The Philippines make Bistek Tagalog, which is a type of beef stew. This is also sometimes called “Beefsteak.” It has a lot of onions and small pieces of beef. The meat is cooked in a mixture of soy sauce and lemon juice until it is very soft. With warm rice is the best way to eat it.
Beef is one of the meats with the most taste and fat. It can be used to make a wide range of foods that really stand out at any handyman or party. Filipinos love to add this red meat sauce to their dishes for the same reason. Even though it goes well with a lot of other things, it can also stand on its own with just a few other things to support it. The Bistek we’re having for lunch today, which is a crowd favorite, is a great example of this.
The quality of the products is more important than how many there are in this kind of food. We chose these to make our sirloin meat taste even better. Calamansi, which has a sour taste, and soy sauce, which has a salty taste, were used to marinade the meat. The dish that came out of it is a great example of how tastes that go well together can work well together.
This recipe is easy to follow and doesn’t require many ingredients. Bistek is a delicious dish that is easy to make. I’m sure you will also like how it tastes. I like how the sauce tastes when I put it on warm rice. It makes the food more fun to eat and makes it taste better.
What is it, and where did it come from?
The name of our meal, as well as the food itself, comes from Spain. Bistec means “steak” in Spanish, and our recipe was based on a dish called Bistec Encebollado. There are different kinds of this meal in places that used to be Spanish colonies. And it’s mostly meat cooked with a lot of onions and spices, like our Bistek.
But Bistek Tagalog has changed a lot over the years to fit the tastes of the people who eat it. One thing is that we like to add calamansi to this dish to make it taste sour. This is because it is one of the easiest citrus foods to find where they live. If you thought about the name of the dish, you might have guessed that it comes from the Tagalog area in Southern Luzon. But because it has just the right amount of salty and semi-sour tastes for most Filipinos, you can now find it in many homes all over the country.
In fact, it has different names in different parts of the Philippines. Karne Frita is another name for this dish, which is thin pieces of beef that are cooked in a tasty way. Even though it only has a few easy ingredients, this recipe is well-known because it tastes great. It uses smart ways to cook, like slow cooking, sautéing, and boiling. We can use this to make beautiful, soft, marinated beef cuts that taste like onions that have been cooked in a pan.
What are some good things for your health about Bistek?
First, steak has a lot of protein, which will give you energy for the rest of the day. And compared to many other Filipino recipes, the food uses less oil. Most of the time, all we need to sauté different foods is 4 tablespoons of cooking oil. In this recipe, we also use calamansi, which is a great source of vitamin C. This keeps your insulin levels in check and is good for your brain. This fruit is both sweet and sour, and it is full of good things for you like potassium and calcium.
Yellow onions and garlic give this dish a little more flavor. Both of these things can help you lower your cholesterol. Researchers have also found that garlic contains vitamins that could help keep Alzheimer’s disease and dementia at bay. There are also many vitamins and minerals in garlic. Selenium, iron, vitamins B6 and C, and fiber are some of these.
What if I don’t have a few of the things I need to make it? What else can I use in this mix besides the Bistek?
You might not have any kalamansi left at home. The bistek recipe calls for beef sirloin, which may not be available at your local store. That shouldn’t be a problem, since you can use other things instead of these. One thing is that our recipe already says that lemon or lime can be used instead of calamari. These can already give the dish that little bit of tanginess it needs.
Even though sirloin would be the best cut of meat for this dish, you can also use other parts of the cow. Try to cut any part you can get your hands on as thinly as you can. If it’s on the tough side, you can also try to soften it with a hammer. This is so that your Bistek Tagalog will be just as soft and juicy as it would be with a beef steak.
You can also try other types of this vegetable that taste and feel the same as our yellow onion. Instead of yellow onions, you can use white or red ones. If you run out of calamari, beef ribeye, or yellow onions, you now have a lot of other options.
How should I best store my Bistek? Can you warm it up so I can eat it again?
Like many other delicious Filipino meals, bistek Tagalog tastes best when it has just been cooked. But if you ever have more than you need, these tips can help you store them. This also helps if you made too much food for your family or dinner guests. So, the right way to store your meat dish is in a container with a lid that fits tightly and keeps air out. You should put all of your Bistek inside. Then put it in the fridge to keep it safe to eat for another three days.
You can also make this last longer, maybe a few months. Put the jar in the freezer. That’s all you have to do. And make sure to check on it before you eat it again to make sure it’s still good. And of course, the best way to eat Bistek that has been in the fridge is to heat it up.
For this step, you only need a pan. Then, put the Bistek in the pan after letting it cool down if it was in the fridge. Then, heat this over medium heat until it’s warm all the way through. How long it takes depends on how much you have left. But you can mix the Bistek with a spoon and make sure the heat is spreading well by doing this.
Bistek can also be cooked up in a microwave, which is a nice feature. To do this, put the dish in the microwave every 2–3 minutes. Once you can see that the meat is properly hot, your hot and tasty Bistek Tagalog is ready to eat.
How to Cook Bistek Tagalog
Soy sauce and calamansi are used to marinate.
The meat is mixed with soy sauce and calamansi juice and left to sit for a while. This step makes the meat taste better. I use dark soy sauce in this meal. Light soy sauce shouldn’t give you any trouble. Calamansi or calamondin go well with this dish. On the other hand, you can also use lemon or lime.
Just put some soy sauce, calamansi juice, and black pepper in a bowl and stir them together. Add beef cuts. Give it an hour to sit. It would be better if you could put everything in a ziplock bag that you can close and let all the air out of before closing it. Preparing something takes at least an hour, but the best time is overnight.
Cook the meat.
Next, fry the beef cuts and onions that have been sitting in a marinade. Make sure to drain any leftover sauce from the meat before you fry it. Don’t let go of the sauce. We’ll use it later on.
Before adding the meat, I usually start by cooking half of the onions in a pan. Just cook the onions until they start to get soft. Take it out of the pan and put it somewhere else. The food will be topped with this. In a pan, cook the meat for one minute on each side. Take it out of the pan after that. Add more oil if you need to.
Saute and cook until they are soft.
Garlic and the rest of the onion need to be cooked. Before you add the rest of the meat marinating, the onion should be soft and the garlic should be a light brown color. Put in some water and let it boil. Put the cooked meat back into the pan where it was cooked. The meat needs to be made less tough. Cover the pan and let the beef cook until it’s very soft. Here, different kinds of good meat really stand out. Use the freshest meat you can find and choose cuts like sirloin and top round that are soft. Don’t forget to add water if the liquid starts to dry up. You can add more ground black pepper and salt if you want.
Ingredients
- ▢1 1/2 lbs beef sirloin thinly sliced
- ▢5 tablespoons soy sauce
- ▢4 pieces calamansi or 1-piece lemon
- ▢1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- ▢3 cloves garlic minced
- ▢3 pieces yellow onion sliced into rings
- ▢4 tablespoons cooking oil
- ▢1 cup water
- ▢1 pinch salt
Instructions
- Marinate beef in soy sauce, lemon (or calamansi), and ground black pepper for at least 1 hour. Note: marinate overnight for best result
- Heat the cooking oil in a pan then pan-fry half of the onions until the texture becomes soft. Set aside
- Drain the marinade from the beef. Set it aside. Pan-fry the beef on the same pan where the onions were fried for 1 minute per side. Remove from the pan. Set aside
- Add more oil if needed. Saute garlic and remaining raw onions until onion softens.
- Pour the remaining marinade and water. Bring to a boil.
- Add beef. Cover the pan and simmer until meat is tender. Note: Add water as needed.
- Season with ground black pepper and salt as needed. Top with pan-fried onions.
- Transfer to a serving plate. Serve hot. Share and Enjoy!
Nutrition Information
Serving: 4g Calories: 279kcal (14%) Carbohydrates: 1g Protein: 31g (62%) Fat: 15g (23%) Saturated Fat: 2g (10%) Cholesterol: 74mg (25%) Sodium: 1095mg (46%) Potassium: 503mg (14%) Vitamin C: 0.8mg (1%) Calcium: 34mg (3%) Iron: 2.8mg (16%)
FAQ
Can I use other cuts of beef for Bistek Tagalog?
Yes, you can use other cuts of beef suitable for stir-frying, such as flank steak or tenderloin. The key is to slice the beef thinly to ensure quick and even cooking.
Can I use lemon juice instead of calamansi juice?
Yes, if calamansi juice is not available, lemon juice can be used as a substitute. The flavor may vary slightly, but it will still result in a delicious Bistek Tagalog.
What are some common variations of Bistek Tagalog?
Some variations include adding vegetables like bell peppers or using pork or chicken instead of beef. You can also adjust the level of saltiness and acidity to suit your taste.
How long should I marinate the beef?
Marinate the beef for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavors to penetrate the meat. You can marinate it longer, even overnight, for a more intense flavor.
Can I make Bistek Tagalog ahead of time?
Yes, you can prepare Bistek Tagalog ahead of time and reheat it when ready to serve. Store the cooked dish in the refrigerator in an airtight container. Reheat it gently in a pan or microwave until warmed through before serving.
