Bistek Tagalog

• 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 white or red onion sliced into rings
• 4 tablespoons cooking oil
• 1 cup water
• 1 pinch salt

Instruction:

• The beef to be marinated in soy sauce and calamansi juice.
• Use dark soy sauce for this recipe.
• Calamansi or calamondin is best use for this dish.
• Simply combine soy sauce, calamansi juice, and ground black pepper in a bowl.     Add beef slices. Marinate for 1 hour.
• The next step is to pan fry the marinated beef slices and onions. Make sure to drain the remaining marinade before frying the beef. Save the marinade. We will use it later.

Procedure:

1. Pan fry first the half of the onions before the beef. You just need to fry the onions until it starts to get soft. This will be added as the topping for the dish.
2. Pan-fry the beef for 1 minute per side. Add extra oil if needed.
3. Saute garlic and remaining onion. The onion needs to be soft and the garlic should be light brown before you pour the remaining beef marinade. Add water and let the mixture boil.
4. Put the pan-fried beef into the pan. The beef needs to be tenderized.
5. Cover the pan and simmer until the beef becomes really tender. This is where good quality meat and cuts stand out. It is important to use the freshest beef and select tender cuts such as sirloin and top round.
6. Do not forget to add water if the liquid starts to dry out. You can season it with more ground black pepper and salt if needed.
7. Top the dish with pan-fried onions before serving.