of dried oregano
- Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C for about 10 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbly and lightly browned
Observations
Bife à Baiana is a beloved staple of Brazilian home cooking, cherished for its straightforward prep and bold, savory profile. This dish elevates simple pan-seared steaks by layering them with a rich tomato sauce and rustic slices of crusty bread, all finished under the broiler until golden and cheesy. It’s a complete meal that feels like a warm hug, making it an excellent choice for a busy weeknight or a cozy weekend dinner that everyone will love.
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