By Kitty Greenwald

The Chef: Melissa López

Her Restaurant: Barra Santos in Los Angeles

What She's Known For: Bringing a Californian sensibility and hyperlocal ingredients to Portuguese dishes. Making a tiny northeast L.A. restaurant worthy of a detour.

The beloved Portuguese sandwich known as a bifana usually calls for piling thinly sliced, garlicky pork between split crusty rolls. For her final Slow Food Fast contribution, chef Melissa López shares a simple recipe based on the version she serves at her Los Angeles restaurant, Barra Santos. López dresses juicy pork cutlets with a cilantro-garlic drizzle before layering them into ciabatta rolls. Here, a frisée salad, seasoned with fresh orange juice, rounds out the plate.

If you handle pork chops carelessly, they can turn tough, but López skirts that risk by rubbing the meat with a blend of vinegar, cumin and coriander. "The acid tenderizes it," she explained. The spices also add a floral, earthy note.

The herb sauce, which moderates the meal's richness, was inspired by López's first trip to Portugal and the research she did upon her return, she explained -- noting the country's fondness for garlic, lemon and cilantro. While this bifana may not be 100% traditional, its permanent place on her menu suggests it has struck a chord anyway.

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

September 17, 2025 11:00 ET (15:00 GMT)

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