Portuguese Pirate
Linguica Sausage, Pastrami, Swiss Cheese, Hot Mustard, Portuguese Roll
Butcher Kyle Morse of The Mayor Meats | Richmond, VA
Adapted by StarChefs | February 2026 | Photo: Will Blunt
INGREDIENTS
Hot Mustard:
400 grams Dijon mustard
200 grams grated horseradish
Pastrami Brine:
655 grams brown sugar
375 grams kosher salt
80 grams ground black pepper
68 grams toasted coriander seeds
60 grams pink curing salt
10 grams mustard seeds
10 grams juniper berries
9 grams crushed red pepper flakes
1 gram bay leaf
Pastrami:
Beef brisket
75 grams brown sugar
75 grams kosher salt
72 grams black pepper
55 grams coriander
10 grams granulated garlic
10 grams juniper berries
Portuguese Rolls:
Yield: 7 rolls
700 grams all-purpose flour
30 grams granulated sugar
24 grams kosher salt
20 grams dry yeast
30 grams unsalted butter
Canola oil
Semolina flour
Linguiça Sausage:
Yield: 5 pounds
13 grams garlic
12 grams smoked paprika
8 grams ground white pepper
2.25 kilograms chilled pork shoulder
33 grams kosher salt
18 grams superbind
To Assemble and Serve:
Clarified butter
Swiss cheese
METHOD
For the Hot Mustard:
In a mixing bowl, combine all ingredients until smooth. Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate.
For the Pastrami Brine:
In a large nonreactive container, combine all ingredients and 9 liters water. Set aside.
For the Pastrami:
In a nonreactive container, submerge meat completely in Pastrami Brine and refrigerate 7 days. Remove from Pastrami Brine, rinse, and allow to dry. In a mixing bowl, combine all remaining ingredients and apply evenly to meat. Smoke until internal temperature reaches 205°F. Cool, then slice thinly on a deli slicer and reserve. .
For the Portuguese Rolls:
Heat oven to 425°F. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine flour, sugar, salt, and yeast. Mix 2 minutes on low speed. Add 432 grams warm water and mix additional 8 minutes, or until dough is smooth and elastic. Add butter. Mix until dough is smooth and well incorporated. Transfer dough to a lightly oiled bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit 30 minutes at room temperature. Fold dough. Cover and let rest additional 30 minutes. Divide dough into 150-gram portions. Shape into desired sized rolls. Transfer rolls to a parchment-lined and semolina-dusted sheet tray. Let sit 50 minutes at room temperature. Bake 15 minutes, or until golden brown. Let cool.
For the Linguiça Sausage:
In a mixing bowl, combine garlic, paprika, and white pepper. Set aside. Prepare, assemble, and chill a meat grinder. Using a ⅜-inch die, grind pork. Using a 3/16-inch die, grind half of the pork and 158 grams ice. Transfer all of the ground pork to a mixing bowl and season with salt and superbind. Add garlic mixture. Using gloved hands, mix to evenly distribute spices. Stuff pork into 30-millimeter casings. Hang overnight in refrigerator. The next day, prepare and heat smoker to 250°F. Smoke sausages until internal temperature of the meat reaches 150°F. Set aside.
To Assemble and Serve:
In a sauté pan over medium heat, warm clarified butter. Split Portuguese Rolls and toast cut sides until golden. Spread Hot Mustard on both sides of rolls. Butterfly Linguiça Sausage and cook cut-side down until heated through and caramelized. In a separate sauté pan, heat clarified butter and sauté sliced Pastrami until warmed. Top Pastrami with Swiss cheese and melt. Place Linguiça Sausage on bottom roll, top with Pastrami and melted cheese, and finish with top roll. Serve immediately.
