Espetada madeirense: how to put it on the menu
Espetada madeirense is cubed beef seasoned only with garlic, coarse salt and bay leaf, threaded onto a bay-wood stick and grilled over charcoal. The skewer is served hanging from a stand over the table.
Updated October 2026
How it reads on the menu, in each language
| Language | Name | Line for the guest |
|---|---|---|
| Portuguese | Espetada madeirense | Cubos de carne de vaca temperados com alho, sal e louro, grelhados num pau de loureiro; com milho frito e bolo do caco. |
| English | Espetada madeirense | Madeiran beef skewer: chunks of beef seasoned with garlic, salt and bay leaf, grilled on a bay-wood stick. With fried cornmeal and bolo do caco. |
| Spanish | Espetada madeirense | Brocheta madeirense: dados de ternera con ajo, sal y laurel, asados en una vara de laurel. Con milho frito y bolo do caco. |
| French | Espetada madeirense | Brochette madérienne : cubes de bœuf à l’ail, au sel et au laurier, grillés sur une branche de laurier. Avec milho frito et bolo do caco. |
Usual allergens to check
None of the 14 allergens is part of the base recipe. Check the sausages, stocks and sides you use.
A guide based on the traditional recipe. Only your recipe and your suppliers tell you what the dish contains. How to list allergens
What Espetada madeirense is
It comes with milho frito (fried cubes of cornmeal), salad and bolo do caco flatbread with garlic butter.
How to write it for visitors
Explain the bay-wood stick — it is part of the experience — and give the weight or amount per person. List the sides, because that is where the allergens are.
Where and when it is eaten
In Madeira, above all in Funchal and the espetada houses of Câmara de Lobos and the island’s interior.
Frequently asked questions
Does espetada madeirense contain allergens?
The beef seasoned with garlic, salt and bay leaf contains none of the 14 allergens. Bolo do caco contains gluten and the garlic butter milk.
What is milho frito?
Cubes of set cornmeal porridge, fried. Cornmeal is gluten-free, but check the frying oil.