A Portuguese Dish Named Woodpecker? Yes, and We’re Making It!
Make it at Home. Amore Restaurants Pica Pau Takes Center Stage.
I’ll just start off with this. When I first started writing these Make it at Home pieces, I thought they were fun and unique (and I still do). I figured I’d write about some signature restaurant dishes that were delicious but not terribly out there (in a culinary sense). And it’s mostly turned out that way. That is until now!
Never in my wildest home cooking dreams did I think I would be whipping up a bowl of “Woodpecker” in my very own kitchen. But that is precisely the strange road we’re headed down this month.
When I contacted Vito and Liana Vitorino, the owners of Amore Restaurant, I expected them to forward along a recipe for a comforting pasta dish. Or maybe even a nice Veal Marsala. It would be a gross understatement to say I was surprised when I opened that email to reveal that the recipe they had sent was for Woodpecker.
Part of my criteria for these articles is that they have to use ingredients that can easily be found in a Sarasota grocery or gourmet store. I was relieved to find out that “real” woodpecker IS NOT one of the ingredients in this traditional Portuguese dish. Again, IS NOT one of the ingredients!
Portuguese cuisine doesn’t quite get the attention that some of the other European culinary offerings receive. In all fairness, Italian and French dishes each have a pretty big fan base. Even Spanish cuisine gets a brighter spotlight than Portuguese. We’re going to change that (at least for a moment!).
In the Colonial Village Shopping Center, there is a Family Dollar store, a barber shop, a laundromat, and Amore Restaurant (180 N. Lime Ave. (941) 383-1111). There are a few other occupants of this just east of downtown strip shopping center. It’s a very unexpected location for the ONLY restaurant in town that has Portuguese dishes represented on their menu. But this whole Woodpecker adventure has been a little bit unexpected.
The menu at Amore is split between Italian and Portuguese fare. Of course, any run-of-the-mill Italian place in town can crank out the Veal Marsala I mentioned above. But I just dare them to tackle a savory bowl of Pica Pau! Yes, that is the REAL name of the dish they refer to as Woodpecker. Weird, right?
Of course, we’ve got a short cooking film for you! I mean, did you think that we would ever attempt to make Woodpecker without memorializing it? This could be the first, last, and only time that I try. So, get your tiny bowl of popcorn ready, then hit PLAY…
This seems simple enough. Very few ingredients, very little prep, very little chance that something could go horribly wrong! 😀
Let’s start with the recipe.
Pica Pau (Woodpecker)
INGREDIENTS
10oz filet mignon (or another high-quality cut of beef), cubed
2 TBSP Olive oil
2 Cloves garlic, chopped
1 cup beef gravy or demi-glace
1 TBSP Dijon mustard
For garnish – pickled vegetables, sliced black olives, toasted bread
METHOD
Heat olive oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, add cubed beef and garlic. Cook until preferred doneness. Add more olive oil as needed.
When beef is cooked to your desired doneness, add gravy or demi-glace. And mustard. Cook one minute longer. Remove to a serving dish and garnish with vegetables, olives, and toasted bread.
🖨️ HERE’S A LINK TO THE PRINT VERSION OF THIS RECIPE
📝 RECIPE NOTES –
I used a jarred pickled vegetable product. I guess if you were super ambitious, you could make your own. I wasn’t quite that ambitious.
I also used a beef gravy mix. This seemed like a reasonable choice for me. If you’d like to make your very own demi-glace, here’s a recipe for a relatively easy version.
All right. let’s answer the burning question… “how did my Woodpecker turn out?” Well, let’s have a look, shall we?
I think I did a pretty OK job. First off, I had no idea how or what this would look like. I was absolutely flying blind on this one!
📝 Just a quick note on how I put these pieces together. I try not to do any real research until AFTER I have made my version. That way, we can actually see if I can come close just by reading through the recipe provided. The results are WAY more unexpected when it’s a recipe I have never heard of. But that’s the fun of this whole thing!
And, now how about a peek at how someone who knows how to cook real Portuguese food does it! Here’s Chef Vito’s version of Pica Pau.
Here are some tasting, cooking, and plating notes for you.
• The version served at Amore had a lot more Dijon mustard flavor than mine. A lot.
• Their demi-glace was super rich and silky. Mine was good, but it was a packet mix after all. Next time I may take the time to make the actual sauce.
• I think I did OK on the plating for a change. I used a baguette for the bread. Spread both sides with butter and griddled it.
• I had no previous knowledge of the parsley garnish!! 😆
How easy is Pica Pau to make? This should give you a rough idea.
VERDICT: YES, you can make this at home! ✅
This one is good for cooks of all skill levels. The ingredients are easy to round up. You won’t need any special cooking equipment. And the prep is very minimal. But, even with all of that, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to stop into Amore and have Tito whip you up his version of Woodpecker. That way, you can get a real sense of what this traditional Portuguese dish is all about!
A note (and a request) – If you own or are a chef at a Sarasota restaurant and would like to have your recipe featured in a future edition of Make it at Home, please get in touch with us through our Facebook page, our dineSarasota.com website, or send us an email. We want to cook your dish!!
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