Cantinho da Villa — Ferreiras

Cantinho da Villa is a very local Portuguese restaurant in Texugueiras – inland from Albufeira, between Ferreiras and Paderne. 

These local spots are just the best because they have classic Portuguese dishes, a lively buzz since everyone in the neighborhood stops by regularly, and you just feel part of the community when you’re here. 

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Bitoque — Traditional Portuguese Dish

​This plate is a perfect rendition of a classic Portuguese dish – bitoque. You can have beef bitoque or pork bitoque and either way you’re getting thin cuts of meat. When prepared properly they are very tender and flavorful. 

​As you can see the dish also comes with rice and French fries.

Why do Portuguese people eat rice and French fries in the same dish? you may ask. Isn’t that double carbs? you add.

​Well, yes it is. But why do they do it? I suppose because it’s delicious! 🙂 

The addition of a small, simple salad is common here – green lettuce, sliced onion and tomato, and sometimes cucumbers. Oil (Portuguese olive oil, of course) and vinegar are on the table if you need a dressing. 

Please note the lovely pan sauce on this bitoque including whole roasted garlic cloves. This is the mark of a meal made with love. 
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And one of the most beautiful details of this dish is that perfectly fried egg (ovo estrelado) . It takes real skill to get the edges crispy and brown while maintaining a perfectly dippy yolk as shown here. That runny yolk will combine with the pan sauce and add richness to the plain rice. It’s so good you’ll use your french fries to mop up the leftovers. 🙂 

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