My Hasty Bistek Tagalog
October 15, 2014
I consider Beef Steak or Bistek Tagalog as one of the best Filipino cuisines. The sourness of Kalamansi juice, the sweetness of onions, the spiciness of pepper, and saltiness of soy sauce are perfect for the strong taste of beef. Kids and adults find this dish very irresistible especially when being served with hot rice.
I've tasted so many versions of Bistek Tagalog and I admire the ones who cook it perfectly. It requires less ingredients and easy cooking procedure. The outcome tastes really, really good. It's a very simple dish actually. Ironic as it seems but honestly, I can't cook it perfectly.
Yesterday, I thought of cooking this again and see if I would be able to get the exact taste that I was looking for. I was really surprised because adding Lea & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce made a lot of difference. Cooking Bistek Tagalog would never be the same without Lea & Perrins.
This is how to do it:
Ingredients
1/2 kilo beef tenderloin or sirloin, sliced thinly (Tapa slice)
1/2 teaspoon freshly-ground pepper
2 large onions, cut into rings
2 large onions, cut into rings
2 tablespoons cooking oil
2 teaspoons garlic powder or minced garlic
7 tablespoons Kalamansi juice (use 7 pcs. regular Kalamansi)
1/2 cup soy sauce (I prefer Marca Pina.)
1/2 cup soy sauce (I prefer Marca Pina.)
approximately 1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon Lea & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce
Procedure
1. Mix Kalamansi juice, soy sauce, Lea & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce, and garlic powder/minced garlic in a bowl.
2. Slice the beef thinly. Rub the meat with the ground pepper before adding it into the marinade. Stir and let sit for at least 30 minutes. To make the meat more flavorful, you may do this overnight.
2. Slice the beef thinly. Rub the meat with the ground pepper before adding it into the marinade. Stir and let sit for at least 30 minutes. To make the meat more flavorful, you may do this overnight.
3. Heat the pan and add one tablespoon of cooking oil. Stir fry the onion
rings until translucent. Don't overcook. Remove from the pan and set aside.
4. In the same pan, heat one tablespoon of oil. Fry the beef until both sides are golden brown. Then pour the marinade into the pan, bring
to boil in low heat, and simmer for a few minutes or until it is reduced.
Adjust the sauce with more soy sauce, water, Kalamansi juice, depending on your taste preference.
5. Serve beef slices with onion rings on top and hot rice on the side. Enjoy!
"The
night before I compete, I like to have steak. Meat is especially
important for female athletes because it provides them with the
nutrients they need to perform at their best."
- Sasha Cohen, American Figure Skater (Silver Medalist, 2006 Olympics)
