Ingredients
- Beef / Pork Steaks
- Lemon / Calamansi, 1 medium size lemon / 3-4 small calamansi
- Soy Sauce, 1/3 cup
- Onion, 2 medium size
- Black Pepper
Recipe
- Chop the beef or pork into strips, and the onion into thick rings.
- Mix 1/3 cup of soy sauce with the juice of 1 lemon. Place the meat into the marinade, ensure the meat is completely covered by the marinade.
- Heat up a pan then add oil. Add half of the meat to the pan, browning both sides, then put aside.
- Add the remaining meat and marinade to the pan and cook, browning both sides.
- Combine all the meat and settled juices into the pan. Add chops onions, cover pan and simmer for 5 mins or until onions are cooked to your liking.
- Taste the sauce, season with pepper to taste. More lemon or calamansi juice can be added to your desired sourness.
- Serve on a bed of rice.
Tips and My Thoughts
Bistek, a really simple and fast meal to cook that is deliciously salty and sour. Typically viewed as a 'poor' peoples dish in the philippines due to the simplicity of the dish. Honestly, this is a great dish for those on a budget, and lasts for a week in the fridge for a quick meal to heat up when you get hungry. Can be cooked with either beef or pork but personally, I prefer pork- especially if it has a big chunk of fat.
The meat can be left to marinade in the fridge for 1-2 hours depending on how thick you cut the meat and if you have the time. You can also leave it for 5 minutes or less if you're in a rush and it tastes just as good. Leaving the meat to marinade longer only tenderizes the meat more- helpful if you only have access to a cheaper cut of meat.
Make sure to not let the sauce evaporate too much for this dish, as it goes great drizzled onto rice- which you'll absolutely love. I'd also recommend not over-cooking the onions as they are the only vegetable in this dish and you don't want them to disappear.